Luke 12:41-48 Those Who Find Heavenly Favor

Peter said, “Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”  And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?  Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.  Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.  But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;  the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.  And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes,  but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

When Jesus spoke in parables, whether to the Pharisees’ or to the disciples, the hearer would say in his heart and even with his mouth, “Are you speaking about me?”  It seems the sayings left a sense of conviction with the hearer.  And Jesus response was always according to the will of the Father.  That is He knows man has an agenda apart from God.  The one who is favored in heaven is the one who surrenders his will to God’s.  “Father, not my will, but Thy will be done,” Jesus uttered.  Therefore those to surrender to God’s sovereign ways will find life and reward, but the one who turns aside will be rejected in heaven.

Daily Prayer:  Lord Jesus, teach me how to die to my own aspirations.  When I truly do this, only then will I find life and life abundant.  In Your holy name I pray Amen.