Prepare
Like a Faithful and Wise Servant
Matthew
24:44-51, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the
Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise
servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them
meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his
lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I
say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But
and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And
shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And
shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Theme:
Bible predictions should not inspire our fears nor merely pique our interest
but encourage active service to accomplish God’s will until He comes for us in
the Rapture.
Introduction:
The Lord
Jesus gives us a warning regarding His Second Coming at the beginning of the
Kingdom Age. He contrasts those keenly anticipating His arrival to establish
the earthly kingdom with those who are unprepared and caught off guard during
the great tribulation– the faithful and wise with the faithless servant.
By
application, we must live in constant readiness for the abrupt, surprising
return of Jesus Christ in the Rapture by faithfully fulfilling our assigned
spiritual duties. Using this comparison of the faithful and evil servants, we
are warned that while diligent stewards will be rewarded, unfaithful ones, who also
reveal their worldly and abusive character, will face severe judgment and
exclusion from the kingdom. This passage gives us four ideas to be mindful
of.
Message:
I. Maintain
Steady Readiness (Matt. 24:44).
Because
the “Son of man” returns at an
unexpected moment, believers should not set dates or grow smug but live daily
as though he could return at any time—be ready.
- God certainly knows the
limits of the Tribulation period and the Seventieth Week of Daniel will
have a definite starting and ending time. But the people living then will
only have a general sense of timing. Therefore, attention is important. Believers
during the Tribulation, who will be looking forward to the coming of the
Lord of glory, should be alert. They will know generally, from the signs
of the end, when He will return, but they will not know the exact time.[1]
- In view of these uncertainties
our duty is to watch and be
ready—stay alert! “The Son of Man will come when least expected by the
masses. Therefore, His people should be on the tiptoes of expectancy.”[2]
- By application, conflicts and
arguments are often a distraction from alertness, but such can be avoided
by remembering their source (James 4:1).
Conflicts and disputes among believers are always harmful and distracting.
James explains that these quarrels result from evil desires battling
within our souls—we crave more possessions, more money, higher status, and
even more recognition. When we yearn badly enough to fulfill these
desires, we fight to get our way. Instead of aggressively grabbing what
we want, we should submit ourselves to God, ask God to help us get rid of
our selfish desires, and trust him to give us what we really need. This
approach can save us from many distractions and keep us focused on the
Lord’s plan.
o
Spurgeon
gives a charming illustration: “I once lived where my neighbor’s garden was
divided from me only by a very imperfect hedge. He kept a dog, and his dog was
a shockingly bad gardener, and did not improve my plants. So, one evening,
while I walked alone, I saw this dog doing mischief and being a long way off, I
threw a stick at him, with some earnest advice as to his going home. This dog,
instead of going home, picked up my stick, and came to me with it in his mouth,
wagging his tail. He dropped the stick at my feet and looked up to me most
kindly. What could I do but pat him and call him a good dog, and regret that I
had ever spoken roughly to him?”—MacDonald, W. Believer's Bible Commentary
- Engage
in Faithful Management (Matt. 24:45-47).
The
“faithful and wise servant”
takes care of their God-given responsibilities (like serving others and sharing
the gospel). This consistent activity brings blessing and reward, with the loyal
servant/manager entrusted with greater obligations (a promotion) at the Master’s
return.
- A servant manifests his true
character by how he behaves in view of his Master’s return. All servants
are supposed to feed the household at the proper time. But not all who
profess to be Christ’s servants are genuine.
- The wise servant is the one
who is found caring for God’s people. Such a one will be honored with
vast responsibility in the kingdom. The master will make him ruler over
all his goods.[3]
- The Lord wants to find His
servants, like the first steward, faithfully carrying out His will (vv.
45–46). Such a servant
will be rewarded for his faithful service when the Lord returns (v. 47). [4]
- Ephes. 5:16
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
- ‘Redeem’ refers to buying back or
buying up the opportunities afforded us through wise planning and careful
management. Life certainly is short, but we can make a meaningful impact
on this world with the proper use of our time. And since life is short take full advantage
of every second of life to maintain balance in your life and to address
the priorities that God has established for you. Opportunities that are
not managed are times that are wasted or spent for you by someone else.
- Broken promises could be
indicative of a time management problem.
- If you find yourself always
breaking promises to your children or your spouse or even if you
struggle with being at work on time, then it could be an indication
that you are not properly managing your time. This could mean that you
are not taking advantage of your opportunities to maintain time balance
in your life.
- Discipline yourself to
manage your time. Structure your day as much as possible and weigh
carefully the magnitude of the unpredictable “crises” that often come
and demand your attention.
Again, we must first understand where our time priorities should
be.
[1]
Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F.
Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 79.
[2]
William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible
Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1297.
[3]
William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible
Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1297.
[4]
Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The
Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F.
Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 79.
