“Get dressed for service and keep your lamps burning; be like people waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. Blessed are those slaves whom their master finds alert when he returns! I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, have them take their place at the table, and will come and wait on them! Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night and finds them alert, blessed are those slaves!
Luke 12:35-38 NET
Our great hope as believers is that eternity with our Lord awaits us on the other side of the grave—unless our Lord returns for us first. When that happens, this mortal flesh will put on immortality; the worries, concerns, and struggles of this life will be left behind, and we will experience our master’s happiness (Matt. 25:21). We should look forward to it with great anticipation.
As We Wait
But what do we do as we wait for that time? Jesus tells us to get dressed for service and keep our lamps burning. And to illustrate what this means, he provided an example. A man went to a wedding celebration. Before he left, he instructed his slaves concerning specific tasks he wanted them to do while he was gone. And he expected that when he returned, they would be ready and waiting for him.
As we wait for our Lord’s return, we are to be dressed for service. And not just dressed, but actively engaged in serving him. What our service will look like will vary from person to person. We are not all called to be the same. But we are all called to serve him faithfully.
And, as we wait, we are to keep our lamps burning. Be ready to welcome our Lord whenever he returns. None of us knows when that will be. But we should always be ready to open the door for him. Even if the wait is long and hard.
Jesus concluded by telling us that those he finds waiting for his return will be blessed and will have a place at the banquet table—a banquet table where he himself will serve.
So, as we wait for our master to return, be careful not to fall asleep. Instead, be faithful in serving him. And look forward to his return and the joy that will be ours.
