45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:45–51 (ESV)
God the Father alone knows exactly when He has decreed God the Son, Jesus Christ, to return to earth in power, might and glory (Matt. 24:29-31, 36), With this in mind, believers in Christ are to still live in anticipation of the Son’s return. The Lord Jesus could return any day. Therefore, using illustrations and parables, the Lord began explaining how to be prepared for His coming (24:37–25:30).
Yesterday, we examined two distinct phrases Jesus used commanding His disciples to have a particular perspective regarding His return. They were to stay awake and to be ready. In today’s text, Jesus also illustrated His soon return with a parable of two servants. One is wise and the other is wicked. Today, we examine the wise servant.
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.”
Jesus called this first servant faithful and wise. To be faithful (πιστός; pistis) means to be trustworthy, dependable and reliable. To be wise (φρόνιμος; phronimos) means to be understanding and prudent. In light of the Lord’s soon return, the faithful and wise servant is the disciple, or church leader, who remains dutiful to their tasks in spite of the Lord’s delay in returning (2 Peter 3:1-10). The Lord pronounced an oracle of blessing on such servants.
“The duty of faithfulness applies not only to leaders but also to followers. Doing the will of the Master and caring for those in need, whether this need be material, spiritual, or both, is certainly the task assigned to all,” explains Dr. William Hendriksen.
“Now upon the faithful and sensible (cf. 25:2, 4, 8, 9) servant a special beatitude is pronounced: Such “blessedness” means that the servant upon whom the words of approval, congratulation, and cheer are pronounced is the object of his master’s special favor, is a delight to him. Moreover, the clause “whom his master shall find so doing” shows that the proper attitude on the part of the one who awaits the master’s return is active service in the interest of those whom the master has entrusted to him. When the figure is interpreted, this means that the proper spirit in which believers should eagerly await as Savior the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20) is not the feverish nervousness of certain Thessalonians (2 Thess. 2:1, 2; 3:6–12), nor the nauseating lukewarmness of the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14–22), but the active faithfulness of the Smyrniots (Rev. 2:8–11).”
“Therefore, we must be ready for Jesus’ return. Readiness, however, is not passive; rather, we are to serve our king actively, knowing that He could come at any minute. May we be wise, faithful servants who work for the kingdom, not those who lie down on the job and are fit only for destruction (vv. 45–51),” concludes Dr. R. C. Sproul.
Soli deo Gloria!
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