“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
41 Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 45 But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, you heard the clear teaching in our gospel lesson: “But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Here in this second week of Advent God’s Word implores us to be ready and prepared. Jesus is indeed coming at an hour when we do not expect. And so we should be prepared in our faith. We should be dressed for action with the clothing of Christ’s righteousness. We should have God’s Word on our tongues and on our hearts and on our minds. It is for the present moment that we are here to be prepared. Prepared for Christmas and in the same spirit- prepared for our Lord’s return.
This evening as we remember Ambrose bishop of Milan, we are challenged to be ready and prepared for whatever calling the Lord brings to us, as willing and obedient servants of our Lord. Ambrose is one of the major Latin church Fathers. Ambrose a lifelong student of the Holy Scriptures, is known for his balanced cool demeanor as he taught both law and gospel. He was known to qualify his teaching with humility: “be patient with me, for I am learning as I am teaching you.”
And this admission that he is still learning was never more true than in his first days as bishop. As a civil governor in the year 374 Ambrose was asked to address the crowds in Milan and make peace between quarrelling factions of Christians.
While addressing the crowd, someone cried out “Ambrose Bishop!” Perhaps his ability to speak for peace was desired by the people or maybe other motives. Soon the crowds gave their support to Ambrose for this position of Bishop by a verbal acclamation. His reputation and achievements were as a civil servant, not as a Christian. He was in fact still a catechumen on that day. Nevertheless, he was called to an important role of service in the Lord’s Church in that hour as the people shouted Ambrose, bishop! and the course of church history was shaped for the better. He was baptized on this day of December 7th and then was consecrated as Bishop of Milan.
Ambrose had not schemed or coveted the power of bishop, but once he was appointed in this role he did not attempt to disqualify himself as unqualified, or flee from his calling.
Although Ambrose did not plan to become the bishop of a great city like Milan, he did not let his personal feelings get in the way of the calling he received. He served in this calling as one who was dressed for action, who was prepared for the return of the master, vigilant, ready to do what is necessary for the work of the kingdom. Over the span of his service as Bishop, Ambrose continued to teach and proclaim Christ. He taught that no man is justified by his own word, but rather he is justified by the bath and faith in Christ Jesus.
In our Old Testament reading from 1 Kings Elijah is appointed by the LORD to pronounce judgement to King Ahab for his taking possession of Naboth’s vineyard, a property he coveted and tried to buy from Naboth and then sulked and cried when Naboth refused to sell the inheritance of his fathers. Ahab shared his sorrow with Jezebel his wife and soon she took matters into her own hands to have two worthless men make false accusations against Naboth, falsely accusing him of cursing God and the king, and then appointing that he be stoned and his property taken. After this evil deed was done with the pretense of honoring God’s name King Ahab inhabits the vineyard and takes it for himself without remorse.
Elijah announces the Lord’s punishment to Ahab, his blood will soon be licked up by the same dogs who licked up Naboth’s blood. His royal line will be cut off and his wife Jezebel will fare no better.
Ahab’s response is repentance, he put on sack cloth and fasted and carried himself as a of no worth- dejected. The Word of the Lord delivered by Elijah brought Ahab to repentance and the Lord in response spared his life.
This scripture reading is no doubt chosen for this feast day today because Ambrose also played a role as a prophet confronting a king for his sin.
Ambrose was dressed for action as a bishop with the charge over the people of his city including the emperor Theodosius. The emperor Theodosius took revenge on the people of Thessalonica after a small uprising led to the death of the governor. He ordered his soldiers to trap people inside a chariot race and then to slaughter them, killing as many as 7,000 people.
Ambrose mourned this great tragedy and in no way excused the emperor for his contribution to the violence. He was ready to receive Jesus that very day when he refused to grant the emperor the Lord’s Supper or even entrance to his church until he repented of his sin. He cared more about the soul of the emperor than he did his own life as he took this risk of making his calling to be the bishop of the emperor as more important than the calling to be his subject in the civil realm.
Ambrose wrote of the event: ‘When a priest does not talk to a sinner, then the sinner will die in his sin, and the priest will be guilty because he failed to correct him.’ After 8 months of holding his ground and demanding of the emperor that he repent and make penance for his sin the emperor finally repented.
The Lord Jesus calls us to be dressed for action in the same way. If an opportunity presents itself to teach the truth of God’s word, we can take this opportunity gladly, regardless of the potential cost to our livelihood.
Like Ambrose we can recognize that the calling the Lord gives us as ambassadors for Christ, is of more importance than any title man can apply to us. We must recognize the nature of our calling, not putting it aside because we were not planning on the Lord’s work today, or we don’t have the right training or experience. Instead we trust that God’s Word has the power to bring the Kingdom of God to fulfillment. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.
One of the ways in which we stay awake spiritually is through singing hymns and psalms. We stay vigilant in our faith when we sing of the Lord’s redemption to us and sing of his coming to us.
Of greatest significance Ambrose developed the practice of antiphonal chanting for the church, and he is called the father of church song. He wrote many hymns, the most well known to us this season, Savior of the Nations Come. The Lord Jesus came from his pure and kingly hall fully God and fully man, to begin his heroic course of winning our salvation. He won Ambrose’s salvation and all those who have been moved by his teachings and by his hymns.
Verse 37 of our gospel reading goes on to describe the reward the Lord gives to those who are found awake. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
Earlier Jesus was telling the disciples to be dressed for action so that they are ready to fulfill the master’s command. Now there is a great role reversal, Jesus is the one who is dressed for action to serve us.
Jesus dressed for action when he rolled up his robe so that he would forego walking in comfort and dignity, but instead complete humility, Jesus dressed for action for us, facing the scorn of the authorities, his garments divided among the soldiers as he was betrayed and scourged.
Jesus remained dressed for action and ready as he hung on the cross, paying for your sins and my sins. And when his service was complete, he forgave us and welcomed us to recline at His table. Now the Lord serves us at his table, with his body and blood. In this feast of salvation Jesus invites many.
As Jesus celebrated the faith of the centurion: Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. 11 I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. Today Jesus calls us and those to the East and to the West to recline at his table. Make your hearts ready for this invitation! Amen.