Nineteenth
Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) [Lk 12:32-48]
10.08.2025
The Watchful, Faithful and Unfaithful Slaves
1. Theme in brief
Vigilance to meet the Lord and faithfulness to our duties
2. Focus Statement
As disciples of Christ, we must live out our faith
vibrantly by sharing our earthly wealth with the needy; by constant vigilance
and alertness to meet our Master when he comes unexpectedly; and by remaining faithful
to the duties and responsibilities entrusted by him.
3. Explanation of
the text
In today’s gospel text, we hear Jesus tenderly calling
his disciples “little
flock” and instilling in them the courage they require to overcome
their fears
(12:32). When he says these words, he has in mind the struggles or persecutions
which his fragile
“little flock” (that is, the early Christian community) would go through after
his resurrection in a hostile world. Just as he had instructed them not to be over-anxious
about their daily bread (12:22, 29), so also now he instructs them not to be over-anxious
about inheritance of the Kingdom, because the Father has already decided to
give it to them out of his pleasure (12:32).
Jesus urges his disciples to live out their faith
vibrantly in three ways by: (1) sharing what they possess; (2) being constantly prepared
to meet the Master when he returns at the end of time; and (3) remaining faithful
to the duties entrusted tot them. Just as he had told them earlier, now he says
that another way of becoming "rich toward God" (12:21) is to share their earthly wealth
with the needy and fix their hearts on unfailing treasures in heaven ((12:33-34). The
examples of almsgiving
and selling of one’s possessions are given as examples of this attitude of sharing.
This virtue is a wonderful antidote for greed for material possessions mentioned in last
Sunday’s gospel. The earthly treasures are not lasting; hence the disciples’ heart should be
more fixed on heavenly treasures, because where their treasure is, there their heart
will be also (12:34).
Jesus instructs his disciples to be constantly ready and prepared
to meet their Master when he “returns from the wedding banquet” (12:36). Returning
is a clear reference to the ‘Parousia’ or the Final Coming of Christ in glory
and wedding banquet seems to be a reference to his coming from his heavenly
abode. Their preparedness involves alertness on their part to open the door for
their Master whenever he knocks, even at an unexpected time such as midnight or
dawn (12:36-38). It also involves being dressed for action at any time and keeping
their lamps –
that are well-maintained for any emergency – burning (12:35). Thus, Jesus
mentions about the three characteristics of those who wait for their master
to return from the wedding banquet (12:36): (1) a good preparation by staying dressed up
for action; (2) a proper maintenance of their lamps that are kept lit; and
(3) constant expectation
to receive the master by opening the door for him as soon as he comes and
knocks (12:35-36).
After giving the illustration of waiting servants, Jesus
compares his Second Coming to the coming of a thief who suddenly breaks into the
house at an unexpected hour without any knowledge of the owner. In the first
example of the waiting servants, the coming of the Master is certain,
but the exact time is not. In the second example of the thief, his coming
itself is not certain – a reference to total unexpectedness of the Master’s
coming (12:39). When the Master arrives unexpectedly like a thief, this
unfaithful steward will have to pay heavily for his irresponsible behaviour (12:47).
While the master-servant image is an encouragement to those who would wait, the
owner-thief image is given as a warning to those who do not expectantly await the
Lord’s return. In the former image, the Master (Jesus) comes with a reward of “blessedness”
given to those whom the Master finds alert (12:37, 43).
Finally, by telling the parable of the faithful
and unfaithful
steward,
Jesus illustrates the contrast between disciples who are faithful to the duties entrusted to
them by their Master and those who are unfaithful. Their faithfulness to the
stewardship entrusted to them proves their alertness or watchfulness. The faithful servant
to whom the Master has entrusted with definite duties and put in charge of his
slaves, is so prudent
that the Master finds him doing his duties faithfully on his arrival (12:43).
On the other hand the unfaithful manager is irresponsible towards his duties.
Taking advantage of the long delay in the Master’s return, he indulges in beating
other slaves mercilessly and behaves like the Rich Fool (12:19) mentioned in
last Sunday’s gospel by living a dissipated life of eating, drinking and getting
drunk (12:45). In this parable, the disciples are called the servants
of the Master ready to do his will. Jesus concludes by saying that God demands
a higher
standard and greater responsibility from everyone who is granted special
privileges like the apostles (12:48).
4.
Application to life
If we put our heart and soul only in earthly
treasures, there are hundreds of ways how they can perish
and be lost for ever. Nowadays besides thieves and moths, there are fluctuations
in stock market, fall in currency rates and interest rates, inflations, natural
and man-made disasters. These things remind us how corruptible our earthly possessions are. If we
consider God and the poor and the needy as our treasures, then as Jesus says,
our heart will follow them and their concerns. Otherwise it will be concerned
about worshipping the three most common ‘idols’: "I,” “My” and “Mine”.
Therefore, he advocates the habit of more sharing of whatever little things we have with
the needy.
In our Christian life in general as well as in our
particular state of life, we are entrusted with particular duties and responsibilities. Today’s
gospel challenges us to examine whether we are faithful to these duties and carry
them out in a responsible manner or not. We are stewards or managers of our
Master’s goods. He has entrusted us his Kingdom and wants us to be responsible and faithful
in spreading it. Today Jesus invites the believers in married state of life to
be faithful to their matrimonial promises; students to their studies; employees
to their duties; friends to the trust they pledged to their friends; children
to their duty to love and respect their parents; leaders to the tasks and
responsibilities entrusted to them either in the civil society or the Church; the
Religious to their vows and apostolic life; the clergy to their pastoral and
spiritual duties; etc. Are we faithful to this commitment and cause?
What is faithfulness or fidelity? In
the Bible fidelity means holding fast to a person or a party to which one is bound. Faithfulness (fidelity) to God means making
conscious choices for him and
standing up for his cause, come what may. From the Bible, we come to
know that God is always faithful to his promises. Jesus, our supreme model for
faithfulness to God, was faithful to his Father’s will unto the last drop of
his blood. He said, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete
his work” (Jn 4:34). When he died on the cross he said that he accomplished
(Jn 19:36) the mission entrusted to him by his Father faithfully to the point
of laying down his life. Any deeper crisis
either in marriage, priesthood or religious life is mainly a crisis of unfaithfulness to our promises/ commitment, or to our call
and mission, which is ultimately unfaithfulness to God himself. Hence,
fidelity in these states of life demands a conscious choice or decision to be made every day
to forgive, heal, care, make adjustments and renounce our self-interests; thus
holding fast to the cause for which God has called us. We are
often tempted not to be faithful to this commitment and cause by succumbing to
the forces of secularization
and social
pressure. We need to be constantly alert and vigilant by fortifying
ourselves with the spiritual power that comes from prayer/ sacraments and the
Word of God.
We are always inclined to make the two great mistakes
which the unfaithful steward makes (12:45): (1) doing what he liked with his master’s
gifts and possessions by behaving in an irresponsible manner; and (2) taking it easy
thinking that the master is absent and there is plenty of time for his return.
However, our God is a God of surprises and unexpectedness. He comes at an
unexpected time and without prior warning like a thief to find us either
faithfully doing our duties, or unfaithfully. He warns us about the tendency
towards negligence
and postponement
of our duties, and behaving in an irresponsible manner. We need to be vigilant
and prepared to meet the Lord when he comes unexpectedly by exhibiting greater
responsibility. Readiness or preparedness to face any emergency or eventuality
is gaining much more momentum today than olden days due to the possibilities of
terrorist attacks, shocking accidents, sudden heart attacks, unprecedented
natural calamities caused by environmental changes. Military personnel,
commandos, firefighters, medical teams, bomb disposal squads, etc., are to be
ever ready to get into action immediately. Any delay on their part may result
in the loss of so many precious lives. But, do we feel the same type of urgency
to prepare for Christ’s coming? Watchfulness means living in such a way that at
any time we would be ready to give an account of our lives.
Jesus emphasizes very much the role of his disciples as servants
of their Master who do his will and remain totally faithful to the duties or
responsibilities entrusted to them by their Master. Our world today considers service,
especially that which is lowly, as demeaning. Jesus speaks of service as a
great privilege and honour. He himself came not to be served but to serve (Mk
10:45). He spoke of leadership as a noble service rendered to human society (Mk10:42-45).
We, as disciples of Christ, cannot think of being faithful to him if we fail to
serve the needy or the less fortunate. Readiness consists in remaining faithful
in our Christian duties.
There is a further warning to those of us who are blessed
with better talents, knowledge, opportunities and privileges. They have no
excuse for not doing their best. The Lord expects from them more than others or
better results. Those of us who have undergone higher education and longer
years of spiritual formation or secular training, or have enjoyed plenty of
opportunities, or are talented better than others are more accountable, says the Lord. Do
we heed to this warning?
5.
Response to God's Word
Are there instances when we failed in
marital/priestly/religious fidelity? Do we persevere in our good works and
stick to our responsibilities even if we do not see any immediate result, and
people do not cooperate with us, or do we easily give up? All of us are endowed
with spiritual and temporal gifts. Do we use them responsibly according to
God’s designs, or irresponsibly? In our roles as leaders, managers, employees,
parents, teachers, students, priests, religious, etc., do we succumb to the
temptation of easy-going mentality, lethargy, neglect of duties, postponement
of tasks/decisions and sleeping over our responsibilities? Will we be called
‘blessed’ when the Master arrives (12:43)? In comparison with the blessings
with which the Lord has blessed us and the gifts he has bestowed on us, do we
try our level best to use them fully for the service of our family and
community? Do we keep our energies and talents buried or underutilized?
6.
A Prayer
O God, you are always faithful to your promises. In our
Christian life as well as in our particular state of life, you have entrusted us
with particular duties and responsibilities. You want us to be faithful
stewards of these duties and thus be responsible for spreading your Kingdom. We
realize that there are moments when we are unfaithful to our vocation and
mission and to the tasks and responsibilities entrusted to us. Thus we have
betrayed the trust you have placed in us and have become obstacles for the spread
of your Kingdom. We are sorry for our irresponsible behaviour, negligence and
postponement of duties. Grant that we may remain vigilant and prepared to meet
the Lord Jesus when he comes unexpectedly at the end of our life or at the end
of time. Amen.
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