Gospel

The image of authority is one of service to others. Leaders of the Church have been entrusted much, and much will be expected of them

Luke 12:32-48
32 33

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 "Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour." 41 Peter said, "Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?" 42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes will find so doing. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed in coming,' and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will punish him, and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master's will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating. 48 But he who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, shall receive a light beating. Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required; and of him to whom men commit much they will demand the more.

Interesting Details

In the first few verses, today's passage continues last Sunday's discussion of possessions in the life of the Christian. (v.32) "my little flock": The gentleness here matches that of "my friends" in 12:4. The image of the flock echoes the designation of Israel guided by the Lord (Ez 34:11-24). The disciples represent that "little flock" which forms the nucleus of the restored people around the prophet. (v.35) At that time, when a man was resting, he loosened the belt which held his long robe. When working he tightened the belt, thus hitching up his robe to

facilitate work and movement. The fastening of the belt recalls the preparation for the Exodus. The Hebrew people were to be ready to move immediately when the call of the Lord came. The disciples of Jesus are to be ready to open to the Master "immediately when He comes". (v.36) The passage has some points of resemblance to the parable of the ten virgins in Mt. 24:42-51. The earliest Christians held out the expectation that Jesus would return in glory very soon. But by the time Luke wrote, a different notion prevailed. The Lord would return at an unknown time, at an indefinite moment in the future. Luke therefore calls for continued vigilance and fidelity. "steward": The household manager is often translated as "steward". He was himself a slave just as those he oversees; despite his relative authority, he is equally subject to the authority of the master. (v.45) Luke has placed great emphasis here upon the notion of punishment. Those who serve the Church must never abuse their authority. Their role is one of service, not placing others in servitude. (v.48) Those "entrusted with much" authority, and those "entrusted with more", must live up to their appointed tasks. Luke is already looking ahead to the future organization of the Church.

One Main Point

The image of authority is one of service to others. Leaders of the Church have been entrusted much, and much will be expected of them.

Reflections
1. What has God entrusted to me to manage? How am I taking care of this responsibility? 2. About what dangers is Jesus warning me in this passage? Which danger is most likely to be a problem for me?
Today, the Gospel reminds us and demands from us to be always wide-awake for the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect (Lk 12:40). We have to be always on the alert; we have to live in tension, disconnected, for we are but pilgrims of a world that goes by, our true fatherland being in heaven. Our life must go towards there; whether we like it or not, our earthly existence is nothing but our projection towards our definite encounter with the Lord, and in this encounter Much will be required of the one who has been given much, and more will be asked of the one entrusted with more (Lk 12:48). Is not this one the supposed crowning moment of our life? Let us live our life more intelligently, and realize what our true values are! Stop searching this earth's treasures as so many actually do. Let us elude this mental attitude! After our world's mentality we are worth depending upon what we have! People is valued by

the money they have, by the social class and category they belong to and, by their prestige, their power. But all that, in God's eyes, is worth absolutely nothing! Suppose you find out today you have an incurable sickness, and you are given just a month to live..., what will you do with all your money? What good will it be all your power, your prestige and your social class? They will be good just for nothing. You, then, realize that all these assets everybody find so valuable right here, when the time for you has finally come, they will be worth just nothing. And, if then you look backwards, around you, you see that all these values capsize: the true values are in the people around you, in their loving care, in that peaceful look of understanding; they all become the true values, the actual treasures that you behind this world's gods had always underestimated. Try to have the evangelic intelligence to discern which are your real treasures! Let your heart's treasures be, instead of these world's gods, love, true peace, wisdom and all the gifts God grants to his favorite sons.