Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. 34 For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.
35 “Gird your loins and light your lamps 36 and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. 38 And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants. 39 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. 40 You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”
41 Then Peter said, “Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?” 42 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? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 45 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, 46then that servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the unfaithful. 47 That servant who knew his master’s will but did not make preparations nor act in accord with his will shall be beaten severely; 48 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.
In Luke 12:32-48, Jesus teaches His followers about the nature of discipleship, vigilance, and the importance of being prepared for the coming of the Kingdom of God. The passage begins with a tender reassurance, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom" (v. 32). This is a comforting declaration, emphasizing that God's love for His people is unwavering. The Kingdom He refers to is not an earthly realm, but the reign of God in the hearts of His followers, a gift of grace that was being poured out from the moment of His Incarnation, made possible by the salvation earned through His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.
Jesus then challenges His followers to live with a sense of detachment from material possessions: "Sell your possessions and give to the poor" (v. 33). Here, He uses hyperbole to stress the radical nature of true discipleship. While He does not demand that His followers live in absolute poverty, He underscores the importance of generosity and the dangers of attachment to wealth. The call to "make purses for yourselves that will not wear out" (v. 33) emphasizes storing up treasures in heaven, where they are secure from decay and theft.
The parable of the faithful and wise steward (vv. 42-48) further underscores the theme of vigilance. The steward who is found faithful when his master returns is rewarded, while the unfaithful one faces punishment. The message here is clear: God expects His followers to live responsibly with the gifts He has entrusted to them, to be vigilant, and to act in accordance with His will, which is revealed through the gifts themselves—whether it's the gift of tongues, prophecy, or any other grace. Through these gifts, Jesus has shown us how we should live as His followers, and they guide us in His ways, even as we await His certain return. The parable also reveals the tension between the delay of Christ’s return and the need for constant readiness.
Jesus’ call to generosity and detachment from material goods can be traced to the Old Testament, where God commands His people to care for the poor and not to store up treasures on earth. In Proverbs 19:17, it is written, "Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done." Similarly, the concept of stewardship is central to the Old Testament, particularly in the parables found in Matthew and Luke, which echo Israel's history of responsible stewardship of God's covenant (Gen. 1:28; Ex. 19:5).
In the New Testament, Jesus expands upon these themes, showing that true wealth lies not in material possessions but in spiritual readiness for the Kingdom (Matt. 6:19-21). The message of being prepared for the master’s return also echoes the eschatological themes found in both the Gospels and the Letters of St. Paul, where the faithful are urged to live in anticipation of Christ's second coming (1 Thess. 5:1-6).
In today’s society, which often prizes material success and security, Luke 12:32-48 offers a profound challenge. The drive for wealth and status can lead people to neglect spiritual realities and the eternal consequences of their actions. The hyperbolic language used by Jesus in this passage calls for a radical reorientation of priorities—living with a kingdom mindset, detached from the transient things of this world, and focused on loving and serving others, especially the poor and marginalized. This passage also calls for accountability in how we use the gifts entrusted to us by God. In a world obsessed with self-sufficiency and individualism, the call to be faithful stewards reminds us of our ultimate dependence on God and the need for vigilance in our daily walk with Him.
Almighty God, we thank You for the arrival of Your Kingdom, through which we are showered with grace. Help us to live with a spirit of generosity, detaching ourselves from material things and focusing on treasures in heaven. Grant us the wisdom to be faithful stewards of all that You have given us, and to remain vigilant in preparing for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. This we pray through Christ our Lord, Amen!
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Orchard et al. (1953).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018).
- The Navarre Bible: Luke, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§ 2536–2547, 541–542.
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