Homily on Luke 12:32–48 : The God Who Serves the Faithful ( 10-8-25)

 A touching homily on Luke 12:32–48 that reveals God’s heart for faithful servants and reminds us to honour those who serve us in daily life. (10-8-25)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

There was a poor mother who worked in flats and people’s houses to feed her children. She left home early and returned only after sunset. Her hands were always rough from washing clothes and cutting firewood. One day, her youngest son grew up enough to understand her life. On her birthday, he surprised her. He cleaned the house, cooked the meal, placed a flower beside her plate, and told her, “Ma, today you will not work and I will serve you.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, “This is enough for me, not because you served me, but because you understood love.”

This simple story carries the message of today’s Gospel. Jesus says something very surprising: “Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will gird himself, have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them.” (Luke 12:37)

But here is something we must notice carefully. This promise is not for all, but for faithful servants. It is meant for those who stayed awake, who did their duty, who kept the lamps burning even when it was hard. It is not about success, but 

about faithfulness. As St. Mother Teresa rightly told “”God has not called me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful”. A good beginning makes a good ending. But many times we may begin well but fail to have perseverance. It points to be alert like the wise virgins who prompts for Spiritual preparedness and watching for the Master.

These are the mothers who rise before everyone else and sleep after all are fed. These are the fathers who quietly carry the burdens of their families. These are the religious sisters who teach children, visit the sick, and pray even when their hearts feel dry. These are the people who serve us in our homes and schools. They cook, clean, carry, and help, even when we do not always notice or thank them. They all does these things despite of the external rewards focusing the eternal reward. 

Jesus not only insisted to become good servants he modelled himself . The Master becomes the Servant, the Lord ties the towel. He comes not to take, but to give. This is not the first time He did it. On the night before His death, He took a basin of water and washed His disciples’ feet. And even now, He promises to do the same for those who have stayed faithful. In the second coming Jesus will reward ultimately all the  servants who are recognised faithful. He is not a judge who always keeps justice as a criteria, he is merciful too who hears the cry…Deuteronomy 4:7 states: “For what great nation is there that has God near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon Him?” 

God has always acted like this. In the Old Testament, when the people cried out from slavery in Egypt, God said, “I have heard their cry and I have come down to deliver them.” This is who God is; He is the One who comes down, bends down, and stays with us.

But dear friends, this Gospel is not only about what God will do for us. It also teaches us what we should do for those who serve us faithfully.

If the Master Himself honours faithful servants, how can we ignore them? If Jesus kneels before them, how can we treat them as low or unimportant? A good Christian must never forget to give respect, love, and dignity to the ones who serve. Give them fair wages, speak to them kindly, learn to say thank you, wish them on their birthdays and sometime ask about their families. These are not big things, but they are the things that matter most. 

So, if you are serving others quietly today, take courage, the Master sees you. And if you have faithful people around you, at home, in your work, or in your community, be like Jesus. Honour them and be sure that when we honour a faithful servant, we honour the heart of God. “The servant leader is servant first, It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve” (Robert K. Greenleaf). Let us make difference modelling our master…

Lord Jesus, help me to be a faithful servant. Amen.

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God Bless…