Bible Parables S2E10 : The Watching Servant

This is a live session recording where we delve into the timeless wisdom of The Parable Of The Watching Servant and its practical application in our daily lives. This session is part of an ongoing series where we explore how biblical teachings can guide us in living fulfilling lives.

In this session, we will explore the deeper meaning behind the parable and offer practical insights for bringing more compassion and connection into our daily lives.

This session includes a guided reflective meditation which will gently lead you through a journey of inner reflection and healing.

Come prepared to reflect on your own journey, engage with thought-provoking ideas, and leave inspired to create a life filled with purpose and abundance. This session is welcoming to all, regardless of religious background or familiarity with the Bible.

Transcript

The Parable of the Watching Servant Let your waist be girded,

And your lamps burning.

And you yourselves be like men who wait for their master,

When he will return from the wedding,

That when he comes and knocks,

They may open to him immediately.

Blessed are those servants whom the master,

When he comes,

Will find watching.

Assuredly,

I say to you,

That he will gird himself,

And have them sit down to eat,

And will come and serve them.

And if he should come in the second watch,

Or come in the third watch,

And find them so,

Blessed are those servants.

But know this,

That if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come,

He would have watched,

And not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore,

You also be ready,

For the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

And that's the parable.

This parable emphasizes watchfulness,

Readiness,

Faithfulness.

The servants,

They represent believers who must be spiritually awake and prepared for Christ's return.

The master's return symbolizes divine timing.

We do not know when,

But we must always be prepared.

And the thief in the night reminds us that spiritual awareness cannot be delayed.

Because life's changes,

Divine moments,

Happen unexpectedly.

So we now go into the interpretation of the parable,

Sentence by sentence,

Trying to understand and apply its wisdom in our daily life,

In our mindset,

In our personal growth.

And the parable starts,

Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning.

To gird the waist,

Simply means to be ready for action,

To prepare yourself mentally,

To prepare yourself emotionally,

To prepare yourself spiritually.

It's the same like you would not leave your house without being properly dressed.

So in the same way,

Don't step into your day without preparing your mind,

Without preparing your spirit.

Keeping your lamp burning.

This symbolizes awareness.

It symbolizes spiritual enlightenment,

The light of consciousness.

Are you moving to life with awareness or with autopilot?

Keeping your lamp burning can be done by practicing mindfulness,

By practicing meditation,

By practicing prayer.

So the first part of the sentence talks about being prepared.

And then it goes on to say,

Keep your lamps burning,

As in,

Keep that fire within you,

Keep that intention alive.

You know,

When we wake up in the morning,

For most people,

Including myself,

The first thing that happens is,

There's this whole washing machine or that monkey mind going on in my head.

I have to do this,

I have to do that,

I have to do this,

I have to each work on time,

Etc,

Etc.

There's this whole band that's playing in my head.

And for me,

To keep my lamp burning would mean to simply,

Once I wake up and I notice that monkey mind,

It would mean for me to just sit,

Bring my focus to my breath and center myself.

That would be part of my practice.

And once I've centered myself,

Then I would set an intention for the day.

And then I would actually get up from the bed.

So you can keep your lamp burning by practicing mindfulness,

By practicing meditation,

By prayer,

By self-reflection,

Simply with the purpose of staying connected to your higher self.

And the parable goes on.

And you yourself,

Be like men who wait for their master,

When he will return from the wedding,

That when he comes and knocks,

They may open to him immediately.

The master's return.

The master's return represents opportunities,

Insights,

Moments of transformation.

We need to be awake for our master's return because if we are spiritually asleep,

We can easily miss these moments.

If we are moving through life on autopilot,

If we are moving through life without being aware of what is happening around us,

We may miss these moments,

We may miss these opportunities,

We may miss these insights.

And opening the door immediately,

It means having a mindset that is open and ready to receive wisdom,

Guidance and new possibilities.

In our day-to-day living,

Every day is an opportunity and many a times unexpected opportunities arise.

Are we able to recognize them?

Are we able to recognize an unexpected opportunity?

Or are we closed within our shell and we let all these moments pass us by?

Stay open to synchronicities,

Stay open to intuitive nudges,

Stay open to moments of insight.

We get so busy or rather I would say the world that we are living in keeps us so busy that we have forgotten how to rely on our intuition and we have also forgotten how to tap into our intuition.

Keep yourself open,

Keep yourself ready to receive synchronicities,

Nudges,

Intuition,

Insights.

When inspiration knocks,

Don't delay,

Act on those ideas,

Act on those divine ideas,

Take the leap,

Send that message,

Start that project,

Make that phone call.

Do what needs to be done when you feel inspired.

A lot of us,

We get that inspiration but then we start to think about it rationally.

If I do this then this will happen,

If I do that then that will happen,

I cannot do this because,

I cannot do that because and then we hold ourselves back.

We are called to act on inspiration,

To take that leap.

And the parable goes on,

Blessed are those servants whom the master when he comes will find watching.

Watchfulness is simply awareness,

Living in awareness.

The servants and that's you and me,

When we live in conscious awareness we are blessed.

When we live in conscious awareness we are able to take right decisions,

We are able to live away from distractions,

Away from fear,

Away from doubt.

When we remain present,

When we remain engaged in life,

When we are aligned with our highest truth,

We are automatically able to recognize life as it unfolds in front of us.

The call here is to practice living in the now.

Because all our power is in the present moment,

Any action that we can take,

We can take only in that present moment,

In that now.

It's sometimes we are doing something but we are thinking about something else that we need tomorrow or we think about something that has happened the previous day.

And when we do that,

When we either focus on a fictional future or we start thinking about an imaginary past,

We are not able to enjoy the present moment that we have.

So practice living in the now,

Practice living in the present moment.

Stay conscious of your thoughts,

Stay conscious of your emotions,

Stay conscious of your reactions.

Why?

Because when I am conscious of my thoughts I am aware of the self-talk that goes on in my mind.

And if my self-talk is not supportive of the journey that I am on or of the journey that I want to be on,

I can reframe my self-talk.

Be conscious of your emotions because when I am conscious of my emotions,

When I am aware of what is the experience that I am going through,

I can exercise my power of choice and change that experience for me.

And be aware of your reactions,

Be aware of how you react to people.

Are you reacting in a way that is supportive of your relationship or is the way you are reacting creating a divide in the relationship?

Pay attention to patterns,

Pay attention to signs in your life.

Are you being guided towards something greater?

So be watchful.

And the parable goes on.

Assuredly I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat and will come and serve them.

And this is the divine paradox.

When we are spiritually prepared,

Life begins to serve you.

When we are spiritually prepared,

Life begins to serve you.

Make sure you are prepared physically,

Mentally,

Emotionally and awareness is one of the tools that will point you towards what you need to prepare yourself for.

So if you find yourself always having these emotional ups and these emotional downs,

Spend some time looking at your emotions.

Why am I feeling emotionally low?

What seems to be triggering this feeling in me?

What led to this feeling in me?

How can I move from this emotion into an emotion that I want to be in?

So start to be spiritually prepared,

Emotionally,

Mentally because when we are prepared,

Life will begin to serve us.

The master,

As in divine wisdom,

Intuition,

Higher self,

The master honors and rewards those who are ready.

If you are in the practice of meditating daily,

Intuition will come.

If you are in the practice of spending time to do a daily reflection,

Insights will come.

The master,

Divine wisdom,

Intuition,

Your higher self,

It honors and rewards those who are ready.

When we are ready,

When we are spiritually prepared,

Instead of struggling,

Instead of chasing,

We enter a state of flow,

We enter a state of ease,

We enter that state of grace.

So when we align or when we are aligned with our purpose,

When we are aligned with our higher self,

Life automatically responds in our favor.

Preparation plus awareness or rather preparation plus awareness plus inspired action leads to effortless manifestation.

And I'll repeat this again because this is very very important.

Preparation,

Spiritual preparation,

The inner work that you need to do,

Awareness of who you are,

How your mind works,

What are the thoughts going on in your mind,

How you behave with other people.

Awareness and inspired action results in effortless manifestation.

And when we stop forcing outcomes and instead stay open and receptive,

Things fall into place naturally.

And another word for staying open and receptive is surrender.

When we stop forcing an outcome and simply stay open and receptive,

We surrender,

Things automatically fall into place.

You don't need to take my word for this,

You need to apply it and experience it for yourself.

And if he should come in the second watch or come in the third watch and find them,

Blessed are those servants.

And these watches of the night,

These are simply the different seasons of our life.

Whether it's in times of joy,

Whether it's in times of struggle,

Staying faithful,

Being awake,

Being prepared is key.

Many of us,

When things don't happen as per the timeline we have decided on,

We start becoming impatient or we start becoming discouraged.

But everyone who persists will see divine timing unfolding perfectly.

So this is a call for us to stay patient in the waiting.

Just because something hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it's not on the way.

Don't be discouraged by delays.

Use that waiting period to grow,

To learn,

To refine your spirit.

Even in the night watches,

Remain faithful to the vision that you have.

But know this,

That if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come,

He would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.

And the thief represents distractions,

The thief represents negative thoughts,

Unconscious habits that can rob us of our joy,

Our purpose and our alignment.

If we are not constantly watching over our mind,

If we are not constantly watching over our spirit,

Old doubts,

Old fears,

Limiting beliefs,

These will creep in and steal our peace.

So we need to be vigilant with our thoughts.

What thoughts are we allowing into our consciousness?

We need to guard our energy,

Guard our peace,

Guard our focus.

Avoid negativity,

Avoid unnecessary drama,

Avoid anything that pulls you away from your highest self.

Don't let the thief of doubt steal your faith.

You stay committed to your purpose,

You stay committed to your vision.

Therefore,

You also be ready,

For the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

And this phrase,

The son of man,

This is one of the most profound and mystical expressions that is found in the Bible.

The son of man can be interpreted as divine potential within you.

The son of man is our own awakened consciousness.

It is that aspect of us that realizes that we are divine,

That we can shape our reality.

The son of man is not separate from us.

It is our own I am presence,

The Christ consciousness that is within all of us.

And when Jesus says the son of man is coming at an hour you do not expect,

It means that your own awakening,

Your own spiritual awakening can happen suddenly,

Can happen in that sudden moment of realization.

The son of man can also be seen to represent the divine nature that is unfolding,

That is unfolding in each of us.

Not a separate being but the highest spiritual aspect of ourselves.

The son of man can also be seen as the evolution of human consciousness.

The bridge between our conscious and our subconscious mind.

Humanity's potential for self-realization,

Healing,

Mastering of the mind.

The evolution of thought and belief because when we are able to fully control our mind,

We awaken the son of man that is within us.

And the son of man is simply us,

It is simply you,

Your divine potential,

Your ability to awaken to spiritual truth,

Your power to shape your reality.

So,

This is not about a future event.

Divine opportunities arrive when you least expect them.

The best things in life like love,

Success,

Inspiration,

Spiritual awakening,

Right intuition,

They often arrive when we are simply living in faith.

And we must always be ready because every day,

In fact every moment of every day has that potential for transformation.

So,

Wake up every day with expectancy.

The expectancy that today something amazing can happen.

Live your life as if your dreams,

Your breakthroughs,

Your spiritual revelations are arriving now or for that matter they have already arrived.

Be present,

Be open and trust what you cannot see,

Trust the unseen.

So,

The parable of the watchful servant.

And yes,

I guess it's about living in awareness,

Being prepared,

Being prepared by doing that,

Doing the spiritual work,

Doing the mental work,

Being prepared,

Living in the present and knowing that you are essentially the creator of your reality.

Awareness,

Spiritual preparation,

Inspired action will lead us towards easy manifestation.

The key being inspired action because we have to take action.

We'll now go into a guided reflective meditation based on the same parable,

The parable of the watching servant.

And you can think of this meditation as a journey to spiritual awareness,

A journey to readiness,

A journey to divine alignment.

So,

If you're sitting,

Get yourself comfortable in your seat.

If you're sleeping,

Feel the surface that you're sleeping on support you.

If you're walking and you're moving around,

Simply relax a bit more.

If it is safe to do so,

You can close your eyes.

If you are not comfortable closing your eyes,

You can simply lower your gaze towards the floor.

And take a deep breath in,

Hold it for a bit,

And release it slowly.

Take another deep breath in,

Hold it for a bit,

And release it slowly.

And take one more deep breath in,

Hold it for a bit,

And release it slowly.

Let go of any tension in your body.

Let go of any distractions from the outside world.

This moment is for you.

This moment is for you to center yourself in divine wisdom.

Take another deep breath in,

And as you exhale,

Allow yourself to relax,

Allow yourself to sink into a deep state of relaxation.

And imagine yourself standing before a grand house.

A grand house.

This is a place that represents your inner world,

Your consciousness,

Your soul.

As you walk toward the door,

You notice a golden lamp glowing beside it.

This lamp is your awareness.

This lamp is the light of divine wisdom within you.

It shines brightly,

Guiding you forward.

You reach out,

Open the door,

And step inside.

The house is peaceful,

Quiet.

It's filled with warmth and light.

But as you walk through the rooms,

You realize something.

Some areas of the house feel dim,

Forgotten,

Unguarded.

You sense a voice within whispering.

Are you watching over this house?

Are you awake to the divine presence within?

Take a moment to pause here,

To reflect.

Which areas of your life feel spiritually bright and aware?

Which areas of your life feel spiritually bright and aware?

Which areas of your life feel neglected,

Feel forgotten?

Which parts of your inner world need more light,

More presence,

More love?

Allow yourself to be honest.

This is not judgment.

It's gentle awareness.

Now imagine you are holding a golden flame in your hands.

This flame is your conscious awareness.

Your spiritual readiness.

Your connection to divine intelligence.

You walk through the house,

Lighting every dim corner.

Lighting every forgotten space.

With each new lamp you light,

You feel a sense of clarity,

Renewal,

Strength.

Light the lamp of faith,

Knowing that divine intelligence is always guiding you.

Light the lamp of peace,

Releasing all worry,

All fear,

All doubt.

Light the lamp of readiness,

Being prepared to receive opportunities,

Guidance,

Blessings.

As you continue,

The entire house is now glowing with golden light.

Your mind,

Your heart,

Your spirit are fully awake,

Aligned and ready.

Reflect here for the moment.

What does it feel like to be spiritually awake and aware?

What area of your life needs more conscious attention and light?

Are you fully open and ready to receive divine inspiration and blessing?

Suddenly you hear a gentle knock on the door.

A presence is waiting.

Something new.

Something sacred.

Something transformative.

But the question is,

Are you ready to open the door?

You stand before it,

Feeling a deep knowing within.

This is the moment of divine opportunity.

This is the breakthrough I have been waiting for.

With complete trust,

You reach out and open the door.

A warm breeze of divine energy flows through you.

A sense of peace,

Wisdom and fulfillment fills your entire being.

You realize the divine has been here all along.

It was only waiting for you to be fully present.

Reflect for a moment.

What new opportunity or wisdom has been knocking at your door?

Have you been fully open and ready to receive it?

What step will you take today to welcome divine blessings into your life?

As you stand in the doorway,

You'd sense something else.

A shadow moving in the distance.

It is the thief.

The distractions,

The doubts,

The fears that try to break into your consciousness.

This is the voice of hesitation.

The feeling of lack.

The energy of worry.

But now you see it for what it is.

You are no longer asleep.

You are watching.

You are aware.

You are in control of your thoughts.

With firm conviction,

You say,

I do not allow fear to steal my faith.

I do not allow doubt to steal my readiness for divine blessings.

I guard my mind,

My heart,

My spirit with the light of divine truth.

And as you say this,

The shadow fades away.

It has no power over you now.

Reflect for the moment.

What negative thoughts or beliefs have been stealing your peace and faith?

How can you stay spiritually aware and protect your consciousness from negativity?

What daily practice will help you keep your mind and spirit guarded in divine truth?

Breathe in deeply.

Hold and exhale slowly.

You feel a deep sense of readiness,

Clarity and peace.

You are no longer waiting for life to happen to you.

You are awake,

Aware and prepared to fully receive divine inspiration,

Wisdom and blessings.

You know now that your lamp is burning.

You are conscious and ready.

You welcome the divine into your life.

You open the door with trust.

You guard your mind and spirit.

You do not allow negativity to enter.

You live in expectancy,

Knowing that the universe is always working in your favour.

And as you slowly bring your awareness back to the present moment,

Become aware of your breathing,

Become aware of your breath.

Wiggle your fingers.

Wiggle your toes.

Stretch yourself if it feels right.

Feel yourself here,

Now,

Fully present,

Fully awakened.

And when you are ready,

Gently open your eyes.

Reflect back on this meditation.

Three questions that you can reflect on.

What insights did you receive during this meditation?

Is there any specific area of your life?

Maybe it's your physical well-being,

Maybe it's your relationships or your career or the creation or your spirituality that needs more conscious attention and awareness.

And what can you do to stay spiritually awake,

To stay ready in your daily life?

Maybe it's a meditation practice,

Maybe it's prayer,

Maybe it's self-reflection,

Maybe taking a snapshot,

An inventory of how you're feeling when you're feeling low,

When you feel or when you experience sadness or some negative emotion.

So based on this parable,

Can I propose a challenge for the next 24 hours?

And the challenge is to commit to keep your lamp burning.

How do I keep my lamp burning?

I stay mindful of Divine Presence.

I realize that Divine Presence is always there around me,

Within me,

Everywhere.

Stay mindful of Divine Presence.

Watch over your thoughts.

The moment you find yourself in a negative thought,

Reframe that thought to something positive.

Be open to any synchronicities or any insights that you receive.

And stay present,

Stay engaged,

Stay receptive.

So that's a challenge that I'm putting out for the next 24 hours.

Stay mindful of Divine Presence.

Eliminate negativity,

Eliminate doubt.

Be open to synchronicities,

Be open to insights.

And stay present,

Engaged and receptive.

Based on the parable,

How can we incorporate this in our daily life?

The first thing would be to keep your lamp burning.

Daily awareness.

Try to incorporate a daily awareness practice.

In the morning,

Take five minutes to ground yourself.

Maybe through a meditation,

Maybe through self-reflection.

Set an intention,

Set an intention for the day.

Another call to action would be to keep that door open for Divine opportunities.

Make sure that you are spiritually prepared to receive Divine opportunities.

The question that I like to ask is,

If you win a lottery for a million dollars tomorrow,

Are you prepared for that?

If you win a lottery for a million dollars tomorrow,

Are you physically prepared,

Are you mentally prepared,

Are you spiritually prepared to receive that kind of money?

Guard your mind against the thief of doubt.

Be conscious and this will come with living in awareness.

This will come with regularly doing your self-reflection.

Become conscious of thoughts of fear,

Thoughts of hesitation,

Thoughts of lack.

When you notice a negative thought,

Immediately replace it with a positive truth.

And don't let external circumstances break into your spiritual peace.

Because if there is one thing that we are in control of,

It is how we feel inside us.

This is what we have complete control over.

But unfortunately,

Many a times we give this power away to people,

To places,

To things and let those externals dominate how we feel inside.

So don't let external circumstances break into your spiritual space.

And expect the unexpected.

If you are doing the work,

If you are spiritually prepared,

Expect the unexpected.

Be ready for your manifestation.

Stop waiting for things to happen someday.

Live as though your blessings are already unfolding.

Act as if your prayer has already been answered.

Because the greatest of breakthroughs,

They often happen when we least expect them.

So live in that state of constant readiness.

Always be prepared.

Thank you everyone for being here today.

Love,

Light,

Blessings.

Namaste.