Luke 12:35-48

I post this by way of introduction to The Third Watch. Welcome to the blogosphere!

“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men 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. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 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. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

“That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. (NIV1984)

I note that whereas the 1984 New International Version has

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.

the 2011 New International Version has

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.

The Devil is in the detail.

One thought on “Luke 12:35-48”

  1. I appreciate the shoutout!

    You know what’s wierd, though, is that I actually did not have that passage in mind when I came up with the name. It just…felt right.

    After I heard the title in my head, I decided to go for a kind of martial theme (thus the banner with the tent), interpreting that as the period right before daybreak, when stand-tos take place (assaults on a defensive position are most likely to take place right before day-break).

    I couldn’t say why I associated that idea with the phrase, “The Third Watch,” though.

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