St. Luke 12:22-40
Divine Service
Pentecost 11 (Proper 14)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

We are a watchful people.  In our day and age we can watch news, sports, weather any day of the week any hour of the day.  There is a lot out there to watch.  At times watching so much in this world can numb us from watching for what is truly important. 

Today, the Lord reminds us to always be watchful, not just watching what is on TV or what might threaten our lives here on earth.  We are to be watchful for that which is important – the coming of Jesus as he returns.  We are to be alert for Jesus’ return.  As we take note of the things in history, take note of the fact that the times are pointing closer to Jesus’ return.  Paul writes in Thessalonians: “For you are all children of light, children of the day.  We are not of the night or of the darkness.  So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober,” as in sober-minded. (1 Thessalonians 5:5,6)  We are breathing, living and walking in the very light of the world, in Christ our Savior.  Because of that, we look at these words from our Gospel, preparing to:

BE ALERT FOR JESUS’ RETURN: Without fear and always prepared.

Listen to Jesus’ words of encouragement: “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  These words of our text show God’s pure grace here.  Jesus says: “it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  God had given to all believers His kingdom; His kingdom of eternal life.  Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock.”  The disciples weren’t great in numbers.  They were only a few.  Jesus encourages them: “don’t fear.  God’s gift to you is eternity.”  The disciples hadn’t chosen Him; He chose them.  That is God’s grace.  What an encouragement for those disciples.

Jesus continues and tells the disciples how they should show no fear.  He says: “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.”  The disciples had already done that, didn’t they?  Matthew, a tax collector, gave up a very lucrative business to follow Jesus.  He showed that he had no fear, showed that he had put his trust in God.  James, John and Simon Peter – they had given up their occupations as fishermen.  And, they didn’t just leave nets behind, but they had left their expensive boats.  They had a business, and they followed Jesus without any fear. 

Why have no fear?  Jesus explains: “Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.”  They had done that.  A purse that didn’t wear out, a heavenly purse: that was their inheritance.  No thief could come and take it away.  No moth could destroy it.  That is where they had placed their confidence already.  Jesus encourages them to continue to do that.  They are going to face troubles and trials and even persecution.  In fact most of the original apostles were put to death because of their faith.  Were they to be frightened of the future?  Were they to be terrorized by what might or might not happen?  No, Jesus uses those familiar words: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  The treasure now for the apostles was in heaven.

We see too often that our society thrives on fear.  We can become so terrorized by what might happen, could happen, and may happen that we can be afraid to even leave home.  We do all sorts of things differently because of these irrational fears.  Maybe we don’t do it as much as some other people , but we have seen people make lifestyle changes because of what might happen, could happen, what may happen.  So how do we overcome that and boldly go outside of the walls of this church into the frightening, terrorizing world and face it without fear?  We look forward, beyond the future that is today or tomorrow or next year or next decade.  We can look right into the future of that is ours in heaven, the future that God has prepared for each one of us.  In Corinthians we are told to “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).  We know that when Jesus comes back on the Last Day, there is the gift of eternal life.  There is our treasure, Jesus, who will return to give us an eternal inheritance. 

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Jesus still says that to us today.  The strength of the church is in the faith that God gives to His believers to believe in His Word.  Your strength is the faith that God, by his grace, has given you.  Paul writes to the Romans: “If God is for us, who can be against us?  He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31b, 32).  God sent his Son to die on the cross and through Him freely gives us forgiveness.  God sent his Son to die on the cross to be our treasure that we could inherit the kingdom.  If He is willing to do that, we also know He is willing to take care of us, to watch over us, to guide us and protect us, and most importantly of all to love us. 

True, in this life there are going to be tough and difficult days, but the Lord still loves us.  Our earthly future may not be so rosy; but our eternal future is what is important.  Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock for the kingdom is yours.”  We know there are all kinds of temptations.  Satan knows how to work his way into our hearts and our thoughts and our lives to make us fret about what might happen, could happen and may happen.  We wonder about the future; but God says, “Look to My future.  Look into the gates of heaven and realize that you can truly live without any fear.”  The Lord says we will have trouble in this world.  Jesus has overcome the world; He has overcome sin, death, and Satan.  Now we have that same power to overcome sin, death and Satan and even the world with all of its temptations.  “Fear not, little flock, for the kingdom is yours,” Jesus says. 

Jesus continues, “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”  The master is gone and the servants are alone and it is night.  They want to go to bed after a long day’s work.  Instead they have to wait for the master to return.  When the master returns, he won’t have any flashlight to light his way, just the moon and the stars.  As he walks along the dark path back looking for his house, he will be able to find it because his servants have the lamps burning.  He is returning from the celebration of a wedding.  When is the wedding feast over?  We know when it starts, but it is over when people leave, there is no set time. 

Those who are ready and prepared and have the lamps burning will be blessed.  Jesus mentions this twice, so there is an important meaning there then.  Jesus states in verse 37: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.”  In verse 38: “If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants.”  It will be good for those servants who don’t give up and are ready and watching.  Jesus says he will come at anytime.  He says even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night.  They were to be dressed ready for service with their lamps burning.  The master must be welcomed back to his house. 

As if they didn’t understand that, Jesus adds, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.”  The servants and the owner would be there.  If they knew the thief was going to come at 2:15, they would be there at 2:10, wouldn’t they?  But they don’t know.  A thief relies on the fact that no one knows when he is going to come.  So Jesus says, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  He is going to come, he says, and at a time when many would not expect him. 

Jesus will return.  To be ready for his return is to be always prepared.  Listen to what is going to happen.  Jesus says: “Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.”  The disciples knew what Jesus meant.  If they didn’t, they would hear it once again when Jesus told them, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20:28) The night when he was betrayed, on Maundy Thursday, he washes the disciples feet – He shows them!  They recline at the table while the Master serves them. 

On the Last Day the Master, our Lord, our Judge, will come for He has prepared an entrance into His eternal kingdom.  So we are to be watchful and alert for Jesus’ return.  It is a good thing to be prepared such as when we are warned a tornado is coming.  It is good to get into shelter to be protected.  The Lord gives us only general signs of his return.  But, each generation seems to get closer, for in each generation the signs are fulfilled.  We are to be always prepared for what will happen when He returns.  “Remember, then, what you received and heard.  Keep it, and repent.  If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you” (Revelation 3:3).  When we remember what we have heard – God’s Word – we will remember when Jesus suddenly appears.  We will see him without any fear, because we know, He has told us: “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

We watch knowing that our future is certain.  We watch knowing that no matter what happens in this world, no matter even if our nation would fall or nations around us crumble and fall, God still is in control and is directing it all for His purpose.  As evil and wickedness grow in this world, it is for a purpose pointing that the Lord is closer.  Jesus is going to come sooner than many might even think or expect.  For you and I, we look forward to that without fear and always prepared.  In Colossians it tells us how we are prepared: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:2-4). 

Today, every day, Jesus says to each and every one of us, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom;” a kingdom that is yet to come.  So until Jesus comes and our true treasure appears, we are to be alert for Jesus’ return without fear of the future.  God’s future is always certain.  God’s plan for us is always certain.  God’s kingdom is our kingdom.  We are always to be prepared.  Paul wrote to Timothy while he was in prison ready to face the end of his life and didn’t think he would get out of prison, but be put to death.  He says, “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).  “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  We are to be alert without fear and always prepared realizing on that day there will be many others who also long for his appearing.  Now until that day, may we always be alert, watching – without fear – for Jesus’ return. 

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

+ SDG +

Sermons | Sermon Archives