Luke 12:39-48

Romans 6:12-18

Psalm 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8

Luke 12:39-48

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Be sure of this:

if the master of the house had known the hour

when the thief was coming,

he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also must be prepared,

for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Then Peter said,

“Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?”

And the Lord replied,

“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward

whom the master will put in charge of his servants

to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.

Truly, I say to you, he will put him

in charge of all his property.

But if that servant says to himself,

‘My master is delayed in coming,’

and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,

to eat and drink and get drunk,

then that servant’s master will come

on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour

and will punish the servant severely

and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

That servant who knew his master’s will

but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will

shall be beaten severely;

and the servant who was ignorant of his master’s will

but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating

shall be beaten only lightly.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,

and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you know all things. You know when and how I will be tempted, how I will fail, and how I will be victorious. Guide me along the right path so that I may be entrusted with more. I am your servant and will strive to care for those you have entrusted to me.

Encountering the Word of God

1. You Must Be Prepared: On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus taught his disciples to be vigilant and prepared for his coming. His disciples need to be vigilant like servants awaiting their master’s return (Luke 12:36-38) and alert like a homeowner on guard against thieves (Luke 12:39-40). The key element in both parables is the unexpected arrival. In one parable, Jesus identifies himself as the Lord and Master who has his servants recline at table while he serves them. In the second parable, Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man and compares himself to a thief. The first parable teaches the disciples that they must faithfully work until the coming of Jesus. The second teaches that they need to guard and protect the household of the Church. After hearing the second parable, Peter wanted to know if the parable was meant for them or for everyone. Jesus answers Peter’s question with a question: “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge?” This was an indirect way of saying that he is especially addressing Peter and the Twelve, whom he has chosen for leadership positions in the restored Israel (Luke 6:13; 22:29-30). “They and those after them must serve as ‘trustworthy’ (pistos) stewards (1 Cor 4:1-2)” (see Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 245).

2. The Faithful and Prudent Steward in the Church: If Peter, the other apostles, and the successors are vigilant and responsible servants, they will be blessed by the Lord who is coming. Jesus alludes to their responsibility to feed the household of God. The wise steward distributes the food allowance (“measure of grain”) at the proper time, unlike the rich fool who kept the grain for himself (Luke 12:18). “The Twelve literally carry out this task in the early Church and then appoint others to do so (Acts 6:1-6). Spiritually, this task of Church leaders refers to nourishing the faithful in a fitting way with the word (see 1 Cor 3:2; Heb 5:12) and with the Eucharist” (Gadenz, The Gospel of Luke, 245).

3. Should we Sin to Unleash More Grace? In his Letter to the Romans, Paul is taking up objections to his thesis. He already addressed the objection that he is overthrowing the entire Old Testament (Romans 3:31). In response, he argued that the Old Testament itself – in the story of Abraham – showed that salvation was a matter of faith and not a matter of keeping the ceremonial laws of Moses. In the First Reading, Paul takes up a second objection and a possible misunderstanding about his argument. He has just argued that “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” And so, someone could think, “If our sins let loose a flood of divine grace, then why not continue to sin to unleash ever more grace?” Here, Paul answers that in Jesus we have died to sin and have begun to live a new life. Sin should not have mastery over us. We are not under the Old Covenant Law of Moses, but we are under the New Covenant grace of Christ. Grace is God’s loving favor toward us, communicated to us as a gift that empowers us to act beyond our natural abilities. With God’s grace, we can believe, hope, and love in a supernatural way.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are the supreme example of a Servant. You did the will of your Father perfectly. It was your sustenance. Help me to imitate you and be attentive to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit you have poured out within me.

Living the Word of God: Do I see any people around me that God has put me in charge of to care for? What does each one of them most need from me?