 | The Reverend Doctor Cathy Northrup was born in Ft. Meade, MD, and was raised in a variety of places in the United State and Germany, as her father was in Counter Intelligence with the Army. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a double major in English and Religion. She graduated from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC, and practiced law with the Federal Reserve Board for a number of years before attending Union Theological Seminaryin Richmond, VA. She graduated from Union, and served several churches in North and South Carolina, at the same time obtaining her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Northrup is currently the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS. She is married and has two black Labrador dogs who were rescued from abusive situations. You can contact Dr. Northrup at cnorthrup@firstpresbywichita.org or by phone at (316) 263-0248, ext. 26. |
Religion
2010-01-01 15:32:00
What does “much” mean in this context?
Question: Luke 12:48 states, “…From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.” Is it possible that when our Lord used the word “much” the first time, He was talking about all of the chances we have in this life to hear and heed the Word of God, as opposed to meaning material things?
Answer: I understand the verse you quote from Luke 12: 48 to be in the context of a larger story, verses 42-48, which Jesus is addressing to his disciples and, specifically, to those who are or will be leaders. In the story, a master has put persons in charge of his estate, and these persons know the master’s will. This responsibility and knowledge are the “much” that the persons have been given. They have a kind of power and privilege that can be misused. Because of that, then, in turn “much” is expected of them, and if they fail, their punishment will necessarily be greater.
You offer an interesting thought on the passage, however. You wonder whether what Jesus says here could also be applied to those who either have the chance to hear and heed God’s Word, but do not, and those who actually do hear it and then ignore it. Under that interpretation, a higher responsibility and punishment would go to those persons than to persons who have never had the chance to hear God’s Word. It may be that this is something we can gain from the passage, but it is my belief that its original application was specifically to leaders.
