Luke 12:36, commentary and pictures

The verse pictures household servants waiting for their lord to return from the wedding, ready to open to him immediately when he comes and knocks. His coming is at an unknown and unexpected hour, even in the second or third watch of the night, so they must watch at all times and remain constantly ready without delay. The return from the wedding is his return from the marriage of the Lamb in heaven before the second coming, when he receives his kingdom from the Father and finishes his ministration in the most holy place, laying off priestly attire, closing probation and forever deciding every case. The servants whom he finds watching when he comes are blessed, and he will honor them by girding himself and serving them, with an eternal weight of glory far beyond momentary affliction. Such waiting is not idle expectancy or neglect of duty, but vigilant, earnest work in daily prayer, obedience that purifies the heart, faithfulness in entrusted responsibilities, saving perishing souls, and keeping the lamp filled with the Holy Spirit.

Waiting Servants Picture

The verse pictures household servants waiting for their lord to return from the wedding, ready to open the door to him immediately as soon as he arrives and knocks. It teaches that Christ's servants are to live ready for their Lord's return and to welcome him at once, remaining watchful and alert because they do not know when he will come. That readiness holds even if his return is delayed or comes at an unexpected hour, even late in the night in the second or third watch, and those servants whom he finds so watching are blessed. While he is absent they honor him by faithfully doing the work and responsibilities entrusted to them, watching and working as they prepare for his coming. In this passage the waiting is linked with keeping lights burning and laying up treasure in heaven rather than on earth.

The waiting belongs with loins girded and lights burning, with lamps trimmed and burning as people who expect their Lord to come. Trimming the lamps means preparing to bear light while waiting for him, and this is a time for bearing light and taking action. It is a solemn and serious work of watching for souls as those who must give an account, like the faithful and wise steward who gives the household their portion of meat in due season. Watching means doing his commandments and doing the work he left in his absence, bringing forth much fruit as branches of the true Vine with his joy remaining in them. It includes giving means to advance his cause and save perishing souls while opportunity still remains, for his coming is drawing nigh and he will soon say It is done.

The wider passage of Luke 12:1-42 shows God's standard and his expectation that his sons and daughters advance in spiritual growth. Where there is life, there is growth.

Constant Active Watchfulness

The Lord's coming is at an unknown and unexpected hour, so His servants must watch at all times and remain constantly ready to open to Him immediately when He comes and knocks. The Son of man comes at an hour not thought of, even in the second watch or the third watch and late in the night, and those servants whom He finds watching when He comes, even if His return is delayed, are blessed. Readiness for that return is tied to using possessions to give to the needy and laying up treasure in heaven, because He will come when He is not expected.

Watching does not mean neglecting ordinary duties or living in idle contemplation and idle expectancy. It warns against spiritual sleep, indolence and mere expectation, calling instead for resisting them, using every moment faithfully, enduring to the end, and remaining faithful and working earnestly prepared for the opposition and trouble of the last days. Watching means purifying the heart by obedience to the truth and uniting vigilant waiting with earnest working.

While the Lord is absent His servants honor Him by faithfully doing the work and responsibilities entrusted to them, serving the Lord and carrying out what He left them to do. They wait with patience and trust while continuing to work faithfully, living responsibly in this day of preparation and faithfully representing His work. Watching means keeping His commandments and bringing forth much fruit as branches of the true Vine, with His joy remaining in them, and giving their means to advance His cause and save perishing souls while opportunity still remains.

Heavenly Wedding Fulfillment

The lord returns from the wedding because the marriage of the Lamb takes place in heaven before the second coming, and readiness to open to the returning lord illustrates a change in the position and work of Christ as great High Priest. The wedding is Christ's reception of His kingdom from the Ancient of Days in heaven. At the end of the 2300 days Jesus rose from the throne with the Father, told His followers to stay and wait, and went within the veil into the Holiest to His Father to receive the kingdom.

Christ's followers on earth are not physically present at that wedding but follow Him by faith as He ministers in the heavenly sanctuary and performs His final work of mediation. They are to understand that work and patiently await His return in glory to redeem His people. Those who accept the scriptural truths about this work are represented as going in to the marriage. Waiting means keeping the eyes fixed on Him by faith where He now ministers, keeping garments spotless, praying for the Spirit, and being ready to open to Him immediately when in a little while He returns from the wedding to receive His waiting people to Himself, and those who thus follow Him receive light and the Holy Spirit while those who do not follow are left in darkness.

Waiting for the Master is waiting for His return from His ministration in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, not His revelation in the clouds of heaven. When He lays off His priestly attire and clothes Himself with garments of vengeance, probation closes, His intercession ceases, and the cases of all are forever decided in the time of reckoning with His servants. The wedding setting also points to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and readiness includes putting on the wedding garment, which is Christ's character and virtues.

Promise to Watchers

Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He comes shall find watching, for He shall gird Himself and make them sit down to meat and serve them. This blessing holds even if He comes in the second watch or the third watch, late in the night, after delay and at an hour not thought of, when the Son of man comes unexpectedly. Such watching is solemn and serious work, with loins girded and lights burning, watching for souls as those who must give an account, like the faithful and wise steward who gives the household their portion of meat in due season. It is not idle expectancy but purifying the heart by obedience to the truth and uniting vigilant waiting with earnest working, with eyes fixed heavenward, turned from earthly pleasure and worldly fame and the deceitfulness of riches, strong to overcome sloth and selfishness and love of ease, and holding firm through long waiting, affliction, grief and doubt. Because the Lord is at the door their zeal is quickened to cooperate with divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls, declaring the truth now specially applicable and giving their generation its special warning, as Enoch and Abraham and Moses each declared the truth for his time, and to these watchers belongs special honor in the last days.

Those who thus wait for their Lord to return from the wedding and stand ready to open to Him immediately and receive Him when He comes will receive a rich reward. Their waiting is the travels of God's people to the Holy City through many trials toward the heavenly Canaan, a goodly land they are well able to go up and possess. That reward is a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, for which momentary light afflictions are worth enduring while looking not at the temporal things which are seen but at the eternal things which are not seen.

Faithful Living Application

Immediate readiness calls for daily prayer and watchfulness, putting the whole heart into service instead of tame, listless striving, earnestly seeking the Lord and not merely claiming truth but living and practicing it with supreme love to God and to those for whom He died. Readiness is now to be earnestly sought with a supply of holy oil from the two olive trees, which is the Holy Spirit poured into minds to nourish faith and love and patience, keep the lamp from flickering, and make believers co-workers with heavenly agencies as lights shining in the world. Lamps must remain filled, trimmed and burning without sleeping at the post or letting light grow dim, and to be ready and waiting for the summons the church must put on her beautiful garments, the white robe of righteousness, while as stewards of the Lord's goods using them faithfully and ready to give an account.

Waiting means living as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above, moving out by faith, building only what is plain and neat and free from debt without spending means in needless adornment, devoting work to educating and training children and youth as well as older members. It means guarding the heart with perpetual vigilance and jealousy lest estranged from God, not living to please self or to court praise and human honor, learning what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness, making every sacrifice for His cause without ostentation or display, hiding self in Jesus and walking in self-abasement and lowliness through sanctification of the Spirit. Lives are to show that this world is not home and that heavenly treasure is valued above earthly gain, with visible devotion to winning souls and upholding the truth and the last message of mercy rather than earthly wealth or honor, turning from a worldly spirit to act in readiness.

Faithful waiting belongs with giving alms, using earthly goods and the Lord's goods for those in need and to advance His cause, storing treasure in heaven and keeping the heart fixed there with lights burning. This readiness is faithful stewardship rather than allowing worldly customs or selfish use of wealth to divert from helping others and supporting mission work, for the Son of man comes at an unexpected time. The readiness pictured by girded loins and shining lights means staying spiritually alert, guarding against neglect of prayer and spiritual slumber, and not letting riches or divided service to God and mammon dull faithfulness.

Readiness is shown by reverence and courtesy to God and by giving the world bright evidence of truth's saving power and a correct representation of the great work before them. It belongs to now, this day of preparation, when there must be awakening to true responsibility with ever-increasing faith and joy proportionate to the greatness of the truth believed, remaining complete in Him who is head of all principalities and powers and not marring faith by accepting errors.

Because the Lord is at the door, zeal is quickened to cooperate with divine intelligences in working for the salvation of souls, perceiving the claims of duty with fervent zeal and carrying light to those who sit in the shadow of death to lift weary souls to a compassionate Redeemer instead of being paralyzed by selfishness into doing nothing and hindering His cause. These are faithful and wise servants who give the household meat in due season by declaring the truth now specially applicable and giving their generation its special warning, as Enoch, Abraham and Moses each declared the truth for his time. By vigilant waiting and watching combined with earnest work God's children glorify Him, consecrating all they have and are to the Master's service with voices heard amid the busy scenes of life speaking words of encouragement, faith and hope, since readiness cannot be attained in a moment's time.

Readiness is applied to rising to meet need and working to overcome every defect of character, as human effort joins with divine power and God gives increased light, strength and help. Servants must be ready to do their work rather than wait for convenience, for God's work does not wait for them and angels move on to other hearts when an instrument is not ready to do its part.

Watching means fixing the eyes heavenward for His glorious appearing, turning from earthly pleasure and worldly fame and the deceitfulness of riches, showing separation from the world as strangers and pilgrims, becoming strong to overcome sloth and selfishness and love of ease, and holding firm through long waiting, affliction, grief and doubt. Nearly all have ceased watching and waiting and are not ready to open immediately, because love of the world has occupied thoughts, turned eyes downward to the earth, hurried them into worldly enterprises, eclipsed faith, destroyed longing for His appearing, and replaced firm trust with uneasy self-care, worry and planning. Those who become weary of waiting, disappointed in expectation, indifferent to His appearing, and buried in securing earthly treasure fall into worldly slumber and sleep, and those not found waiting and watching are surprised in unfaithfulness and lost, with the sun setting in gloom and darkness to rise no more, while those found watching receive blessing and special honor in the last days.