Luke 12:39-48 The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect

Apple-1 computer, Designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs, Assembled and created in 1976 © Bonhams New York on 22 October 2024, sold for $905,000

Gospel Reading

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You may be quite sure of this, that if the householder had known at what hour the burglar would come, he would not have let anyone break through the wall of his house. You too must stand ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.’ Peter said, ‘Lord, do you mean this parable for us, or for everyone?’ The Lord replied, ‘What sort of steward, then, is faithful and wise enough for the master to place him over his household to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Happy that servant if his master’s arrival finds him at this employment. I tell you truly, he will place him over everything he owns. But as for the servant who says to himself, “My master is taking his time coming,” and sets about beating the menservants and the maids, and eating and drinking and getting drunk, his master will come on a day he does not expect and at an hour he does not know. The master will cut him off and send him to the same fate as the unfaithful. The servant who knows what his master wants, but has not even started to carry out those wishes, will receive very many strokes of the lash. The one who did not know, but deserves to be beaten for what he has done, will receive fewer strokes. When a man has had a great deal given him, a great deal will be demanded of him; when a man has had a great deal given him on trust, even more will be expected of him.’

Reflection on the Vintage Computer

The invitation we have all received to cultivate a deep friendship with Christ is a treasure far greater than any earthly possession. Today’s reading reminds us of the need to guard and cherish this relationship, for if we neglect it, we risk missing the message Christ is trying to convey. It is, in some ways, like having an email account on our computer. When everything is set up correctly, we can receive messages from our friends and respond. But if the email account is misconfigured, no messages will come through. We may have the computer, the keyboard, the mouse, the screen, and all the software—but without a properly functioning email account, the messages are lost. Our spiritual lives work in much the same way. If we do not align ourselves correctly to receive Christ’s message, then we will become spiritually disconnected. God's message won't get through. As we are talking about emails and technology, the most expensive computer ever sold at auction is an original Apple-1 computer, which was designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak and marketed by Steve Jobs in 1976. One of these rare machines sold for $905,000 at a Bonhams auction in New York in October 2014. The computer auctioned at Bonhams was one of 50 which Steve Wozniak hand-built in Steve Jobs' garage, some say his sister's bedroom, in the summer of 1976. The winning bid was made in the saleroom by a representative of the Henry Ford Museum. This particular Apple-1 was one of the few remaining functional units and came with a letter from Steve Jobs, which added to its historical significance and value. It has been described as the world's most valuable relic from the Computer Age. The Apple-1 was one of the first personal computers and originally sold for $666.66 when it was released, a rather strange and worrying pricing level!

by Father Patrick van der Vorst