Prepare!

Jesus said to his disciples: “Gird your loins and light your lamps and be like servants who await their master’s return from a wedding, ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival., I say to you, he will gird himself, have the servants recline at table, and proceed to wait on them. And should he come in the second or third watch and find them prepared in this way, blessed are those servants.

Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” (Luke 12:35-40)

It's always sensible to be prepared for any eventuality, such as a break-in or the master’s arrival. Preparation is the moral of the story of the ant and grasshopper.

(begin) It was summer, hot and sunny, and, instead of working and preparing for winter, a Grasshopper preferred to dance, sing and play his violin at his leisure, not minding that these wonderful days will soon be over, that cold and rainy days will soon be near. On seeing a hardworking Ant passing by him, preparing for the hard winter that was to come one day, he invited him to join him and share his fun.

“Unfortunately, I don’t have time for this”, the Ant answered, “I must work hard, so that winter won’t find me without shelter and food.”

“Stop worrying so much, there is still plenty of time to prepare for winter. Let’s sing and dance together, let’s laugh and enjoy life”.

But Ant was very wise and wouldn’t pay attention to the Grasshopper’s words and continued to work hard and store food for the long winter that was to come.

The winter came sooner than expected, and the Grasshopper found himself without home and without food. He went to the Ant’s house and begged him for food and shelter.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help you”, the Ant said. “I only have room and food for me and my family, so go find help somewhere else.”

"I should have followed Ant’s example in the summer”, the Grasshopper thought sadly. “I would have been so happy now…” (end)

Many of us prefer to dance, sing, and play.  That’s all well and good, but there’s a time and place or everything.  “I should have” or “I would have” are common responses to lack of preparedness.  “If only I had known…”  

Let’s be instructed from Luke’s lament: “If the master of the house had known the hour when the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Or, “…that which you put off until tomorrow has arrived today.”  

What do we put off?  Many things are placed on our back burners.  One poorly planned postponement is not asking to be forgiven or not forgiving someone for their trespasses against us.  Another is failing to tell a loved one, “I love you.”  

Let’s be wise and pay attention to Jesus’ words and commandments.  When we do: “Blessed are we his servants when our master finds us vigilant on his arrival.”

Deacon David Pierce