What does God require of me? (Luke 12:47, 48)
	This passage often triggers discussions (and sometimes arguments) regarding whether people who have never heard the gospel will be lost, and whether there will be degrees of punishment in Hell and degrees of reward in Heaven. Those might be worthwhile topics, but right now I want to look at a more practical matter for Christians here-and-now. We need to understand what our relationship with God is, and what He requires of us.
	Jesus spoke of a master (lord) and a servant. Obviously God is the lord, and you and I are the servants. In NT days, there were many kinds of servants; Luke recorded the words of Jesus using the term for a bondslave. We ought not to think of that as though we are being persecuted or oppressed. The fact is that every human being a slave either to God or the devil. We are blessed to be serving God. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” 
	Jesus spoke of servants who either new or didn’t know the master’s will. We can wonder all day about folks who don’t know, but the fact is, you and I know. That is to say, we perceive; we understand. Do we understand every syllable of every word flawlessly? Of course not. But be honest! We know His will. God has a will. His will simply means that which He wishes or desires to be done. God hasn’t said “do as you please.” He has revealed His will in His word, and we know enough about His word to know what He wants us to do.
	Now, Jesus spoke of a slave who knew his lord’s will but didn’t prepare himself or DO according to it. We know what “do” means – to perform, to act, to carry out God’s will. And that may take some preparation. Before you go to work in the morning, you get up, take a shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast. That’s all legitimate preparation for the day’s work. There is legitimate preparation for the Lord’s work, too – but sometimes we use preparation as an excuse for not doing the job (I’m just not prepared yet). Your employer wouldn’t put up with that; neither will God.
	Jesus said that to whom much is given, much will be required. How much have you been given? I’m not talking about money. We’re looking at doing or not doing God’s will. You have been given a degree of knowledge. God has granted this, or bestowed it, not miraculously, but through your own study and through your learning from other teachers. God has also given you intelligence, along with time, abilities, and other resources. Again, if we will be totally honest, every one of us will acknowledge that we have been given much. And Jesus said that because we have been given much, he requires much from us. To require means to seek with the expectation of finding. Just as a teacher seeks and expects students to complete assignments, and as an employer expects employees to do required tasks, so God expects us to do His will. Indeed, He demands it. Jesus said that failure to do the lord’s will results in being beaten with many stripes! Severe punishment!
	This context is not about someone who never had become a child of God. These two verses are in the middle of a section about servants who are either faithful or unfaithful. Either they are carefully and deliberately doing the master’s will, or they are neglecting their duties while spending their time & energy doing as they please.
	Which of these applies to you? Realize that you are a servant – yes, a slave! You know what your lord desires. You have been given much. And God expects much from you. What is He receiving from you?
	--Joe Slater (Justin, TX)