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.
In today's Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples to remain watchful and faithful as they await His return. He has just reassured them of the Father's desire to give them His kingdom and encouraged them to seek the lasting treasures of heaven (Luke 12:32–34). He now explains how they are to live while awaiting the fulfillment of God's promises.
Jesus begins with the command, “Gird your loins and light your lamps” (v. 35). In biblical times, people wore long garments that could restrict movement. To prepare for work or travel, they gathered their garments and secured them around their waists with a belt. Keeping lamps burning allowed people to remain prepared during the night. Both images emphasize readiness to respond when the master returns.
These words also recall the instructions God gave the Israelites before their deliverance from slavery in Egypt: “This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you will eat it in a hurry” (Exodus 12:11). The Israelites were to eat the Passover meal prepared to depart from Egypt as God led them toward freedom. Just as they were called to be ready for God's saving action, Jesus calls His disciples to remain prepared for His return.
Jesus compares His disciples to servants awaiting their master's return from a wedding celebration. The servants do not know when he will arrive, but they remain ready to welcome him immediately. Jesus emphasizes this uncertainty by mentioning the second and third watches, which, according to the traditional Jewish division of the night, extended approximately from 10:00 p.m. until dawn. The servants' faithfulness is demonstrated by their continued readiness, even when the wait becomes long.
For Christians, this watchfulness means living faithfully according to Christ's teachings while awaiting His return. It is expressed through prayer, trust in God, love of neighbor, and the faithful fulfillment of daily responsibilities. The uncertainty of when Christ will return gives importance to how His disciples live each day. Their preparation is an ongoing response to His love and the promises He has made.
Jesus then describes an extraordinary reward: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival” (v. 37). He continues, “he will gird himself, have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them” (v. 37). Instead of expecting his servants to wait upon him, the master takes the role of a servant, invites them to recline at table, and personally serves them. In Jesus' time, this reversal of roles would have been remarkable because servants ordinarily attended to the needs of their masters.
This surprising image reveals the love and generosity of Jesus Christ toward those who remain faithful to Him. At the Last Supper, Jesus told His apostles, “I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27). He demonstrated this teaching when He rose from the table, tied a towel around His waist, and washed His disciples' feet (John 13:4–5). By performing a task ordinarily associated with servants, Jesus showed that His love expresses itself through humble service. The master's actions in the parable therefore reflect the loving service of Jesus and point toward the extraordinary blessing He promises to His faithful disciples.
The banquet also points toward the joy of eternal life in God's kingdom. Jesus promises that people will come from every direction and recline at table in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:29). The Eucharist, instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, gives Christians a foretaste of this heavenly banquet, where communion with God will reach its fullness.
Jesus concludes by repeating the blessing promised to those who remain prepared, even when the master returns late in the night (v. 38). His words unite faithful readiness with joyful hope. The Lord who calls His disciples to remain watchful is the same Lord who lovingly serves them and promises them a place at His heavenly table. Their daily faithfulness is sustained by confidence in His promises and the hope of sharing eternal life with Him.
Lord Jesus, strengthen our faith and help us remain watchful through prayer, love, and faithful service. Teach us to live each day in readiness for Your return, trusting in Your promises and looking forward to the joy of eternal life in Your kingdom. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Luke 12:35–38 and accompanying notes.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. 133.
- Casciaro, Jose Maria, general editor. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. 304–305.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. 704–705, §136.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. 1071.
- Gadenz, Pablo T. The Gospel of Luke. Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018. 243–244.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid, and Donald Senior, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. 3rd fully revised ed. London: T&T Clark, 2022. 1330.
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