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Continuing our studies of Luke 12, this week are considering verses 35-48. Please read them every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 12:45-48 (NLT)
‘But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.’
I think I may have mentioned in previous devotions some phrases that I heard almost continually as I grew up. Some are very localised to being raised in a Welsh town, while others seem to be used the world over.
“Come and give your Nan a cwtch” is very unique to Wales and while I’m sure that the ‘Nan’ could be replaced by Mam, Dad or whomever, the word ‘cwtch’ is difficult to put into words that are understood by non-Welsh people. Cuddle, hug or embrace just don’t adequately describe what it’s all about. Moving on, what about the phrase “Stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about”? “You’ll be laughing the other side of your face if I get my hands on you” is another wonderful example of a loving and caring parental attitude!
Perhaps the most appropriate for today is a phrase heard the world over: “Wait until your father gets home”. This is generally uttered by distraught mothers who are unable to cope with the unruly behaviour of a child. She is desperate to show some discipline to the child but seems to need the authority of the father. In many cases, the father brings a physical edge to the discipline that seems to be absent but required. In modern day society, the concept of any physical punishment or correction is completely abhorrent and government is being pushed hard to enforce legislation preventing such discipline.
I suppose you could entitle our verses today ‘Wait until your Master gets home’. What a picture we see here of what it means to have our behaviour judged and punished by a Holy God. Many people try to explain these verses away in some nice manner, but to me it is clear these verses indicate that the ‘Master’ mentioned is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. The verses are also very clear as to the reasons why the punishment is so severe: Verse 47 in the Weymouth translation says ‘that servant who has been told his Master’s will and yet made no preparation and did not obey His will’.
Jesus has been repeatedly teaching something very fundamental – “Don’t just listen to my words – Do something about them”. And again, “Act on what you’re hearing. Obey what I’m asking you to do.” It’s very simple really isn’t it? Jesus’ mother Mary told the guests at the wedding “Whatever Jesus says to you, do it”. It is not our remit to think through, to analyse and certainly not to question what He says. It is our sole duty to obey.
At the end of another week, my prayer is that we move to a deeper level of obedience to all that He says. I remember asking someone once why they had done something. The reply was that he believed God was telling him and that “if God said it, that’s good enough for me.” Let that be our motto this week.
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