“Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?” 42 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43 It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.45 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 47 “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12.41-48
I had to read and reread this passage a few times to grasp it. But the meaning essentially comes down to the final verse in chapter 48: “To whom much is given, much is expected,” and “The one who is entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Now Jesus is speaking to a large crowd of Jews. The only ones who had been entrusted with much—authority, influence, and power—were the religious leaders. Certainly we can take and apply this to ourselves today, but the original application was most certainly to the original hearers. The disciples would later be handed authority, but at this time only the experts in the law and the Pharisees were worthy of being given much as it pertained to the establishment of the faith and the Law of Moses.
We who live in the USA, especially, have been given much in every sense. We who are Christians have been entrusted with much—our responsibility is to hand down the faith. This has already been passed down to me by my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so forth. Now we are to hand down the faith to others. But it’s not a set of rituals we are handing down; it is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Forty years ago this summer, at Young Life Camp in Colorado, I received the inheritance of a relationship with Jesus when I surrendered my life. For me it was a point in time. Sure, the foundation had been built over years of children’s ministry, Bible teaching, Sunday School, confirmation, and so on. But those were not the central act of my salvation. They perhaps led me to an opening of my heart to the gospel, but going to church alone did not do it. Faith requires a response.
So it was at that camp that I responded, saying yes to Christ, and my life was changed forever. Now I am a recipient of His grace, and the verse above applies to me: much is given, much is expected.
The invitation to know and love God is available to all people. The consequences of loving and following God are far better than the consequences of not doing so—which involve unforgiven sin, distance from God, loneliness, and fear.
Let’s receive the gift of salvation that Christ has for us and enjoy the fruit of His labor. Let’s enjoy the gifts that only Christ can bring and share what we know with the current and subsequent generations. By His grace and for His glory.
“O Lord, as I think about this lineage of faith, I think about the sermons from my grandfather that are sitting in file cabinets in our barn. Decades of work, faithfulness, and devotion offered to God’s people and God’s church. I thank You that I get to rest in that legacy. Help me remain a faithful servant of Your Word and Your work. Use me to reach a generation that is seeking and searching for meaning and hope. I love You, Lord, and I trust in Your name. For You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen