35. “Be ready! Be dressed for service and have your lamps shining.
36. Be like servants who are waiting for their master to come home from a wedding party. The master comes and knocks. The servants immediately open the door for him.
37. Those servants will be blessed when their master comes home, because he sees that his servants are ready and waiting for him. I tell you the truth. The master will dress himself to serve and tell the servants to sit at the table. Then the master will serve them.
38. Those servants might have to wait until midnight or later for their master. But they will be happy when he comes in and finds them still waiting.
39. “Remember this: If the owner of the house knew what time a thief was coming, then the owner would not allow the thief to enter his house.
40. So you also must be ready! The Son of Man will come at a time when you don’t expect him!”
41. Peter said, “Lord, did you tell this story for us or for all people?”
42. The Lord said, “Who is the wise and trusted servant? Who is the servant the master trusts to give the other servants their food at the right time?
43. When the master comes and finds his servant doing the work he gave him, that servant will be very happy.
44. I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns.
45. But what will happen if the servant is evil and thinks that his master will not come back soon? That servant will begin to beat the other servants, men and women. He will eat and drink and get drunk.
46. Then the master will come when that servant is not ready. It will be a time when the servant is not expecting him. Then the master will cut him in pieces and send him away to be with the others who don’t obey.
47. “The servant who knows what his master wants but is not ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows!
48. But the servant who does not know what his master wants and does things that should be punished will be beaten with few blows. Everyone who has been given much will be responsible for much. Much more will be expected from the one who has been given more.”
49. Jesus continued speaking, “I came to set fire to the world. I wish it were already burning!
50. I must be baptized with a different kind of baptism. I feel very troubled until it is over.
51. Do you think that I came to give peace to the world? No! I came to divide the world!
52. From now on, a family with five people will be divided, three against two, and two against three.