Luke chapter 12

vs 41

I'm not sure what to make of this question - I would assume it makes it clear that everyone was present to hear it. But it seems like such an artificial question - almost like an editorial question for the purposes of being able to give an answer. I don't think it is, though - Jesus' answer would have stood well at the end of that passage without Peter's question.

vs 42

Jesus just keeps talking, but it does answer Jesus' question. He goes on to say that if this is the case - that the master is going to come home at an hour that isn't expected, then it is all the more important who he puts in charge of his servants while he's gone.

vs 43

These servants, who lead the other servants, will do well if they do their job properly.

vs 44

Showing a gift of leadership and responsibility is the key to promotion, which makes sense.

vs 45

In other words, he mistreats those he was put in charge of, because a) he's a prick and b) he wants their food perhaps?

vs 46

To be honest, I don't know what happens if you cut up a servant (I'm pretty sure the word is slave, anyway). Slaves are property, but they are also people. I think this might be some hyperbole, some cross-over into the heavenly realm. I mean, the "assign him a place with the unbelievers" makes that obvious - what regular master would do that?

vs 47

Just doing nothing, without the evilness of beating your fellow servants and eating and drinking their food and drink, is still enough to get you beaten. Now that I am sure slaves got all the time. But so did children, and wives for that matter. Not saying it's right, just that it is culturally contextual.

vd 48

So it is interesting that, while ignorance is not a defence, it does mean that you get punished less severely. Apart from setting up a system of merciful justice, what does this mean in the heavenly realms? Is Jesus saying that those who hear the gospel but ignore it are beaten savagely? But those who don't know it and ignore it are beaten lightly? I don't think so. The context is of servants. A servant knows their master. So I think he's talking about people who claim to be servants of God. If they know what God wants, and don't do it, the beating will be severe. If they don't know what God wants and do wrong, then their beating will be less severe, almost disciplinary, a teaching lesson. Finally, as we read before, if they go around doing obvious evil, he'll chop them up and assign them a place with unbelievers.

And then Jesus makes a second point - that those who have more will have more demanded, an those who are entrusted with more will be asked for more. It's not just physical stuff, either - in this example Jesus gives, he is talking about leadership, not stuff.

vs 49

Eep!

vs 50

Yes, I can imagine. And fair enough too, as it is going to be quite a baptism. I might just point out that Jesus has several baptisms - the water one by John, the spirit one (straight after John, although you can argue he always had the holy spirit and that the dove was just for show), and a baptism of fire, if you like, when he gets baptised in the cup of God's wrath. Those people who say there is only one baptism once for all, I think, can chill out a bit.