If Christ’s return is happening every moment, the question isn’t when He’s coming—it’s whether we’re awake when He does.
Our passage of Scripture today surfaces concepts and perspectives that have helped me tremendously. I’m passing these along, along with a few resources for further exploration.
Summary
Today’s gospel (Luke 12:32–40) reminds us to “have your lamps burning” and keep watch for the Master. In Eastern Christianity, this is called nepsis—inner watchfulness and freedom from distractions. Louis Évely wrote that Christ’s “return” isn’t only future but happens in every moment. If our treasure is Christ—not our job, possessions, or even our own abilities—we gain a peace no thief can steal. That interior freedom makes us ready for Him now, not just someday, and it’s the seed of real freedom in the world.
Full Reflection
(Men’s Fellowship – August 9, 2025)
Scripture
Luke 12:32–40 (RSV)
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the marriage feast, so that they may open to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes; truly, I say to you, he will gird himself and have them sit at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them so, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the householder had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready; for the Son of man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
Nepsis – The Watchfulness of the Heart
One concept that sheds light on this passage is nepsis, a term from Eastern Christianity, especially the Desert Fathers. The Greek word νήψις means “watchfulness” or “sobriety of mind.” It is the spiritual discipline of inner attentiveness—keeping the heart awake to God’s presence, free from the intoxication of distractions, temptations, and false attachments.
To “have your loins girded and your lamps burning” is to live in a state of nepsis: alert, attentive, and ready to meet Christ at any moment. If your treasure is Christ, then your heart is fixed on what is eternal. This is not because Jesus needs adoring followers to boost His ego, but because He is love, joy, peace, and courage incarnate. He is the only source that truly satisfies, unlike the counterfeits the world offers.
Jesus’ Coming—Now and Always
Louis Évely (1910–1985), a Belgian Catholic priest and spiritual writer, emphasized that biblical references to the “future” can also speak of timeless realities. In books like That Man is You and The Gospels Without Myth, Évely suggested that the “return of Christ” is not only a far-off event but an ongoing reality—Christ comes to us in every moment.
If that is true, then Jesus’ coming is not just about being ready for some future judgment; it is about being ready now. He is here in the present, offering us the kingdom—interior freedom and peace. If our treasure is in Him, we are not enslaved by our job, our reputation, our possessions, or even our own problem-solving ability.
Without this watchfulness, verse 39 warns that our “house” (our inner life) can be “broken into”—our peace stolen—when we least expect it.
Interior Freedom First
One brother in the group noted difficulty with the “slave” imagery in this passage—a concern that is understandable given history. Jesus’ point, however, is that whether one is a slave, a corporate employee, an overworked homemaker, or in any life circumstance, His invitation is the same: interior freedom.
Interior freedom is the seed of societal freedom. Without it, we remain reactive and entangled in others’ agendas. With it, we can act—not just react—bringing kindness, justice, and peace into the world, little by little.
The alternative is to be enslaved to what cannot last: work, hobbies, family name, financial security, or personal competence. All these things, like flowers in the field (Isaiah 40:8, Ecclesiastes), fade. Only God sustains.
The Kingdom as Peace in All Circumstances
In Christ, peace and joy can coexist with pain and suffering. The kingdom is not the absence of trouble but the presence of Christ’s peace within trouble. This peace is a “purse that does not wear out” (v. 33).
If we ignore His offer and seek peace elsewhere, we become anxious and deceived. But if we abide with Him—sharing in His suffering and allowing Him to share in ours—then even in the “middle of the night” (when life surprises us), our peace will not be stolen.
Key Takeaway
Jesus offers us more than moral guidance—He offers Himself, the living treasure. Worldly counterfeits can’t compare. The kingdom is the gift of interior freedom, alertness of heart, and peace that no thief can steal.
Appendix: Buddhist Parallel
The Buddhist concept of dependent co-arising (pratītyasamutpāda) says that all conditioned things are impermanent and interconnected. While from a different tradition and worldview, this has a faint parallel in Christian teaching about the transient nature of worldly things. This note is only for conceptual comparison; the Christian claim is that only God can give what endures eternally. (Note: this comparison is from AI research and may be inaccurate.)
Resources for Further Exploration
- On Nepsis – The Philokalia (classic Eastern Christian text), especially the writings of St. Hesychios and St. Isaiah the Solitary, for deep teaching on watchfulness.
- Louis Évely – That Man is You – A spiritual reflection on what it means to follow Christ with authenticity, moving beyond superficial religiosity to a living relationship.
- Louis Évely – The Gospels Without Myth – A fresh meditation on the words of Jesus, showing how they address the human heart here and now, not only in the past or distant future.
Boyd Camak 