In Luke’s description of how to prepare for the future he pointedly states that the disciples are slaves. (Luke 12:36) Is that how we think of ourselves? is being a slave : good or bad? Slaves or not, do we seek living in God’s Kin_dom now …or worry about its arrival?
What is this word slave?
The word slave originates from an eastern European language describing those taken by Spanish Muslims in the 9th CE: so slav became slave. Ukraine is an eastern slavic nation. We have heard a word close to slav recently when the cry “Slava Ukraini” was heard from soldiers and politicians – even our caretaker prime minister. Those words mean something very different “Glory to Ukraine“. Slava refers to fame and honour. Is that how Ukrainians feel now?
But when we think of slaves it is rather negative. Downton Abbey & Upstairs Downstairs conjure up situations where dependency upon others absolute subserviency is paramount. But in Luke’s account (Luke 12:32-40) we hear clearly that slaves must be awake and (v36) Jesus was referring to the disciples when saying this. So how do we feel being slaves : good or bad? Are there slaves in the UK?
In this Gospel passage we read of Jesus at a banquet where some slaves will be blessed if they stay awake. …There’s talk of a thief coming at night…
Ok. I thought that this passage is talking of the kin_dom of God arriving. Here we speak of a thief – oh my goodness. When I thought God’s Kin_dom was all about joy!
Furthermore, what exactly is Jesus looking to steal?
Slaves becoming Masters?
In John’s account of the last supper Jesus washes the feet of the disciples, including Judas’, and tells us to do likewise. He subverts the master-slave hierarchy. Is this what the kin_dom is all about?
Also maybe the focus here isn’t about the thief but about the time. We might be fearful about a thief purely as we value material goods so highly. As the rest of the passage alludes to selling all your possessions do we skip that part?
Where’s our focus?
It was Emperor Constantine, the one who heralded in Christianity as a legal faith into the Roman Empire, who sought baptism on his death bed. It was after a riotous – not righteous – life that he felt called to be baptised to ensure safety into eternity.
I suspect that we might be fearful of when Jesus returns. In Rowan Atkinson’s film Johnny English, the Archbishop’s cassock was removed to reveal a tattoo : “Jesus is coming : look busy“
Do we seek living in God’s Kin_dom now …or worry about its arrival?
I found the dialogue interesting