36 No one knows the day or hour. The angels in heaven don’t know, and the Son himself doesn’t know. Only the Father knows. 37 When the Son of Man appears, things will be just as they were when Noah lived. 38 People were eating, drinking, and getting married right up to the day that the flood came and Noah went into the big boat. 39 They didn’t know anything was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how it will be when the Son of Man appears.
40 Two men will be in the same field, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 41 Two women will be together grinding grain, but only one will be taken. The other will be left. 42 So be on your guard! You don’t know when your Lord will come. 43 Homeowners never know when a thief is coming, and they are always on guard to keep one from breaking in. 44 Always be ready! You don’t know when the Son of Man will come.
45 Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? 46 Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. 47 You may be sure that a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. 48 But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won’t return until late. 49 Suppose that evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. 50 If that happens, the master will surely come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. 51 That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.
Read Matthew 24:36-51 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
At the close of Jesus sharing about the end time and the state of the world when He returns, He shifts His attention onto those He describes as “faithful and wise servants”. These followers of Jesus get the label of being both faithful towards Him as well as being wise. I’m not sure about you, but both these characteristics are things I would like to be known for in God’s eyes when Jesus returns.
Here’s how Jesus describes this: “Who are faithful and wise servants? Who are the ones the master will put in charge of giving the other servants their food supplies at the proper time? Servants are fortunate if their master comes and finds them doing their job. You may be sure that a servant who is always faithful will be put in charge of everything the master owns. But suppose one of the servants thinks that the master won’t return until late. Suppose that evil servant starts beating the other servants and eats and drinks with people who are drunk. If that happens, the master will surely come on a day and at a time when the servant least expects him. That servant will then be punished and thrown out with the ones who only pretended to serve their master. There they will cry and grit their teeth in pain.” (v. 45-51)
The servants who are faithful and wise are the ones who do what they are supposed to be doing when the master is not around. The time we live in is a perfect time when God/Jesus is not visibly present. The time we live in right now is the best time to demonstrate our faithfulness, wisdom, and loyalty to our Master.
In contrast, the servants Jesus describe as evil are the ones who assume Jesus won’t return soon and they then decide they can act out and harm others without any punishment. For these servants, not only will they be caught off guard, they will be punished for their actions. Jesus describes the evil servants as those who abuse other servants, and those who only pretend to serve their master.
When Jesus returns, there will be a clear separation made between the faithful, wise servants and the evil, abusive, pretend servants. Seeing this distinction challenges me to be extra diligent about doing what God has placed before me, and focusing on helping others with their challenges, rather than helping others with the attitude or expectation that they will help me in return.
The servants who are faithful and wise are the ones who do what they are supposed to do when the master is not around. Today is the best day for us to demonstrate our faithfulness and wisdom because if Jesus returns or our lives end, then we will have been caught doing what pleases God – and we will be counted among the faithful.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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