The watchful servants

Watchfulness. Stripes. Division. Make peace betimes.

(The Gospel History, Section 100)

Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the marriage feast; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. 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 sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them. And if he shall come in the second watch, and if in the third, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

Commentary by J. R. Dummelow

Lk 12:35, 36. A little parable peculiar to Luke, warning the apostles to be ready for Christ’s second coming, which will be sudden. The apostles are compared to slaves left to watch the house (the Church) while the master (Christ) goes to a wedding feast (i.e. ascends into heaven). Their loins are girded because they have housework to do (preaching the gospel and ruling the Church), and they have lighted lamps, because their task is to enlighten a dark and sinful world by their shining example. Christ’s return from the marriage feast is His Second Advent, or it may mean His judgment of each individual soul at death. The ‘marriage feast’ here is not the final joy of the blessed, as in the parable of the Ten Virgins, but Christ’s session at the right hand of God between the Ascension and Second Advent.

The parable, though primarily intended for the rulers of the Church, is applicable to all Christians, for all have received some kind of commission from Christ.

Lk 12:37 > Mt 24:46. When he cometh] viz. at the Second Advent, or at the servant’s death.

Lk 12:37, 38. These vv. continue the parable. Those whom Christ shall find watching at His Second Coming, He will invite to share in the final feast (the joy of heaven); when He Himself will serve them, supplying them with all blessedness, and wiping away all tears from their eyes. The second and third watches are the second and third of the Roman four watches (Mt 14:25). They thus represent the dead of night, and by metaphor the unexpectedness of the Second Advent. The Jews reckoned only three night watches.

The watchful servants

(The Saviour of the World, Vol VI Book IV Poem XLIX)

Perchance, a radiant company,
A bridegroom and his friends went by,
Felicitous guests, to bridal feast
They took their way with joyous haste.

And all that crowd who heard the Lord,
Intent on gathering His word,
Turned head to see the cavalcade
Nor thought of words they thus delayed:
But He was gracious, let their mood
Help and not hinder them of good.

He caught their thought and turned it straight
To men at home their lord who wait;—
Servants, whose office was to watch,
Alert the great doors to unlatch
What time they hear the bugle-note
Their lord’s home-coming shall denote:
To watch, an easy task, ye say,
What easier than let in, I pray,
The lord of th’ house without delay?

But, see you, they had feasted long;
With wine and wassail, lute and song,
They, too, had kept the nuptial feast
As wedding guests, and not the least:
Those servants who have eat and drunk
In heavy lethargy are sunk;
And as the night creeps slowly on,
The first watch, second watch, anon,
The third watch from the temple blows,—
Small marvel they should sleepy, doze,
Without a master’s eye and hand
Reminding them of just command.

But there were these, some two or three
In all that drowsy company,
Bethought them of their lord’s high grace
And longed to see his glorious face;
Wherefore, alert were they to hear,
And ready when his band drew near;
Scarce had the knocking at the ward
Begun, ere they admit their lord!
The lord looks round, and all the tale
Is spread before him; what avail
For lazy ingrates to excuse
Themselves that they had dared abuse
Their master’s generous clemency?

Behold, a singular grace did he
To watchful servants, who had loved
Their lord’s appearing, nor had roved
In paths of gluttony and ease,
But took fond thought their lord to please:

At table spread for his return
Where flowers are bright and candles burn,
He set these servants in high place
And turned on them a smiling face:
Nay, what is this,—himself he girds,
In spite of their protesting words,
And serves with his own noble hands
Those men had walked in his commands.

How blest those servants, know to wait,
Be their lord’s coming soon or late!

St. Luke xii. 35–38.

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