The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 1 — Section 333

tion of equality with their muster. These of the simile is obvi0ue. The disciples rm,l true fnithful ones nre no longer hie servantY; e.11 followers of J eaus would d0 well to they aro hlY friends. He even deigns him- remain always on the we.tell for th•) s~cond eolf t0 minister to their ,•111nte. A similar B<lveut of the Lord. The time of tl1>tt awful lofty promise is mo.de in lees homely lo.n- return WJ.S nnknown, never CQ11itl be k11own; guoge. Tl,e finnl glorious gift to the faithful men, however, must not be rlecei ved by the oonqucror in the world's hard battle appears long tarrying; the da.y of the Lord would in the last of the epistles to the •even eurnly co1ne on the world as a tbief in t.he Churohee: "•ro him the.t overco111eth will night. I grnnt to sit with me in my throne " (Rev. Ver. -11.-Then Peter said unto him, Lord, iii. 21). 1peakest thou this parable unto us, or even Ver. 38.-And if he shall come in the to all I Peter's que,;tion here referred second watch, or ccme in the third watch, evidently to the longer e.nd more impnrtant and find them so, Among the Jews at the parable-story, where the reward which tha time of our Lord, the oltl di vision of the faithful watchers were to receive is men- night into three wu.tche& had giveu pie.co tioned (ver. 37). The grarnleur of that to tl.10 ordinary Roman divfaion into four. reward seems deeply to have impres,ed lhe They were rtickoned thus: from six to nine, impulsive apostle. Some trne c0nccption of from nine to midnight, from midnight to the heaven-life had entered into Peters three, and from three to six. lo this purable mind; we know, too, thut now an,! again the second and third watches are mentioned dimly Peter seemed to grasp the secret as necessary for the completeness of the of hid Master's awful Divinity. What picture; for the banquet would certaiuly not meant, then, thought the faithful. loving man, be over before the end of the first watch, tl,e fi;.,,ure in tho parable of the lord? Who and in the fourth the day would be breaking. was that lord-himself serving his faithful The second and third watches, then, repre- followers? The snme c11rious perplexity sent the still nnd weary hours of the night, evi,lently passed through Peter's mind when, when to watch is indeed a task-of difficulty on the evening before the death, in a symbol- and painfulness; and here agnin the Lord act the Mnster repeated the wor<l.s of the rep,-ats his high encomium on such devoted great promise maue here, and washed his conduct in Ii is eecoud " blessed aro those disciples' feet. Then we read how Peter servants." It is perfoctly clear that in this said to him," Lord, dost thou. wash my feet?" parable the mnster's retnrn signifies the Were all who fullowed Jesus to shnre in that coming of Christ. Thl' whole tone, then, strnnge, mighty promise; or only a few, such is a grave reminder to us, to all imp ... tient as Peter e.nd his com paniuna, called for a. ones, that the great event may be long special purpose? delayed, much longer than most Christian Vera. -12--4-l.-And the Lord said, Who thinker. dream; but it tells us, too, that this then is the.t fe.ithf'nl e.nd wise stewe.rd, whom long delay involves a test of their loyalty. h.s lord shall make rnl6r over his hollBehold, "The pe.rousia does not come so quickly e.s to give them their portion of meat in due impatience, nor yet so ll\te as carelessneas, &~a.son 1 Blessed is that aarvllllt, whom hi.a supposes" (Ve.n Oosterzee). lord when he aometh shall fi.nd so doi.n.g. Vers. 39, 40.-And this know, that if the Of e. truth I say unto you, that he will m.ak8 goodme.n of the hoUBe hd known what hour him rnler over all that he hath. J eeus goes the thiefwo11ld come, he wonld have watched, on with his discourse.. .Apparently h~ pays and not have llUJfered his hoUBe to be broken no heed to Pater's question, but really he through, Be ye therefora ready also : for answers it fully, giving in fact more details the Bon of man oometh at an honr when ye 011 the subject of reward.a t.o the faithful in think not, The Lord abruptly che.ng<:s the the life to come than even Petor's question scene of his parable imagery, and with required. "Who then," asks the Lord, "is another striking and vivid example enforces the.t faithful and wise steward, whom his his teaching on the snbjed of the urgont lord shall m11ke ruler over his household?" neceBBity of his servants keeping a sleepless Who? Poter must answer the question. and diligent watch a.ad ward nguinst his This steward should be Peter himself a.nd coming again in judgmcuL Very deeply each of Peter's chosen companions. Thu must this i.Imge of tb e Lord's sudden return, high position of steward in the holl>!t:hold of as a thief breaks into the house in the still the Lord should be 61\od by those whom hours of the night, have impressed itself on Jesus had specially chosen. If, when he the hearts of the awe-struck, listening dis- came 111,.,..in, the Lord found these faithful Cir oiplos, for we find in the r.e.se of 88. Pnul their solemn trust, then theae should recei \'tl and Peter the very words and iwagery, and a still higher and grander recompense even in the OIM!e of St. John the i.mag~.ry again th,m that inconceivably sploudicl rewnrd mlMle UYO of (see l Thess. v. I, 2; l Pet. {mentioned in vcr. 87) which h'-1,1 so struck iii. 10; Rev. iii. 8; xvi. 111). The meaning Putll?; and tho higher rocow.,ensu which LUKB. •  'l'I-rn GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE. [cH, xn, 1-69,