Ready and Watching for the Lord

Ready and Watching for the Lord

Reflection on Luke 12:35–38

In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to be ready, like servants awaiting their master’s return from a wedding banquet. “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit,” He says. This image reminds us that Christian life is not one of passive waiting, but of active faithfulness. We are not simply to wait for the Lord’s coming; we are to prepare for it by living every moment in faith, hope, and love.

The faithful servant stays alert even when others sleep. He keeps his lamp burning, a symbol of a heart aflame with love for God. To be “dressed for action” means to live each day with purpose—to pray, to serve, to forgive, to persevere in good works. It means guarding against spiritual laziness or distraction, which can easily dull our hearts and make us forget the reason we live: to love and serve God in all things.

Jesus gives us a beautiful and humbling image: when the Master returns and finds His servants ready, He will “dress himself to serve, have them recline at table, and will come and wait on them.” What a reversal! The Lord Himself will serve those who have remained faithful. This is a glimpse of heaven—the eternal reward for those who, through life’s trials, remained steadfast in watchfulness and love.

Our challenge, then, is to live every day as if it were the day of the Lord’s coming—not in fear, but in joyful readiness. Every act of kindness, every prayer, every sacrifice done in love becomes oil for our lamps, keeping the light of faith burning brightly in a darkened world.

Key Takeaway:
The Lord calls us to be watchful and ready—not out of fear, but out of love. Blessed are those who stay faithful and keep their lamps burning, for when the Master comes, He Himself will serve them at His table.

Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, keep my heart awake and my soul ready for Your coming. Help me to live each day in love, faithfulness, and service to You. May the light of my faith never go out, so that when You come, I may be found waiting with joy. Amen.