Luke 12:37-40

Will come forth, and serve them, &c.— It was usual for servants to sit at table, and for the master to wait upon them, among the Babylonians, at their feast called Saccas; among the Cretans, in their Hermoea; and among the Romans, in their Saturnalia: but whether our Lord alluded to these, or any of these, it is difficult to judge. The words certainly are very intelligible, without supposing any such reference. Our Lord, in the next verse, enforced constant watchfulness, and habitual preparation, from the consideration of the uncertainty of his coming; telling them, that as there is no master of a family but would make some preparation against a thief, if he knew of his coming, so it would be no great matter, if they should make preparation on receiving certain information of his approach; for which reason their zeal could only shew itself by keeping in a constant readiness, as they did not know at what hour he would come. The coming of the Son of man, as we have before remarked, often signifies his providential interposition for the destruction of Jerusalem: but here, (Luke 12:40.) it cannot be taken in such a sense, because our Lord speaks of an immediate reward to be bestowed on all faithful servants, and an immediate punishment to be executed on all that were unfaithful; and expressly declares this to be a matter of universal concern: all which particulars have very little sense or propriety, when applied to the destruction of Jerusalem. It must therefore be understood of his coming to remove them from the capacities of service here, to give up their account; and if we suppose it to relate to death, as well as judgment, which, by consequence at least, it undoubtedly does, it strongly intimates his having such a dominion over the invisible world, that every soul removed into it might be said to be fetched away by him. Compare Revelation 1:18 and the note on Luke 12:56. Instead of and this know, Luke 12:39 some read, but this you know.