To Know the Master’s Will

Scripture: Luke 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.”

Reaction: My meditation today revolved around acting in accordance with God’s will. I have prayed many times in the past to discern God’s plan for me, but I really know the basics already: to love Him with all my heart, to believe in Him and trust in His providence, to keep Him as the most important aspect of my life through constant prayer and worship, to obey His commandments, to develop the Christ-like qualities He wants to see in me, to treat all of His people with love, compassion, and dignity, and to share my faith and love of Christ with others. This is the crux of my ‘mission’, and though I sometimes backslide as humans are known to do, I hope that the Master will arrive when I am acting with kindness, faith and charity, instead of when I’m falling into old patterns of selfishness, doubt or pride.

Part of my prayer session today was asking for the grace I need to be the type of person God wants me to be in my every-day life, so I can continue to live in His will. But I also had the impression that I must be especially vigilant and attuned to unique opportunities to do His will in very specific ways. These opportunities may involve going out of my way to do someone a favor, rearranging my own schedule to accommodate another, sharing my faith experiences to bring others closer to God, volunteering in a needed situation even if it’s not necessarily my favorite activity, offering food, hospitality, or goods to others in need … the list is endless! Lately I have been noticing these opportunities more and more, and when I actually pick up on them in a timely manner and act upon them, they bring me great joy! So I petition the Lord to bless me with open eyes, ears, and heart, so that I know His desires not just in general terms, but in very specific circumstances. And when these circumstances arise, I pray that I will recognize His call, make the necessary preparations, and act accordingly.