The Lectionary and Scripture Interpretation for Ordinary Time
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Overview and Connections
Today’s gospel reading will speak to us of waiting. A quick review of Israel’s history shows that from Abraham to Isaac was about 100 years. From Isaac to Jacob (Israel) was also about 100 years. Israel’s 12 sons were in Egypt for about 400 years. In Genesis 15, God promised possession of the land to Abraham, but the people had to wait over 600 years to see the fulfillment of that promise.
Waiting is hard and so often tempts us to give up. On this 19th Sunday of Ordinary Time, we are still months away from Advent. It’s probably not even on your mind to think about that season. And yet, we are called to be always waiting and watchful for the coming of the Messiah. Waiting is hard. Don’t give up!
Wisdom 18:6-9
Wisdom chp 11 through the end of the book focuses on the special providence of God during the Exodus. The section presumes a deep familiarity with Exodus 7-12. The literary form of today’s reading is called syneresis. It is a comparison by way of contrast in the plights of Israel vs. those of Egypt.
V6 begins with the reminder of God’s promises to Abraham. In Genesis 15:13-16, God told Abraham that a four-hundred-year enslavement would happen, but that the people would eventually come back to occupy the land. What was the purpose of God telling this to a man who would never live to see it happen? Because Abraham would surely tell his son Isaac, who would tell his son Jacob, who would tell his sons. The stories would be passed from generation to generation. God told them ahead of time so that they could take courage when it happened. God gave Abraham the promise to make the waiting bearable.
The “oaths” in this verse are all of God’s covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
God made a promise to Abraham to deliver the people out of slavery. Somehow, in a way hard to explain, the people’s trust in that promise was what enabled God to act and fulfil the promise. When things actually happened as God had said, it then bolstered their trust for all the other promises God had made. That is the gist of v7.
V8 calls to mind the scene of the Israelites having passed through the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army being covered by the sea. The same waters that destroyed the pursuing army had saved the people who had crossed over.
The “divine law” mentioned in v11 (which the NAB calls “institution) refers to the Passover ritual instructions given in Exodus 12.
An important spiritual principle at work in this passage is that of remembering the fulfillment of God’s past promises in order to bolster trust in God’s future work. Take some time to review your life and ask God to show you the many ways God has cared for you and delivered you. How might those memories give you strength in trials to come? Is there someone in your life going through a similar situation that you have been through? Could you share your story of God’s deliverance to help encourage them?
Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
In Year B, towards the end of the liturgical year, the lectionary covers the first part of Hebrews through chapter 10. Year C picks up today at chp 11 to cover the remainder of the book. While the latter chapters are more practical in nature, the book can pose many problems because it is addressed to an audience with a deep Jewish identity. It uses Jewish symbols and language that don’t necessarily speak to us today. That said, there are many messages in the book that transcend the culture, such as calling on the great witnesses of faith.
Chp 11 speaks at great length of faith. In the author’s mind, faith is not belief in nor assent to a community’s set of doctrines and dogmas. Faith is an active stance towards God. Faith is not about the head, but the heart. The chapter begins with the author’s “definition” of what faith is. But, more importantly, the author then goes on to provide concrete examples of what they mean by that definition. The reading today focuses on Abraham as a particular example. Background reading for this passage would be the whole of the book of Genesis.
V1 provides a very familiar definition of what faith is. It is both a human response and a divine gift. It is an intellectual assent and an active trust. Faith is the foundation of our relationship with God; faith is relationship rather than merely belief. By faith, the “ancients” were “well attested” (NAB) or “received divine approval” (RSV). The “ancients” could be patriarchs of the Jewish faith, but also any man or woman who has demonstrated faith in God.
Vv8-12 speak of Abraham as the father of our faith. Genesis 12 is the basis of this story. Abraham moved forward in response to God’s call without a map and without a clear sense of the destination. Sometimes this is what faith is all about. In v9 he “sojourned” in the promised land – a word which indicates being a visitor. Abraham himself was a resident alien: he lived in the land, but he never possessed it.
There’s no Old Testament evidence that Abraham looked forward to the first Jerusalem, much less a new one. But it serves the author’s purpose in v10 to draw this theological conclusion from the original story’s evidence. The “foundations” in v10 contrast with the “tents” of the Patriarchs in v9.
Vv13-16 speak of the longing for our true home. The ancients knew this longing, and we today know the truth of it as well. The Vatican 2 document Lumen Gentium (no. 7) picked up the image of “strangers and aliens” in v13.
The rest of the passage speaks of Abraham’s ultimate test: God’s request to sacrifice Isaac. We read this story from Genesis 22 on the Second Sunday of Lent. Abraham thought he could see the path to fulfillment of God’s promises, but the test with Isaac went directly contrary to that. So often we are called by God onto a path, and it is very tempting to tell God, “Thanks; I’ve got this now,” and continue on our merry way. Until something comes along that challenges how we previously saw things playing out. Faith invites us to adjust course and follow God’s way instead of our own.
Abraham kept faith despite all the evidence to the contrary. When have you been able to believe in God even when everything pointed to the opposite?
Recall times in your own life when God invited you into something new but you couldn’t see clearly all the contours of it. How did you respond?
Abraham’s call and journey provide a model of obedience. How has God’s call shown up in your life and how have you responded to that call?
Luke 12:32-48
Today’s reading covers a range of topics, including a reversal of values, vigilance and readiness, and responsible stewardship.
Reassurance and Reversal of Values (vv32-24)
There are a number of things in Luke that sound more like John’s writing, and the term “little flock” in v32 seems like one of those. Jesus says “seek the kingdom as your top priority, and, by the way, God is delighted to give you the kingdom! Be assured of having it!” This tells me, by extension, that I can be sure that God will provide the necessities of life. God wants to bless us!
In light of God’s generous gifts, Jesus calls for a reorientation of our values. Belongings/possessions in v33 a word that means literally “to be.” The idea is that these are things you would not exist or “be” without. It’s not that we are to get rid of everything. But Jesus knows that trust in wealth can get in the way of trust in God.
Only Luke uses the word “money bags,” but it was a common Roman item. Purse is a good translation because it’s something very common for us today. What God gives is an inexhaustible or unfailing treasure. A purse or a bag has a lifespan, and when it wears out, it breaks and you have to replace it. Jesus tells us to build up treasure that won’t wear out or ultimately fail us.
And why? V34 tells us where our treasure is will be where our heart is. The Greek word for treasure is thésauros. I love this! It suggests such a diversity. The Greek word for heart is kardia, meaning “the heart; mind, character, inner self, will, intention, center.” The kardia is the whole of who we are. The Message translates v34 as, “The place where you most want to be is where you’ll end up being.”
Vigilance and Readiness (v. 35-40)
Luke 12:13-34 deals with our relationship to material things. Now we see a shift to focus on “The End.” Vv35-48 carry a primary question: how do we act as we wait for The End? These verses sound very much like Advent readings. In fact, the parallel of this passage found in Matthew is used during Advent.
This gospel was written around 85AD – 50 years after Christ. That was a lifetime in that culture. So part of the message here is reminding folks that Jesus will return! Rather than being intended to put us in mind of Advent, i think the purpose of having this reading in the middle of Ordinary Time is to remind us that the watching and waiting we do during Advent is something we are to do all the time. And it’s a message even more important for us today, 2000 years later.
I’m reminded of how, during Mass, when we say the Our Father, the priest says these words:
Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant us peace in our day.
In your mercy keep us free from sin
and protect us from all anxiety
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We wait in joyful hope. What does that look like? What does it mean to be spiritually awake and prepared in our contemporary context? Luke has some thoughts. There are three main themes that connect everything in these verses: watchfulness, preparedness, and fidelity.
Vv35-38 are unique to Luke, and they speak of a watchful servant. The verb found in the command “light your lamps” is an action in the process of happening. It might be better rendered, “light your lamps and keep them lit!”
V35 also tells us to “gird our loins.” This strange phrasing in the NAB is intended to evoke Exodus 12:11: “This is how you are to eat [the Passover]: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.” To “gird” one’s loins meant tucking the cloak into the belt. The ancient Israelites wore long outer robes, and if they needed to do anything useful, they had to get the robe out of the way, to tuck it up.
Some scholars see v35 as a reference to baptismal garments and the baptismal candle.
In v36 Jesus tells us another parable. Many rabbis used parables to explain things, but Jesus used them in a rather unique way: there was always something surprising, some twist that his audience wasn’t expecting. Always be looking for the twist
The parable situates the action in a wedding feast. Any time you see a reference in the New Testament to a wedding feast, think “the end times.” Jews understood The End as the great messianic banquet when all would be set right. Saying that this action happens in a wedding feast puts it in the context of ultimate judgment. This will be a story about the consequences of a lifetime of decisions and where that leads us.
The master comes home from a wedding feast and expects entry into his home. The servants are vigilant and do what the master expects: they open the locked gate to admit the master. So far, everything is common and normal.
The twist of this parable comes in the second half of v37: the master has them sit down, and the master serves them. This would have been mind-blowing to the audience. Luke has a parallel to this in 22:27, where Jesus will say “I am among you as one who serves.” If v35 was a veiled reference to the sacrament of baptism, v37 could be a veiled reference to the Eucharist.
Later in this section, Jesus will address leadership in the Christian community, but at the outset, he wants us to know that leadership means service.
The Jewish system recognized three watches in the night, whereas the Roman system had four. V38 is likely referring to the Jewish system; the deepest part of the night when it’s most difficult to stay awake
Here are some things we know about the early church:
- Table fellowship was closely associated with Christian service (diakonos) and authority.
- Many New Testament writers, including Paul, used metaphors of household management to talk about the spiritual life and to talk about one’s sphere of authority in that life.
- Most scholars see this parable as pertaining to the theological discipline of Ecclesiology – what is the church? Specifically, what does leadership in the church look like? This becomes more evident as we move on to Jesus’ explanation.
In v39 Jesus shifts metaphors to speak of a watchful master. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul wrote just 30 years after Christ, “you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” They knew it well, maybe because this was a popular parable: “the thief in the night.”
Daniel 7 has the phrase we see in v40 “son of man,” and it has Messianic expectations and overtones. Again, we are talking about the end times and everything about this points to the ultimate judgment. What we do here and now has consequences – the sum total of all these choices we make.
Responsible Stewardship (v. 41-48)
Stage left, enter Peter, always with a great comment or observation! Jesus has just spoken of watchful servants and a watchful master – several parables in a row. It’s not entirely clear which of these Peter is referring to. Or maybe he’s asking about the parable of the rich fool, which we heard earlier in this chapter. Or all of it!
Don’t fault Peter too much. He was a rule follower, and I think he genuinely wanted to be helpful. He wants to understand the scope of things. Is it just the disciples who need to be constantly ready, or does everyone need to? Is this meant for us? Who is us? It’s not entirely clear.
Jesus doesn’t answer Peter outright; instead, he tells another parable.
These verses speak of a faithful manager – the prudent manager who is vigilant day to day and prepared, and everything runs smoothly, and don’t you love to work for and with these kinds of people?! They do all that needs to be done in a responsible manner.
Steward is a word only Luke uses in the gospels, but Paul will use it to mean those in Christian service. This is yet another clue that this is talking about leadership in the community. The role referred to here is the household manager – still a slave, but at the top of the hierarchy. The household manager was answerable to the master ultimately, but his job was to take care of the other servants.
V44 uses the word property/possessions, which is the same one used in v33: a word that means literally “to be.”
This steward works really hard, and what is his reward? More work! And isn’t that so true, even today?! But Jesus is using this image positively. The more work is a reward rather than a punishment.
In v45 we see the opposite of that: someone who is vigilant, yes, but they’re watching for the opportunity to take advantage of and exploit the situation. This steward’s attitude is basically “eat, drink, be merry,” which connects us to the earlier parable about the foolish man. Note the order, though, in 45: beating and then getting drunk. Jesus is not going to let them off the hook for doing something in a drunken stupor – this is intentional behavior. This sounds shocking to us, but in ancient times, it was quite common to tell a story along these lines.
Jesus says in v46 that the punishment will be severe. The Greek “dichotomesei” means literally “cut in two” and is a difficult term that is understood as hyperbolic for severe punishment. They don’t just get booted out of the job; they don’t just lose responsibility; they get cut off and cast out. There’s no part in the kingdom for those who do not serve like the faithful servant, the good manager.
We must keep in mind that the genre of this parable is wisdom literature. In that view, everything is black and white, either / or. We are all sometimes like the faithful steward and other times like the abusing steward. Jesus is talking, though, about the cumulative effect of a lifetime of choices. But if you had lived a life with this in mind, you might make different choices. Jesus has already reminded us that we don’t know when the end is. So we should live as though every day is the end.
Vv47-48 are unique to Luke. The one who knows the master’s will but didn’t prepare – that one will be beaten, the same way that the servant did to the others. The lines at the end look like poetry with Hebrew parallelism:
Every one to whom much is given,
of him will much be required;
and of him to whom men commit much
they will demand the more."
The NAB uses the word entrusted twice, but the Greek has two different words, reflected in the RSV version above. The first word, “given,” just means to give someone something. The second word, “commit,” is one that carried significant weight, and it was about entrusting someone in a familial or legal sense with something important. Back in v13, someone asks Jesus to judge an inheritance dispute. We could say that man wanted to entrust or commit Jesus with the outcome.
Jesus has been talking about the community, which need not be limited to the institutional church. What does community look like, and, in particular, how does leadership work? Jesus says the more you are entrusted with, the more will be required of you. Leaders are held to a higher standard
Peter wanted to understand the scope of things and, rather than defining it very narrowly, Jesus expands responsibility very broadly. Notice that nothing in this passage restricts leadership to formal roles of ordained or staff. It’s not that a few privileged ones who need to stay ready. We all do.
We are all leaders in some sense, and we all have the responsibility to be ready, to be found working to bring in the kingdom. And those who ultimately don’t live up to that responsibility will be judged by the cumulative effect of their life’s choices. The severity of punishment depends on knowledge and understanding of God’s will. Once we begin to understand what God is asking of us personally, that’s when we begin to be entrusted with much. And that’s when we are expected to live by higher standards.
Application
Where is your heart? What is the center of your focus? This is a question we asked last week as well, but it always bears reflecting on.
What does vigilance and readiness look like in your own life? What spiritual disciplines aid that?
Reflect on the ways you might be a leader in the Christian community. It might seem small and insignificant, but remember, from such things come the kingdom. I think sometimes of my Sunday school teacher in middle school, Mrs. Hyatt. In her own quiet way, she exercised Christian leadership, and who knows what I would be doing today if not for her?
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© 2025 Kelly Sollinger