Those who have been given much, much will be expected

Do not forget that there are many children, many women, many men in this world who do not have what you have, and make sure that you love them, too, until it hurts. – Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Gospel text (Lk 12:39-48): Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be sure of this:
if the master of the house had known the hour
when the thief was coming,
he would not have let his house be broken into.
You also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."

Then Peter said,
"Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"
And the Lord replied,
"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward
whom the master will put in charge of his servants
to distribute the food allowance at the proper time?
Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.
Truly, I say to you, he will put him
in charge of all his property.
But if that servant says to himself,
"My master is delayed in coming,"
and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,
to eat and drink and get drunk,
then that servant's master will come
on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour
and will punish the servant severely
and assign him a place with the unfaithful.
That servant who knew his master's will
but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will
shall be beaten severely;
and the servant who was ignorant of his master's will
but acted in a way deserving of a severe beating
shall be beaten only lightly.
Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,
and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

Jesus has come that we might have abundant life, life to the full (Jn 10:10). He plans to fill our cup to overflowing (Ps 23:5) and lavish the Holy Spirit upon us without measure (Jn 3:34; Ti 3:6), just as He changed water into a huge amount of wine (Jn 2:6ff). God will open the floodgates of heaven to bless us with a superabundance if we obey Him in generous trust (see Mal 3:10).

In view of God's abundance, why do so many people demand just a little from God when He wants to bless them with so much? The secular culture gives lip-service to unlimited freedom, but it truly is a culture of limits: limited love, life, relationships, and responsibility. The culture wants married couples to have their two children, but no more. It wants God's protection and financial blessings, but not His intimacy and definitely not His lordship.

The only things that seem unlimited in the secular culture are sin and arrogant speech. Most of all, the secular culture wants to limit the unlimited Almighty God. It doesn't want Him to be God. It tries to eliminate Him from the bedroom, schools, courts, halls of government, financial institutions, the entertainment industry, etc. The secular culture finds Jesus "too much" (Mk 6:3).

Are you a child of the secular culture or a child of the Living God? Are you limiting God in any way and thereby stifling the Holy Spirit? (1 Thes 5:19) Repent of a lack of trust in God and His plan for abundant life. Love God and love His abundance.

Stay watchful. Keep seeking. Always remember. Be faithful. Don’t drift. Each day matters. Live in expectation. God is coming – count on it!