It will be good...

I'm reading through the book of Luke right now.  Sometimes I'll read aloud and something will stand out. 
Last night it was the phrase "It will be good..."

In the 12th Chapter of Luke, there is a passage typically entitled "Watchfulness" (verse 35-48).  As I was speaking out loud I got stuck on the words "It will be good" and I repeated it at least 3 times before continuing... only to then come upon the phrase at the beginning of the next verse.  Again I repeated it multiple times.  I paused and smiled - reflecting upon the watchfulness for the coming of Christ with the assurance that "It will be good."  Thinking about how the watchfulness for how He is at work now brings with it the promise that whatever He is doing... "It will be good".  I then went back to the text and 5 verses later the same phrase was used.  This declaration of goodness is often overcast by the violence that follows in this chapter.  I think this reassurance of the goodness that awaits us is the good news that proceeds the bad news.  The bad news is the warnings that follow and I believe Jesus tells us these things, in this order, because he wants to situate us first in love before bringing the conviction that follows.  What spurs me to think this all the more is the scripture proceeding this passage that says “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."  He tells us not to be afraid as He announces the lavish favor that the Lord has for us.  He is not just willing, but has been pleased to give us the kingdom...  The fullness of what that means is beyond what I can understand and stirs my heart!

I pray that I may be found watching and ready as a faithful and wise steward - hoping eagerly for the good that will be...

Watchfulness

    ³⁵ “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. ³⁷ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. ³⁸ It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. ³⁹ But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”  ⁴¹ Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”
 ⁴² The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? ⁴³ It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. ⁴⁴ Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁵ But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the other servants, both men and women, 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 is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
   ⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.