Pastor Scott Andrews | November 30, 2025
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Luke 12:35-48 (Part 1)
James Montgomery Boice, a former pastor in Philadelphia, tells an old fable in which three apprentice demons were reporting to Satan. They were to finish their apprenticeship by going to earth to tempt and ruin humankind. The first demon said to Satan, “I will tell people there is no God.” Satan replied, “That will not fool many, because only the fool says there is no God.” The second demon said, “I will tell them there is no hell.” Satan said, “You will never fool many that way, because they know there is a hell.” The third demon said, “I will tell people there is no hurry.” To which Satan replied, “Go, for you will ruin millions.” While a fable, there is much truth in the story: many believe, but there is no hurry. The vast gulf between professed belief and subsequent behavior is stunning. The most recent Gallup survey reveals the following:
• 74% of adults surveyed in the U.S. believe in God, just as the fable suggests. According to a more recent Pew Research Survey, the number was 83%.
• 58% of those surveyed believe in a devil.
• 67% believe in heaven.
• 59% believe in hell.
Do you see the majority in those numbers? It seems Satan was right – telling them these spiritual realities do not exist will not fool most. And yet, that Gallup Survey also revealed that 30% of those same people – the vast majority who believe in God – only 30% attend church, defined as always or most of the time. Which means, 70% don’t have time for God. You see, there is no hurry. I believe in God – He’s just not that important in my life.
Again, the fable carries some truth. People believe in God – the majority believe in heaven and hell – but very few live like it. Very few live like they will ever meet God and thereby give an account to Him. There is no hurry. Eat, drink and be merry.
In our study of Luke, we find ourselves in the last six months of Jesus’ life. How would your life change if you knew it was your last six months? Jesus and His disciples are on their final trip to Jerusalem. He will die on Friday of Passion Week but rise from the dead on the following Sunday. He is about to return to heaven, but there are still some instructions to leave with His disciples. And we’re going to find one of His major concerns is that they and we are prepared for what is to come. That we are prepared for heaven, that we are prepared for His return, that we are prepared to meet God. Because, there is a day of reckoning, a day of accounting, coming. Jesus is coming back.
In John 14, in what has been called the Farewell Discourse – when Jesus gets to Jerusalem, says goodbye to His disciples on Thursday night of Passion Week, the night before His death, He shared some final thoughts, starting that Farewell Discourse with these words:
1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. [That’s interesting – you believe in God – good – since you do, know this]
2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”
One of the last things Jesus told them on His last Thursday was this: I am coming back. Don’t lose sight of that truth – be prepared, be watchful, be alert. You see, it seems Jesus was fully aware of the distractions of life, the pull of sin and self. Don’t be distracted – keep your eyes fully fixed on the hope to be revealed – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Do you remember when you first came to faith in Christ? You were excited. The joy, the excitement of what the Christian life held, the anticipation of things to come, the return of Jesus? Why, for some of us, that may have been a motivating factor to believe. But it’s been a few years now, hasn’t it? Where is this coming He promised, anyway? All things continue as they have since the beginning. Jesus says, don’t forget the promise. My questions for us this morning are, have we been lured by the attraction of sin and attention to self? Have you been distracted by the demands of life? Have you believed the lie, there is no hurry? Do you live like you believe Jesus is coming back? Awake, prepared, looking, even longing?
You may remember Jonathan Edwards, the pastor I’ve mentioned in Northampton, MA, wrote 70 resolutions before his twentieth birthday by which he would live his life. I’ve shared many with you before, but consider these:
Number 4 – Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing… but what tends to the glory of God….”
Number 6 – Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.
Number 7 – Resolved, Never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
Number 42 – Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God….”
Number 43 – Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s….” Those are the resolutions of a young man who believed Jesus was coming back.
We’re well into this major teaching section that will take us from Galilee to Judea, from Capernaum to Jerusalem, from the crowds to the few, from the popularity to the Passion, from the mountaintop to the cross. For the next several months, Jesus will continue to be our teacher. And one of His primary concerns is that we be ready.
You see, in just a few chapters – days, weeks – He will tell these disciples, just like lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the [coming of the] Son of Man be in His day. Jesus will tell them, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and they will see Him coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. Then will come that long anticipated event when the trumpet will sound, and His angels will gather the elect from the four winds – from one end of the sky to the other – not one will be missing. The day is coming. Even if we are dead when it happens, the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then those who are alive and remain will be gathered together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The day is coming, are you distracted or are you ready?
You see, He will also tell them, just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man; [like the rich man] they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all…it will be the same on the day the Son of Man is revealed. He wants us to be ready. And He proceeds now in Luke 12 to give us some parables that talk about some aspects of watchfulness and preparedness.
You see, there’s an intentional flow here. Jesus has just told them, don’t be distracted by wealth – don’t focus on yourself – you don’t know what day your soul will be required of you. Don’t worry about the things the world worries about – what you will eat, what you will wear. Just like God cares for birds and flowers, He cares for you. So, seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also. Because, we need to be prepared for the return of the king. Which brings us to our text – Luke 12:35-48.
As I suggested, Jesus gives three or four parables to describe watchfulness, being prepared, and either reward or punishment upon His return. Here’s the outline:
I. The Command to be Ready (35)
II. The Parable of the Master’s Return (36-38) – and the reward for being ready.
III. The Parable of the Coming Thief (39-40)
IV. Peter’s Question (41)
V. The Parable of the Faithful Servant (42-44)
VI. The Parable of the Unfaithful Servant (45-48)
Verse 35 sets the theme of what Jesus launches into with these parables. Again, these are meant to be motivations if you find yourself unprepared, sitting back in spiritual indifference as if your wealth will provide for years of self-focused pleasure. On the other hand, they are motivations for being prepared by seeking His kingdom and investing your wealth – your treasures in the right place. Again, Luke has an intentional flow here. Don’t be like the rich man – trust God – because Jesus is coming back.
Jesus says, be dressed in readiness. It’s a command, and more literally, He says gird up your loins. That doesn’t make much sense to us, hence the translation, be dressed for readiness. But back then, they knew exactly what He was saying. You see, they wore long robes with a belt around their waists. To gird up your loins meant to take the long robes and tie them up around your waist in your belts. You see, this was the posture for work, for readiness. You couldn’t run; you couldn’t work with long robes flowing around your ankles. We have a colloquial saying today which expresses the same idea: roll up your sleeves. So, gird up to your loins the long robes to be prepared, to be dressed in readiness for the work of the kingdom. It’s what we are to seek, remember – it’s where we are to deposit our treasures. In other words, don’t relax, don’t be lazy, don’t be self-focused, there’s work to be done.
Second, He says to keep your lamps lit. We understand that a bit better. Lamps really have one purpose – to light our way. To keep lamps lit means to maintain them; keep them filled with oil, with trimmed wicks to put out the brightest light. Again, the lamp was to give light so you could see where you were going – to not walk in darkness, aimlessly, but light your way in readiness to proceed, to work. The idea is the same – be ready, be watchful, so that when He comes, He will find you busy in His kingdom.
Remember the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25. They were the bridal party – they went out to meet the bridegroom when he came. Five were ready with oil – ready to meet the groom. Five were foolish – they brought no oil – they were unprepared. So, they went to buy some, but while they were gone, the bridegroom came and entered the wedding feast with the five prepared virgins, the bridal party. The unprepared were locked out. No marriage supper of the Lamb.
That’s the overarching theme here, which brings us to the first parable. Now, as we jump into these parables, this week and next, you might get antsy – okay already, one is enough – we get it. And as those feelings of frustration perhaps come to you, I encourage you to look around at the lives of people – your coworkers, your neighbors, maybe even family members – do they look ready? Or is there no hurry? Look around at the lives of people in the church – do they look ready? Or is there no hurry? Then, take a look inward – do you look ready? Do you live your life in such a way that demonstrates you are looking for, longing for the coming of Christ?
Is there no hurry, or are you in a hurry? I hope so. I want us to be eager, to be in a hurry for the return of Jesus Christ. The parables communicate a couple important truths. First, watchfulness is required because we don’t know when Jesus is coming. And second, watchfulness is required because when He comes, unlike the first time, He comes in judgment. There is reward for being prepared, there is judgment for not. Listen, despite the proliferation of end times prognosticators and date setters, we don’t know when Jesus is coming back. In fact, we’re going to find He indicates it will be a long time coming – there may be some delay in His return. And further, He will come at a time least expected. But the parables communicate – Jesus is coming back.
Look at the first parable. Be like men who are waiting for their master. The men here are servants. The master has gone to a wedding feast. This is a bit different than what we’ve come to expect. We usually think of Jesus coming to take His bride, the church, to the marriage feast – the marriage supper of the Lamb. But this is a parable – a common, regular occurrence when the master of the house would go to a wedding. Now, at this time, a wedding feast could last for up to a week. It didn’t mean you had to stay the entire time – a couple of days, but up to a week. You thought your weddings and receptions were long. Well, while the master is gone, these men, these servants, are waiting. They don’t know when the master will return. But they wait so they can immediately open the door when he returns and knocks. They will open the door to him, because they are waiting. They’re not sleeping, they’re not distracted. It’s their job to be ready.
Some point to Jesus’ words to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3, remember that? Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Despite the often thought of Jesus standing the door of the unbeliever’s heart, knocking, waiting to be invited in – this is the door of a church. And if anyone in the church hears the knock and opens the door, Jesus will come in and dine with those waiting, prepared – with those who open the door.
The same is true here. The master has gone away for a while. The servants don’t know when he will return, but they know he will. So, they wait expectantly, wanting to be found alert and ready – whether he comes in the second or third watch of the night. The Jewish night was divided into three watches – the first was from 6:00 in the evening till 10:00 pm, the second from 10:00 pm till 2:00 am, the third from 2:00 am till 6:00 in the morning. He could return at any time, to include the middle of the night – it didn’t matter, they would be found alert and ready. When the master finds them so, notice, blessed are those slaves who are ready.
But notice also, Jesus throws a twist in the parable. When the master returns and finds them ready, the door opened to him, he, the master, will gird himself to serve. We’re not surprised by this today when sometimes our leaders roll up their sleeves and serve, say the military, on Thanksgiving Day. But then, this was unheard of. This would have been startling. Maybe he changes out of the wedding clothes, throws on an apron. And the servants recline at the table, and he will wait on them. What? This is a parable concerning the return of Christ – the return of our Master. And when He returns, as He finds His servants ready, He will serve them. That’s shocking. But then we remember at the Last Supper, He stripped Himself, wrapped Himself in a towel, and performed the most menial of tasks – He washed the disciples’ feet.
And when He returns for His disciples, we will enjoy the marriage feast of the Lamb. And the implication is, so overjoyed He will serve us at the table as we are found alert and ready. And you think, no way – I won’t let Jesus do that. Be careful Peter, if you won’t allow Christ to serve you, you have no part in Him. And don’t forget – He served you in the greatest way possible when He gave up His life for you. It doesn’t make you greater, it makes Him greater.
In the second parable, Jesus describes further this not knowing, which requires watchfulness, being prepared, alert. In verse 39, He said, “But be sure of this [know this], that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.” More literally, the house to be dug into. You see, the houses were made of sun-dried bricks, and thieves would often break in by digging in to steal. But if the head of the house had known, he would have been prepared to prevent the theft. He would have stayed up, he would have posted guards, he would have locked the doors more securely. The point is, he would have been ready. But, he didn’t know, so it required watchfulness, alertness, preparedness. It’s an odd parable in that now, the head of the house is to be ready for a thief, and Jesus likens His coming as the unexpected thief.
That’s the point Jesus is making. Verse 40 – so you too, and you is in the emphatic – so you too, disciples, be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect. Since He’ll come at a time when you don’t think He will – you better be ready all the time.
I find that interesting – He is coming at a time when you don’t think He will. Again, some are watching for signs of the times – they’re everywhere. Certainly, they suggest, now is the time for Jesus to come back. People set dates – as if it’s clear that now, His return must be very soon.
Years ago, I found a website called Rapture Ready. On it, they have the Rapture Ready Index. It’s a numerical rating by which we can identify the times most likely for Jesus to come. The author described it as a Dow Jones Industrial Average for end times prophecies to be fulfilled. It doesn’t predict the rapture, he said, but identifies the periods of time when Jesus is most likely to return. It gathers together supposed end times events like false Christs, apostasy, arms proliferation, floods, droughts, famines, wars, rumors of wars – 45 qualifiers – and assigns a rating. Add them up to come to the Rapture Ready Index. The numerical ratings go like this:
Rapture Ready Index of 100 and Below: Slow prophetic activity
Rapture Ready Index of 100 to 130: Moderate prophetic activity
Rapture Ready Index of 130 to 160: Heavy prophetic activity
Rapture Ready Index of Above 160: Fasten your seat belts
You might be interested to know the all-time low was 58 in December 1993, which means there was no way Jesus could come then. The all-time high was in October 2016 which hit 189 – a fasten your seat belt level – red alert, DEFCOM 5. By the way, we are currently, today, at 177 – still at fasten your seat belt level.
The problem is, Jesus says He is coming at a time when we least expect Him – like a thief in the night. So maybe we should invert the numbers – a rating below 100 would be more likely for Him to return. But of course, He knows we’re thinking that, expecting Him then, so maybe – just maybe we should trash the Rapture Index and be ready all the time – that’s the point.
Again, Jesus says He is coming at a time when we least expect Him – like a thief in the night. Which means, maybe we should always be rapture ready, even if we don’t expect today is the day. Now think about it – the thief comes to steal that which is not his. Jesus is coming to take what is already rightfully His. So, the issue here is stealth, so be ready. Other New Testament passages use the analogy:
Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.”
Peter said in 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”
Jesus Himself used the analogy again in Revelation 16:15, “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.” Don’t be caught with your clothes off.
Jesus will come like a thief in the night, I wish we’d all be ready. In fact, we can, we should all be ready, which is what Jesus is encouraging us to do. That’s why Paul said in I Thessalonians 5:4, after saying you know full well the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, Paul says, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief.” We’re supposed to be ready, prepared, so that we are not caught unaware.
So, how can we be ready? That’s the million-dollar question. Are we supposed to just sit around and gaze toward the eastern sky? Maybe we should spend all our time going from prophecy conference to prophecy conference, keeping our eyes fixed on the end times and current events. Maybe we should sell everything we have, buy some white rapture robes and sit on rooftops waiting for Him to come back.
No, that’s not it – Paul had some strong things to say to the Thessalonians who had adopted exactly that posture, “10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. 11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.”
How, then, are we to be ready? Well, Jesus will tell us in the next couple of parables – next week. But clearly, we see we are to be watchful, prepared, alert – looking for, longing for the return of the Master. Don’t be distracted by worldly wealth. Don’t even be concerned about earthly needs. Seek the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these necessary things will be added to you. Lay up treasures in heaven, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Don’t live as if there is no hurry – there is. Jesus is coming back.