Lk. 12:39. You know that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
So then, it is necessary to be watchful. For we are like the master of a house. If he does not sleep, the thief cannot steal anything from his possessions; but if he is drowsy, the thief will take everything and leave. Some understand here by the thief the devil, by the house the soul, and by the master of the house man. However, such an understanding does not seem to fit the connection of the discourse. Here the coming of the Lord is likened to a thief, on account of its unexpectedness, as one of the apostles also says: "the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night" (2 Pet. 3:10).
Lk. 12:40. Be therefore ready yourselves also, for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you do not expect.
And here too, look how the Lord explains who the thief is. "Therefore be ready, you also," He says, "for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
Some say that by those watching in the first watch are understood those who are more attentive than the rest, by those watching in the second watch — those who are inferior to them, and by those watching in the third watch — those who stand lower even than these. And others explained the watches as referring to different ages of life: the first to youth, the second to manhood, and the third to old age. Thus, blessed is he who at whatever age he may be found is watching, and not negligent with regard to virtue.
Lk. 12:41. Then Peter said to Him: Lord! Do You speak this parable to us, or to all?
Peter, as one who cared for all and who out of brotherly love was zealous for the benefit of his listeners, and as one who had already received the Church into his trust, asked (the Lord): whether He was speaking this parable "to all." The Lord does not answer his question directly, but in a veiled manner shows that although the parable spoken is common and extends to all believers, whoever they may be, it also applies to you — the apostles and generally those deemed worthy of teaching or leadership. Listen.
Lk. 12:42. And the Lord said: Who then is the faithful and wise steward,
The aforementioned parable, he says, applies to many, but now he speaks of those who have been deemed worthy of leadership: I am at a loss as to who will prove to possess both qualities, that is, faithfulness and prudence. For such people are rare, and it is difficult to find them. Just as in the management of an ordinary estate, if someone is faithful to his master but imprudent, he squanders his master's property, for he does not know how to manage it as he ought—when he should give, he does not give, and loses far more—and likewise, if someone is prudent and resourceful but unfaithful, he may be a thief, and the harder to catch the more prudent he is—so also in divine matters both faithfulness and prudence are needed together. For I know many who were apparently both zealous for virtue and God-fearing and had faith, but since they could not prudently manage church affairs, they harmed not only property but also souls. For example, if someone falls into a spiritual transgression, but the leader is not prudent and possesses only faith, that is, an unreflective virtue, the fallen one may suffer harm either from excessive severity or from misplaced leniency on his part, and will not be healed but will be crushed.
Lk. 12:42. whom the master appointed over his servants to distribute to them their measure of bread in due time?
So then, whoever is found faithful and wise, he will be set "over the servants" of the Lord, that is, over all His slaves, to "distribute to each in due time... the appointed measure of bread," that is, either dogmatic teaching by which souls are nourished, or a model of conduct and a pattern of how one ought to live.
Lk. 12:43. Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, shall find so doing.
Lk. 12:44. Truly I say to you, that he will set him over all his possessions.
If he is found acting in this way, then he is blessed, and the Lord "will set him over all his possessions," not only over servants, but will set him over everything, deeming him worthy of the highest degree, so that earthly and heavenly things will be subject to him, as was the case, for example, with Joshua and Elijah. One of them commanded the sun, and the other the clouds of heaven (Josh. 10:12; 1 Kings 17:1). Indeed, all the saints in general, as friends of God, make use of the possessions of their Friend. And among friends, all things are usually held in common (Acts 4:32). And everyone who, while living a tranquil life, practices active virtue and subjects to himself the slavish passions — anger and desire — giving to each of them its determined measure of nourishment at the proper time: to anger, for example, hatred toward those who hate the Lord and indignation against His enemies (Ps. 139:21); to desire, concern only for what is necessary for the flesh, while directing one's whole aspiration toward God — everyone such as this is blessed: he will attain contemplation as well, and will be set over all the possessions belonging to the Lord; he will be deemed worthy with his contemplative mind to behold and observe all things — not only that which exists not in and of itself, but also that which exists in the proper sense, that is, eternally.
Lk. 12:45. But if that servant says in his heart: My master will not come soon, and begins to beat the menservants and maidservants, to eat and drink and get drunk, –
Woe to such servants who, having received the gift of spiritual leadership, destroy the stewardship entrusted to them, eating and drinking and getting drunk — whether you understand this as literal drunkenness (for this too happens with bad leaders of churches who squander the property of the poor), or whether you understand by drunkenness the corruption of the mind in teaching and in the management of property. Such leaders beat the menservants and maidservants, that is, by scandalizing the weaker members of the church, they slay their conscience. For the weak and fainthearted person, seeing that I, the bishop, lead a wicked life, is scandalized by this and is slain in conscience, receives blows to the heart, and becomes even weaker. And all this happens to the wicked servant because he said in his heart, "My master is not coming soon." For such conduct arises from carelessness and failure to reflect on the hour of death. But if we kept in mind that the Lord is coming, that the end of the world and the end of our life are at the doors, then we would sin less.
Lk. 12:46. The lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect, and at an hour when he does not think, and will cut him asunder,
Observe also the punishment. "He will cut him apart," He says, that is, He will deprive him of the gift of teaching. Lest anyone think that this gift would help him escape severe punishment, He says: how will the gift help him when at that time he will no longer have it? For to be cut in two means to be deprived of grace. Such a person, being flesh and not spirit, will then be found worthy of pity, since, according to the apostle, we then live by the spirit when the Spirit of God dwells in us (Rom. 8:9).
Lk. 12:46. and will assign him a portion with the unbelievers.
And whoever is found to have walked not according to the spirit, but according to the flesh, and to have had no part in the spiritual life, will be placed in the ranks of the unfaithful, since he will be condemned with the unfaithful world, as one who received no benefit from his supposed faith. For there was no true faith in him. If he had had true faith, he would have been a faithful steward. But now, since he drank and became drunk, and squandered what belonged to the master, it is evident that he did not possess the true faithfulness that is required of stewards. Therefore his portion is justly assigned with the unfaithful. For, stripped of his gift and exposed, he is found to be damaged, and not entirely whole.
Lk. 12:47. But that servant, who knew his master's will, and was not ready, and did not act according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes;
Here the Lord presents to us something more important and terrible. Such a person, He says, will not only be deprived of his gift and will not find in it any aid toward deliverance from punishment, but the greatness of his dignity will make him subject to even greater condemnation. For the more the sinner knows, the more he deserves punishment.
Lk. 12:48. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
In His further discourse He reveals this even more clearly. "To whom much is given," He says, "of him much will be required, and to whom much has been entrusted, of him they will ask the more." Through this the Lord shows that the punishment deserved by teachers will be greater. To teachers things are both given and entrusted: "given," for example, is the gift of working miracles and healing diseases, while "entrusted" to them is the gift of the word and of teaching. The Lord said "they will ask the more" not in connection with the word "given," but in connection with the word "entrusted." For with the gift of the word there is truly need of labor, and more is demanded of the teacher. He must not remain negligent, but must multiply the talent of the word. Thus, the words "and of everyone to whom much is given" you should understand as: to whom much has been given out at interest. For the thing given for safekeeping here He called the interest.
Others ask: granted, it is just that the one who knew the master's will and did not act according to it is punished; but why is the one who did not know punished? Because he too could have learned, yet he did not wish to, and through his own negligence he made himself guilty of ignorance. Therefore, he is worthy of punishment because he voluntarily failed to learn. Let us be afraid, brethren! For if the one who was entirely ignorant is worthy of punishment, what excuse will justify those who sin with full knowledge, especially if they were teachers? Truly, their condemnation is very heavy.