Luke 12:46 (KJV)

Passage

The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Nearby Context

Luke 12:44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

Luke 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

Luke 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

Luke 12:47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

Luke 12:48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "lord", "servant", "come", "looketh", "hour", "aware", "sunder", and "appoint". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "lord" and "servant", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 45's "But and if that servant say in..." into verse 47's "And that servant which knew his lord...", so "lord" and "servant" belong inside that flow. In Luke context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "lord" and "servant" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.