Luke 12:35 – “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks, they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand 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, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (NIV)

In today’s reading, Jesus uses two analogies to teach us to be ready.  In the first, using the analogy of a wedding feast, he tells us to be dressed and ready.  This reminds me of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus where he tells us to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).  Paul also tells us to clothe ourselves with Jesus (Romans 13:14 and Galatians 3:27).  Then, in Colossians 3:12, Paul writes: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” 

Clothing ourselves is something that we do every day. Likewise, preparing our hearts and minds for our service to God is also something that we should do every day.  To miss even one day of spiritual readiness is to set ourselves up for the possibility of being unprepared.  Unprepared for what?  Unprepared for service.  Unprepared for an encounter with someone God sends into our path.  Unprepared for an encounter with God. 

The second analogy uses the example of a thief coming in the night.  Thieves do not announce when they are coming.  Likewise, we never know when we will encounter Jesus, spiritually or physically upon our death.

Let us do everything that we can to stay prepared spiritually.  If we do, we will never miss an encounter with Jesus. 

Posted by Ramón Torres