Luke 12:39-40  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. You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

Here is what this sounds like to me…

Satan is the current “owner” of the house.  Jesus has to come at a time when Satan does not expect him. Satan is much smarter than we are, so if we were able to figure it out by any means that he has access to, he would have figured it out long before we did.

Therefore, the only way we will know will be through a way which Satan does not have access to — by the Spirit.  It will be something that we will feel, but will not be able to figure out by natural means.  It must be spiritually discerned.

So Jesus is saying:  “I can’t tell anybody when I am coming, because then Satan would be able to figure it out, so you will just have to be ready.”

In the parable of the unmerciful servant, after being forgiven an unimaginable amount of money, he was trying to get money from someone else who owed him.  Maybe he though he could pay the king back – at least a little – so that he didn’t look so bad.

I think so many times as believers, we are trying so hard to sin a little less, or to make ourselves look a little better.  Often it happens at the expense of others.  God is saying – I took care of all that, just live out of the life I have given you.

We are so busy trying to pay back our already forgiven debt, that we don’t have time to show mercy and be a blessing to others.

He has given us everything we need for ourselves and plenty to give to others.  Yet, we think we are needy.  We think we need others to give us various things – recognition, resources, good feelings, etc.  So instead of being satisfied with all that God is continually doing for us, we sit around pouting because we think we don’t have enough.  Instead of being a blessing to others, we are constantly trying to pull from others to satisfy our perceived needs.

God’s reality is that we have everything we need.  We look at ourselves from that perspective.  Then we give freely, knowing that God will take care of us, and provide every need that we have.