Luke 12:47-48 Devotional & Commentary: Judgment & the cost of faithlessness0
Posted In Devotions,Syndicated
Devotional Sharing, Submitted by Christina Park, Gracepoint Berkeley.
What warning does this parable provide for all those who deliberately remain ignorant? In our legal system, we punish people for the acts that they committed as well as acts omitted. We punish people for failure to act which causes harm to others because they knew better and should have acted accordingly. It is because they acted in self-interest, to protect themselves at the expense of others. Usually this higher standard is held against people who are in higher position, people with responsibilities. The law does not absolve someone of their deliberate ignorance because they should have known better. Likewise, I cannot insist on being “comfortable Christian” who serves on a whim, never feeling obligated to others or God. I know better. I know the call of a Christian is to be like Christ in his sufferings. I can choose to close my eyes to all the suffering and harm committed against God and man, but I will be held accountable for each time, I chose to look away and failed to do anything about it. It will never be acceptable to say, I did not know or everyone else was living that way.
Devotional Sharing, Submitted by Claire Kim, Gracepoint Berkeley.
What has God entrusted to me? God has entrusted to me the duty to love and care for my husband, son, parents, brother, in-laws, and extended family members. He has entrusted me with my peers to mutually encourage, support and speak truth to. He has entrusted me with staff, to train them up to be leaders, to pass down God’s values and ways that I have been taught, and to be a role model for them. He has entrusted to me my leaders to love, obey and support. He has entrusted to me the Element Youths kids, to raise them up to be God fearing, to be able to articulate and hold unto their faith, and to be able to critically view and fight against the wrongs in our culture. And lastly, he has entrusted me with all the Christian youths in our area, to turn around the trend of leaving their faith after high school, for them to understand that the Christian worldview is legit and something that they can unabashedly hold unto before the mocking world.
What is the cost when I fail to fulfill my responsibility? The cost is that everyone in my life can be neglected, isolated, and a get wrong representation of God. God’s times and resources are wasted. The staff under me will not get proper training, and I will not pass down the rich spiritual heritage that I’ve been given. Many youth will continue to lose their faith and buy into the lies of this culture. God has placed me in the gap with other Youth teachers at our church, to be that bridge between these youths and God. God has seen the how Christian youths of our generation are isolated and are quickly losing faith as they get older. And he has put the burden in our leader’s heart to do something about it. Somehow, I, along with other teachers, have been entrusted with this responsibility–to reach out and stop this trend among the youth. I really need to take the trust I’ve been given seriously, and no longer make excuses for myself. The way I decide to live my life has huge eternal consequences. God takes me this seriously that he would give me this kind of responsibility. It is time for me to step up and start to take myself and others much more seriously.
Devotion Questions:
- What was the reason for the different degrees of punishment that the servants received in v. 47 and v. 48?
- What warning does this parable provide for all those who deliberately remain ignorant?
- Why is the master so harsh towards those who have been entrusted with much?
- Out of the 3 characters represented in this parable – servant/manager, menservants/maidservants, unbelievers, who is in the most privileged position? Why?
- Which character do I identify with?
- What has God entrusted me with?
- How have I been responsible with this privilege?
- What is the cost when I fail to fulfill my responsibility?
- What is my attitude towards my Master’s return? How is this reflected in my life?
Commentary:
vv.47-48 Some ancient laws viewed slaves as persons; other laws viewed them as property. Although masters were allowed to beat slaves (as they also generally beat their children), it was in their economic interests not to do so often or severely. A major flogging (12:47), execution and disfigurement of the corpse (12:46) reflect the severity of the crime; a master legally had the power of life and death over his slaves. The parable indicates that greater knowledge brings greater responsibility (see Lev 26:18; Amos 3:1–2).[1]
[1]Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament (Lk 12:47). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.