37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. 40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not. (Luke 12:37-40 KJV)
William Burkitt’s Commentary
Here our Saviour makes use of several arguments to enforce the duty of watchfulness upon his disciples; the first is drawn from the transcendent reward which Christ will bestow upon his watchful servants: He will gird himself, make them sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them; a very high metaphorical expression: as if a master should be so transported with the diligence and faithfulness of his servant, as to vouchsafe not only to let him sit down to meat in his presence, but to take the napkin upon his arm, and wait upon him himself at his table.
Lord, how poor and how inconsiderable is that service, which the best of us do for thee! And yet thou speaks of it as if thou were beholden to us for it. Thou does not only administer to us a supper, but thou ministers and waits upon us at supper: He will gird himself, and serve them.
The second argument to excite to watchfulness is drawn from the benefit which we have received by watching in this life; then let the Lord come when he will, whether in the second or third watch, they shall be found ready, and in a blessed condition, who are found diligent in his service, and waiting for his appearance.
Note here,
1. The Son of man will certainly come at one hour or another.
2. At what hour the Son of man will come cannot be certainly known.
3. That there is no hour wherein we can promise ourselves that the Son of man will not come.
4. Very joyful will the coming of the Son of man be if we are found upon our watch, and ready for his coming: Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
BURKITT | Luke 12:1-3 | Luke 12:4-5 | Luke 12:6-7 | Luke 12:8-9 | Luke 12:10 | Luke 12:11-12 | Luke 12:13-14 | Luke 12:15 | Luke 12:16-21 | Luke 12:22-30 | Luke 12:31 | Luke 12:32 | Luke 12:33-34 | Luke 12:35-36 | Luke 12:37-40 | Luke 12:41-44 | Luke 12:45-48 | Luke 12:49-53 | Luke 12:54-59 |