Luke 12:37

37 How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns! I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them.

Luke 12:37 Meaning and Commentary

Luke 12:37

Blessed are those servants whom the Lord
The Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "their Lord", the master of them, or the Lord Jesus Christ:

when he cometh shall find watching:
for him, and not asleep. The Ethiopic version reads, "so doing, and watching"; girding up their loins, trimming their lamps, and waiting for their Lord's coming: such servants are happy, they will appear to be in the favour of their master, who will take notice of them and show some marks of respect to them; as Christ will to all his good and faithful servants, whenever he comes, whether at death, or at judgment; and who will be happy then, being found so doing, and found in him:

verily I say unto you that he shall gird himself;
not that Christ shall really do this, or appear in the form of a servant; but that he shall readily, cheerfully, and at once introduce his servants into his joy, and make them partakers of all the glories of the other world:

and make them to sit down to meat;
at his table in his kingdom; see ( Matthew 8:11 ) ( Luke 22:30 )

and will come forth and serve them;
with food, yea, will feed them himself, and lead them to fountains of living water, ( Revelation 7:17 ) The Arabic version renders it, "he shall stand to minister unto them": the phrase is expressive of the posture of a servant; who, as Dr. Lightfoot observes, is (Klwh) , "walking", and who goes round about the table, whilst others sit F20: some think there is allusion in the words to a custom used at some feasts, particularly at the feasts in honour of Saturn, in which servants changed clothes with their masters, and sat at their tables, and their masters served them F21


FOOTNOTES:

F20 Jarchi in T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 77. 2.
F21 Vide Lipsii Saturnal. l. 1. c. 2. p. 6.

Luke 12:37 In-Context

35 "Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action and with your lamps lit,
36 like servants who are waiting for their master to come back from a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him at once.
37 How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns! I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them.
38 How happy they are if he finds them ready, even if he should come at midnight or even later!
39 And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, he would not let the thief break into his house.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.