Luke 12:37

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. BLESSED ARE THOSE SERVANTS, WHOM THE LORD WHEN HE COMETH SHALL FIND WATCHING: VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT HE SHALL GIRD HIMSELF, AND MAKE THEM TO SIT DOWN TO MEAT, AND WILL COME FORTH AND SERVE THEM. A promise the most august of all Thus will the Bridegroom entertain His friends on the solemn Nuptial Day, says Bengel sweetly....

22-40 Christ largely insisted upon this caution not to give way to disquieting, perplexing cares, Matthew 6:25. The arguments here used are for our encouragement to cast our care upon God, which is the right way to get ease. As in our stature, so in our state, it is our wisdom to take it as it is. An eager, anxious pursuit of the things of this world, even necessary things, ill becomes the disciples of Christ. Fears must not prevail; when we frighten ourselves with thoughts of evil to come, and put ourselves upon needless cares how to avoid it. If we value the beauty of holiness, we shall not crave the luxuries of life. Let us then examine whether we belong to this little flock. Christ is our Master, and we are his servants; not only working servants, but waiting servants. We must be as men that wait for their lord, that sit up while he stays out late, to be ready to receive him. In thi...

Verse 37. _HE SHALL GIRD HIMSELF_] Alluding to the long garments which were worn in the eastern countries; and which, in _travelling_ and _serving_, were _tucked up_ in their _belts_. That those among the Romans who waited on the company at table were _girded_, and had their clothes _tucked up_, appears from what Horace says, Sat. b. vi. l. 107: _Veluti SUCCINCTUS cursitat HOSPES_, He runs about like a girded waiter. The _host_ himself often performed this office. And ibid. viii. 10: _Puer alle cinctus_: and that the game custom prevailed among the _Jews_ appears from John 13:4, and Luke 17:8. From this verse we may gather likewise, that it was the custom of those days, as it was, not long since, _among us_, for the _bridegroom_, at the wedding supper,...

SHALL GIRD HIMSELF - Shall take the place of the servant himself. Servants who waited on the table were girded in the manner described above. SHALL MAKE THEM SIT ... - Shall place them at his table and feast them. This evidently means that if we are faithful to Christ, and are ready to meet him when he returns, he will receive us into heaven - will admit us to all its blessings, and make us happy there - as if “he” should serve us and minister to our wants. It will be as if a master, instead of sitting down at the table “himself,” should place his faithful “servants” there, and be himself the servant. This shows the exceeding kindness and condescension of our Lord. For “us,” poor and guilty sinners, he denied himself, took the form of a servant Philippians 2:7, and ministered to our wants. In our nature he has work

EXPOSITION LUKE 12:1 _The Lord_,_ after leaving the Pharisee_'_s house_,_ speaks at great length to a numerous crowd waiting for him_,_ addressing his words principally to his own disciples. _The foregoing scene (Luke 11:1.), when the Master addressed his bitter reproaches to the learned and cultivated of the great Pharisee party, took place in a private house belonging to an apparently wealthy member of this, the dominant class. The name of the large village or provincial town where all this happened is unknown. The crowd who had been listening to the great Teacher before he accepted the Pharisee's invitation still lingered around the house. Many from the adjoining villages, hearing that Jesus was in this place and was publicly teaching, had

BLESSED ARE THOSE SERVANTS WHOM THE LORD,.... The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "their Lord", the master of them, or the Lord Jesus Christ: WHEN HE COMETH SHALL FIND WATCHING: for him, and not asleep. The Ethiopic version reads, "so doing, and watching"; girding up their loins, trimming their lamps, and waiting for their Lord's coming: such servants are happy, they will appear to be in the favour of their master, who will take notice of them and show some marks of respect to them; as Christ will to all his good and faithful servants, whenever he comes, whether at death, or at judgment; and who will be happy then, being found so doing, and found in him: VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU THAT HE SHALL GIRD HIMSELF; not that Christ shall really do this, or appear in the form of a servant; but that he shall readily, cheerfully, and at once introduce his servants into his joy, and make th...

In this chapter, our Saviour dispels the fears of his disciples concerning temporal things, and especially their fear of persecution and their fear of want. Luke 12:1. _In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid; that shall not be known._ What, therefore, can be the use of hypocrisy? Hypocrisy leads a man to pretend to be what he is not. His only hope lies in not being discovered; but, as Christ declares that «there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known;» hypocrisy becomes insanity as well as iniquity. Therefore, keep clear of it in every shape and form....

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. Warning Against Hypocrisy. (Luke 12:1)_ 2. Encouragements. (Luke 12:4) 3. Warning Against Covetousness. (Luke 12:15) 4. Warning Against Anxiety. (Luke 12:22) 5. The Disciples Comfort and Hope. (Luke 12:32) 6. The Parable of the Steward. (Luke 12:41) 7. The Purpose of God and the Resulting Division. (Luke 12:49) 8. Concerning signs.

LUKE 12:35 THREE REFERENCES TO THE PAROUSIA. Luke 12:35 (with Luke 12:47 F.). THE NEED OF WATCHFULNESS. These verses, like Luke 13:25, are clearly akin in thought to Mt.'s parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (_cf._ also Mark 13:33)* Loisy thinks we have here reminiscences and echoes of that parable; Wellhausen thinks Lk.'s form the earlier; the fermentation in Lk. has in Mt. settled down and disappeared. But it is quite possible that Mt. and Lk. are independent of each other here, especially if we disregard the return from the marriage feast in

THE CREED OF COURAGE AND OF TRUST (Luke 12:1-12)...