Matthew 24:45 – 51

Good and Wicked Servants

45 “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.

47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’

49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,

50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of,

51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus likens himself to an owner of a household who took a trip and left a servant in charge to make sure all the requirements for the servants was taken care of. Particularly listed is the food which is necessary to feed them.

While we may not be made a ruler, we are expected to serve our master as our service to Jesus continues through life.

As a servant to Jesus we will never know when He will return but if we serve faithfully then we know we will be rewarded beyond our expectations.

A faithful servant who always follows the instructions of his master can expect to be rewarded by being promoted to service of a higher calling, we as servants to Jesus will be rewarded by promotion to the enjoyment of Heaven upon the end of our faithful service here on earth.

But if the servant is unfaithful then the more time the master delays His return then the the servant becomes inattentive to the faithful service which is required of him and begins to be neglectful to his responsibilities. Peter tells us it is inevitable that many will lose belief in Jesus because of the great amount of time which elapses between His ascension and His return.

Because of the impression of having plenty of time left to correct the wickedness in our lives we become like the unfaithful servant and begin to allow our sinful ways to return into our lives.

The master will return when we least expect it and find us unprepared for eternal life with him, we will wish we had remained faithful so we were prepared for the return of our master.

Being in an unprepared state will mean we will be separated from the faithful and punished with the wicked, our punishment will be along with those who claim to be faithful but their lives show they are really living unfaithful lives, these individuals and the unfaithful servants will have a destination which is very tortuous and will be no mercy for the unfaithful which will cause much regret for what was not accomplished as a servant of Jesus, and will cause much crying because of the pain suffered in the lake of fire.

2 Peter 3:3 - 4(knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” )

Revelation 20:10, 14 – 15 (The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.)(Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.)