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Matthew 24:45-51
Who, thinkest
thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over
his family, to give them meat in season.
Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so
doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods. But if
that evil servant shall say in his heart: My lord is long a coming: And
shall begin to strike his fellow servants, and shall eat and drink with
drunkards: The lord of that servant shall come in a day that he hopeth
not, and at an hour that he knoweth not: And shall separate him, and
appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.
Luke 12:35-48
For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girt, and
lamps burning in your hands. And you yourselves like to men who wait
for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that when he
cometh and knocketh, they may open to him immediately. Blessed are
those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh, shall find watching. Amen
I say to you, that he will gird himself, and make them sit down to
meat, and passing will minister unto them. And if he shall come in the
second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are
those servants.
But this know ye, that if the householder did know at what hour the
thief would come, he would surely watch, and would not suffer his house
to be broken open. Be you then also ready: for at what hour you think
not, the Son of man will come.
And Peter said to him: Lord, dost thou speak this parable to us, or
likewise to all? And the Lord said: Who (thinkest thou) is the faithful
and wise steward, whom his lord setteth over his family, to give them
their measure of wheat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom
when his lord shall come, he shall find so doing. Verily I say to you,
he will set him over all that he possesseth. But if that servant shall
say in his heart: My lord is long a coming; and shall begin to strike
the menservants and maidservants, and to eat and to drink and be drunk:
The lord of that servant will come in the day that he hopeth not, and
at the hour that he knoweth not, and shall separate him, and shall
appoint him his portion with unbelievers. And that servant who knew the
will of his lord, and prepared not himself, and did not according to
his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and
did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And
unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to
whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more.
Commentary
By St. John Chryostom
...And to me He
seems to declare, that at night will be the advent. For this Luke too
saith. Seest thou how accurately He knows all things?
After this again, that they may not ask about it, He added, "Watch
therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." He said not,
"I know not," but, "ye know not." For when He had brought them well
nigh to the very hour, and had placed them there, again He deters them
from the inquiry, from a desire that they should be striving always.
Therefore He saith, "Watch," showing that for the sake of this, He did
not tell it.
"But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what
watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in
such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh."
For this intent He tells them not, in order that they may watch, that
they may be always ready; therefore He saith, When ye look not for it,
then He will come, desiring that they should be anxiously waiting, and
continually, in virtuous action.
But His meaning is like this: if the common sort of men knew when they
were to die, they would surely strive earnestly at that hour.
In order therefore that they may strive, not at that hour only,
therefore He tells them not either the common hour, or the hour of
each, desiring them to be ever looking for this, that they may be
always striving. Wherefore He made the end of each man's life also
uncertain.
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