Festival of St. Olaf II, King and Martyr
Posted on July 29, 2024 by under
Scripture: St. Luke 12:32-48 (NKJV)
12:32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. 38 And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 40 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”
Devotion
At many times and in various ways, Jesus teaches that our treasure is not of this world. We must always be vigilant lest our proper considerations of our earthly responsibilities to our families and neighbors distract us from our trust in God providing for us. Although this world is what we see and know, we look forward to something far greater—Jesus Christ has promised to return in glory, at some point in the future, like a thief in the night.
Since we do not know what time He will return, we must always be ready for Him. He could come today, or tomorrow, or yet many years from now. We do not know when, but we know we must be ready. We keep our waists girded and oil in our lamps, not by our own efforts, but in hearing and receiving God’s means of grace, which He richly provides us in Word and Sacrament. We carry out our daily lives in service to God and each other, trusting that Christ is indeed coming again to take His believers to be with Him in everlasting joy and blessedness. As long as we live on earth, we have good works to do, to serve both God and neighbor. And when Christ returns, we shall be with Him forever. This promise comforts us when we feel small, weak, and insignificant.
Collect: O Lord, grant steadfastness in a faithful confession to those among the magistracy whom Thou hast gathered into Thy holy Church, and direct the hearts of the faithful to support them in their vocation; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Ninth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Let Thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of Thy humble servants; and, that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please Thee; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
