Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Luke 12:35-48 Responsible Service

Luke 12:35-48 Responsible Service

Last updated on: January 1, 2007 at 5:10 pm by Jim Erwin

Luke 12:35-48 Responsible Service 2007-01-01T17:10:00-05:00 Jim Erwin

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Luke 12:35-48 Responsible Service

There used to be this comedian when I was young. His name was Leo Gallagher. He had specials on television and he would make observations about American culture. He was quite ironic. But his most famous joke was the “Sledge-O-Matic”.

This was his joke about the “Ginsu Knives” and other hilarious late-night consumer product commercials that would come along. He was making a comment about the consumerism in the United States. His joke started like this:

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! I did not come here tonight to make you laugh! I came here to sell you something! The Amazing Master Tool Corporation, a subsidiary of Fly By Night Industries has entrusted who? — me! — to show you! — the handiest and the dandiest kitchen tool you’ve ever seen, and don’t ya wanna know how it works! First you take an ordinary apple! You place the apple between the patented pans! Then you reach for the tool that is not a slicer, not a dicer, not a chopper in a hopper! What in the hell can it possibly be? SLEDGE-O-MATIC!”

– Leo Gallagher

Then Gallagher proceeds to bring out different food objects – an orange, an apple, an apple pie – and he smashes it with a huge mallet (ten times the size and weight of a regular mallet.) He will take all kinds of objects and smash them. This skit was made famous by the watermelons that he would smash in front of the audience. The first four or five rows of the audience would be splashed with food particles from this skit. The audiences would love it and he made it the highlight at the end of his comedy routine.

I know what some of you are thinking. What kind of a waste of food is this? Why would some comedian waste food in such a way as this, especially when there are people all over the world who are starving. Well, that was his point. The consumer can be very irresponsible with the food that they have been given.

Gallagher (and some people around the world) have been irresponsible with what they have been given. Jesus remarks here about the importance of being responsible as a servant of Jesus Christ.

First I would like to propose a definition for responsible love. A servant is someone who is responsible, one who serves Jesus by serving others with responsible love. If responsible love is defined as “not doing any harm”, then there is a way to love others positively. Serving Jesus means that we help and encourage other people and serve Jesus in a responsible way – in a positive, responsible way.

By its very definition, a servant is a slave. The word for servant in these verses is “doulos”, the Greek word that literally means slave. When we come to Jesus Christ we come as a slave to serve Him. This means that we do what He wants us to do. We don’t turn to do what we think we ought to do. We listen, obey and follow Jesus.

Jesus defines this servant as two examples: A responsible servant, and then an “unfaithful” servant.

THE RESPONSIBLE SERVANT

The responsible servant is the servant who is serving the Master when the Master returns.

Luke 12:36-38, 43

The responsible servant is aware that the Master is going to return.

Luke 12:42

THE IRRESPONSIBLE SERVANT

The irresponsible servant does not care that the Master will return.

Luke 12:39-40, 45-46

Because the irresponsible servant does not care that the Master will return, he acts in an irresponsible manner. He takes no responsibility for himself (therefore he drinks and gets drunk), and he takes no responsibility for others (therefore he beats up other people). The irresponsible servant is like the comedian who whacks the watermelon with a sledgehammer. The irresponsible servant whacks other people over the head. He is unloving and uncaring.

The responsible servant is the Christian. The “unfaithful” servant is a hypocrite. Let me explain:

GROUP #1 – Unbelievers

There is a progression in Luke 12 at the end of th explanation by Jesus of this parable. Jesus explains the judgment that everyone will receive when Jesus the Master returns. Group #1 in the judgment are the unbelievers. These unbelievers are given “a few stripes”. This is shown in Luke 12:48. They did not know the message that the Master is returning and yet they committed acts that required stripes. These people are beaten with “a few” stripes.

GROUP #2 – Irresponsible Unbelievers

Group #2 in the judgment are the hypocrites. People who say they are Christians but don’t act like Christians. People who say that they follow Jesus, but who follow their own agenda. This servant that Jesus was talking about was a hypocrite. Look at Luke 12:46-47. Jesus will come and tell this servant apart. He will smash him to pieces in the same way that this servant has smashed his other relationships. Jesus will place him in the place with unbelievers. (This place is called hell.)

The difference between Group #1 and Group #2 is the responsibility to act on the knowledge that each was given. Group #1 could not act, but Group #2 could. That is what Jesus says in Luke 12:47 – this servant knew that Jesus was returning and he knew the will of God. The people in Group #1 didn’t know how to act on the will of God.

Jesus does not deny that the message of salvation was sent to everyone. To the Jews, they had the Old Testament, to the people today, we have the New Testament. Each age (before and after Christ came) has its own witness to Him. It is as if Jesus left a message on the door to Jews and to Gentiles. To Jews, He pointed to Himself in the Old Testament. To Gentiles like you and I, Jesus pointed to the New Testament. He said: “Read my note. I will come back in 15 minutes Divine Standard Time.” Since we don’t know Divine Standard Time Zone, we have to do what His note says.

So, some of us in this room are in Groups #1 and #2. Some do not know much about Jesus. They are thinking about His claims and they are considering whether they should come to Him. Some know much about Jesus. They say they love Jesus, they even claim that He is God, but they don’t do what it takes to follow Him. You are the irresponsible servant. You are the unfaithful servant. You are the hypocrite, as you are called in Matthew 24:17. You are an unbeliever yet you say you are a believer in Jesus Christ. To this group, Jesus says: “Shape up and get your life lined up with Me. I won’t tolerate this double-mindedness.”

GROUP #3 – Responsible Christian Servants

There is also Group #3. Group #3 are Christians. They are not the unbelievers who receive “a few stripes”. They are not the hypocrites or irresponsible servants who receive “many stripes”. Group #3 are the servants listed in Luke 12:42-43, and also 48. The difference between Group #3 and #1 and 2 is this: They knew about Jesus, and they prepared themselves.

But Jesus brings about the principle of servant responsibility in these last verses. He says essentially this: “faithfulness to Jesus will bring more responsibility”. You could say it this way: “As a Christian, you can’t receive more from God until you are prepared to handle it.” Jesus describes an increasing line of faithfulness and responsibility. Notice that He says that when you are faithful for small things, He will give you more responsibility. The converse is also true. If Jesus h

as given you much responsibility, He expects much from you. He won’t punish you like He does other irresponsible servants. You are a responsible servant. But every Christian could be more responsible with what they are given.

Notice the contrast of responsibility of the responsible servant. He is given responsibility over the Master’s household until the Master returns in Luke 12:42. Then the responsible servant is made ruler over “all that He has.” Later, this servant will not be responsible for just the household. The Master will make the servant responsible over all properties and assets that the Master owns. This responsible servant has built trust with the Master and now the Master gives Him more.

Which one are you? Are you someone who does not know Jesus Christ? He is God’s Son and He will return to lead this world. He came 2000 years ago to make things right between God and humanity. He put away the sin that separated us from God. God will bring Jesus back and Jesus will put all authorities, all kingdoms, all rules, all governments – everyone who says that they are master of someone or some group – under the authority of God His Father. The question for you is not IF you should come under the authority of God. The question is WHEN will you decide to let God lead your life. God has said to come to Jesus His Son and let His Son lead you to God.

Are you someone who says that they know Jesus Christ? Have you made that decision completely, or are you saying to yourself: “I can put off that decision.” Perhaps you have not made baptism a step to show that you follow Jesus. Perhaps you tell other people that you are a Christian, but on the inside you are not. Perhaps you have said that you were “sprinkled” as a baby or confirmed as a child. You think that will make you a Christian, and that these steps are enough. But Jesus wants to be part of your entire life. He will not be set to the background of your life. He says you are my servant for your entire life or you are not one of Mine. You need to make that decision for yourself. You need to responsible and make it clear Who you will follow.

Are you someone who say that they follow Jesus Christ? How responsible have you been with the faith that Jesus has given you? Are there people in your life that Jesus has placed under your authority? Are there unbelievers that Jesus expects you to tell them about Him? Are there places of ministry that Jesus has asked you to serve? What are the responsibilities that Jesus has given to you? Have you been faithful?

Perhaps you are wondering why certain things are not happening in your life? Why is your marriage difficult? Why are your children having problems? Why are you having problems as a couple? Why are you having problems with developing true friends? Could it be that Jesus is telling you need to be responsible with whom/what He has given you? Have you asked Jesus about how you can go from “ruler over a household” to “ruler over all that the Master has”?

Previous Post

January 1, 2007

2 Corinthians 9:6-15 The Ministry of Financial Giving

Next Post

January 1, 2007 Luke 18:1-8 The Power to PRAY

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 1 Chronicles 1 Corinthians 1 John 1 Kings 1 Peter 1 Samuel 1 Thessalonians 1 Timothy 2 Chronicles 2 Corinthians 2 John 2 Kings 2 Peter 2 Samuel 2 Thessalonians 2 Timothy 3 John Acts Advent Amos Book Review Colossians Comics Culture Watch Daniel Deuteronomy Ecclesiastes Ephesians Esther Exodus Ezekiel Ezra Galatians Genesis Guest Post Habakkuk Haggai Hebrews Hosea Humor Inspiritational Isaiah James Jeremiah Job Joel John Jonah Joshua Jude Judges Lamentations Lectionary Lent Leviticus Link Love Luke Malachi Mark Matthew Micah Movie Review Nahum Nehemiah Numbers Philippians Political Watch Prophecy Watch Proverbs Psalm Revelation Reviews Romans Ruth Science Watch Sermon Series Sermons Simple Thoughts Song of Solomon Titus Top Ten Uncategorized Video Review Zechariah Zephaniah

Select a Month May 2026 October 2025 September 2025 June 2025 February 2025 January 2025 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 April 2024 March 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 June 2023 May 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 January 2022 June 2021 January 2021 October 2020 July 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2009 June 2008 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 October 2006 September 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 September 2005

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who wrote many letters (epistles) in the New Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Paul John Jude Peter