Blessed are the servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival for they will recline at table with them. Jesus’ teaching on faithful preparedness about which we read in today’s Gospel reading reflects the widespread and perhaps increasingly popular belief in the parousia that characterized the period following the ascension of Jesus. However, unlike in Matthew and Mark in which the instruction is given in the context of the imminent end that was coming to Jesus (cf. Matthew 24:45ff, Mk 13:35ff), in Luke, it appears much earlier on in Jesus’ ministry. And while this does not do away with the teaching’s parousial leanings, it nonetheless gives it a broader perspective. By having the teaching appear alongside other ordinary teachings, Luke makes the teaching on preparedness to sound less graphic but still relevant to discipleship.
The three instructions that immediately precede the one on preparedness ( Saying against Greed, Parable of the Rich Fool, and Dependence on God) certainly provides us with the context for understanding this teaching. While there was no doubt that the parousia was certain to take place, only the Father knows the day and the time when this would happen. This surprise element of the parousia demands that a disciple be on guard all the time lest he is found unprepared. The only preparation that a disciple has to make is ensuring that he remains in right relationship with God and his fellow creatures (righteousness). Being in right relationship requires humility and subjection, qualities that are not compatible with greed and claiming independence from God. Such preparedness thus becomes part of being not only a disciple of Jesus but also of remaining a child of God.