Luke 12:32-40 (NRSV)
Read Luke 12:32-40 on biblegateway.com
Verse 32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Verse 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. Verse 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Verse 35"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; Verse 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Verse 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. Verse 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. Verse 39"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. Verse 40You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
Devotion
Jesus' call in the gospel reading to treasure what really and eternally matters is followed by what sounds like a very urgent call to "be ready." When I was growing up, that preparedness was usually understood as referring to being ready for Jesus' return—what we called "the second coming," "the end of the world" or "the final judgment." Jesus more than once talked of his coming again and called on his followers to live each day with the expectation that it could very well be the day of his return or the final day of our earthly life. When understood in this way, Jesus' words are both encouragement and warning. To this we can say, "Come, Lord Jesus! Come!"
Yet we do more than wait for Jesus' return. He calls on us to be ready for his coming to us right now—in ways that we might not expect and with promises and opportunities for being blessed and for being a blessing.
Prayer
Living and Loving God, free us from any deafness, blindness and complacency that prevent us from being ready and open to new blessings and opportunities. Amen.