Luke
12:35-40 Jesus talks about watching for The Lord to come. In this section Jesus
uses the parable of the master returning from the wedding feast and the slaves
being watchful. His point is captured in verse 40: "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man
is coming at an hour that you do not expect.”
The wedding feast is used as a metaphor several places in the gospels, and the
analogy of the relationship between Christ and believers as a man and his wife
runs through the entire Bible. Quite likely this is one of those universally
experienced, common yet memorable events, that have been universal in human
experience. In this case, Jesus is using it as a warning about always being in
readiness for His return.
Other gospel parables that use the
wedding as a metaphor include Matthew 22:1-14 (a King who throws a wedding
celebration for His Son, and is very particular about the guest list); Matthew
25:1-13 (the virgins awaiting the groom some of whom fell asleep and ran out of
oil); Luke 14:7-11 (taking a low place at the wedding banquet); and John 2:1-11
(not a story but a metaphor drawn from a real wedding that Jesus attended).
Each has a unique lesson, although the story of the virgins in Matthew 25 has
the same general theme.
Warnings about watching for Jesus'
coming are often taken as eschatological, but that might not always have been
His intention. Every one of us will die someday, unless we are Enoch or Elijah,
and we can't count on a lengthy illness and dying in bed. We could be killed in
a car wreck with no warning, or have a heart attack with no prior symptoms. It
happens every day. So Jesus advises His listeners to pay attention and watch
for His coming vigilantly, because if we do happen to die suddenly, we want Him
to come for us. We don't want that event to catch us in some condition in which
we are ashamed, so as to not be ready to go with Him, or be with Him, or see
Him face-to-Face.
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