Be Alert

Luke 12:35  "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36  be 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. 37  Blessed 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. 38  If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. 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. 40  You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

Luke tells us that Jesus urges his followers to “be dressed for action ... be like those who are waiting ... be alert ... be ready”.  This is the language of action; the language of one who expects a response; the language of command and obedience. Those who follow Jesus are not passive observers. They are obedient servants who stand ready to serve God whenever and wherever God commands us.

Our faith is not an academic concept, or a religious interest. Our faith is lived each day in response to a Divine call. Our task is to be ready for the call.

  

 

Ordinary 16 / Pentecost +9

38 Patience
The Scripture passage for the day is drawn from Reuben Job and Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and other Servants, (Nashville, The Upper Room 1983), 237.
This reflection is from my own devotional exercises for the day.