³⁵“Be dressed and ready to serve. Keep your lamps burning. ³⁶Be like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding dinner. When he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once.

³⁷“It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready when he comes. What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will then dress himself so he can serve them. He will have them take their places at the table. And he will come and wait on them. ³⁸It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready. It will even be good if he comes very late at night.

³⁹“But here is what you must understand. Suppose the owner of the house knew at what hour the robber was coming. He would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰You also must be ready. The Son of Man will come at an hour when you don’t expect him.”

⁴¹Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this story to us, or to everyone?”

⁴²The Lord answered, “Suppose a master puts one of his servants in charge of his other servants. The servant’s job is to give them the food they are to receive at the right time. The master wants a faithful and wise manager for this. ⁴³It will be good for the servant if the master finds him doing his job when the master returns. ⁴⁴What I’m about to tell you is true. The master will put that servant in charge of everything he owns.

⁴⁵“But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time to come back.’ Suppose he begins to beat the other servants. Suppose he feeds himself. And suppose he drinks until he gets drunk. ⁴⁶The master of that servant will come back on a day the servant doesn’t expect him. He will return at an hour the servant doesn’t know. Then the master will cut him to pieces. He will send him to the place where unbelievers go.

⁴⁷“Suppose a servant knows his master’s wishes. But he doesn’t get ready. And he doesn’t do what his master wants. That servant will be beaten with many blows.

⁴⁸“But suppose the servant does not know his master’s wishes. And suppose he does things for which he should be punished. He will be beaten with only a few blows.

“Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. Even more will be asked of the person who is supposed to take care of much.

Jesus Will Separate People From One Another

⁴⁹“I have come to bring fire on the earth. How I wish the fire had already started! ⁵⁰But I have a baptism of suffering to go through. And I will be very troubled until it is completed.

⁵¹“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you. I have come to separate people. ⁵²From now on there will be five members in a family, each one against the other. There will be three against two and two against three. ⁵³They will be separated. Father will turn against son and son against father. Mother will turn against daughter and daughter against mother. Mother-in-law will turn against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Understanding What Is Happening

⁵⁴Jesus spoke to the crowd. He said, “You see a cloud rising in the west. Right away you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And it does. ⁵⁵The south wind blows. So you say, ‘It’s going to be hot.’ And it is. ⁵⁶You pretenders! You know how to understand the appearance of the earth and the sky. Why can’t you understand the meaning of what is happening right now?

⁵⁷“Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? ⁵⁸Suppose someone has a claim against you, and you are on your way to court. Try hard to settle the matter on the way. If you don’t, that person may drag you off to the judge. The judge may turn you over to the officer. And the officer may throw you into prison. ⁵⁹I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the very last penny!”

Read in Logos