Be ready for the Master – Sunday Reflections

Rev Vitalis

Sunday Reflection

 

Be ready for the Master

1. Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out,

an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

“Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.

Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.

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, the master will put the servant 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” (Lk12:32-48). Taken from today’s gospel for Sunday week 18, year C.

2. Last Sunday’s gospel ended with the sudden unprepared death of the rich fool who was reserving his wealth for himself alone. Today’s gospel begins with an assurance that God has been pleased to give us the kingdom. It is a way of saying that the lot of the foolish rich man will not be the lot of those who trust in God. Trust in God is theme that runs through the three readings. The Israelites trusted God’s promise of deliverance(Wis 18,6-9), Abraham trusted the promise of an eternal home land offered by God(Heb 11,8-19). The Psalm proclaims the joy of those who trust in God.

3. The beginning words of the gospel:”Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom” is a call to live without fear of losing the kingdom because God has made a promise to that effect. It is also a call not to live like the richman who forgot that there is a Master who governs the world. The words “Master” and “servant” are respectively used at least 8 times in today’s gospel. They underline the fact that humans are not masters but servants. The Master is the Sin of Man. The recognition of this fact is the first condition for inheriting the kingdom.

4. The Master, the Son of Man, is Jesus. In the gospel he says that he will come like a house owner coming home from a marriage feast, that is, one coming without a precision of time since marriage feasts do not normally end at specific time. He will also come like a thief, that is, coming without warning. The main point is that his coming will be sudden. This invites the servant to be vigilant and awake so that he will not be taken unaware. Globally this will refer to the coming of Jesus at the hour of death. We all know that death’s hour is only known to God. We must therefore be ready to meet Christ whenever he decides to call us from earthly life by living in righteousness.

5. But the coming of Jesus is not restricted to the end of life. He comes all the time in different manners. He comes to us in his words that we hear and read. He comes to in many joyful and sad events of life. He comes to us suddenly in the people who need our help. This is the most regular coming of Jesus. The people who call on us for help do so often at the moments that we least expect them. Like the master coming from wedding or like the thief at dawn they appeal without warning to our help. We must be ready not to miss such occasions for meeting the Lord. We have heard so many stories of those who entertained God and angels without knowing. Such was the case of Abraham in Genesis 18:1-15. His generosity to the unknown needy strangers became a source of blessing and answered prayers for him. So often such opportunities are missed.

6. Being ready for the Master’s coming involves being ready to recognize him in the

needy. Treat every needy person as the Master. You cannot solve every problem but let no one come to you in tears and still go back in tears. If you have no material thing to offer, offer encouraging words and comfort. Remember that all that you have must be accounted for when the last bell tolls. To whom much is given much will be expected. The Master could be hidden as the transcendent God or exposed in the close needy neighbour. Be ready to meet him.© Vita, 07/08/22.

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