41 Then
Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to
all people?” 42 And
the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise
steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them
their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant
whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will
make him ruler over all that he has. 45 But if that servant says in his
heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and
female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will
come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is
not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the
unbelievers. 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself
or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet
committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone
to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has
been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Commentary
Vs. 41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
Having just heard Jesus’ parable to be ready for His return Peter now asks the Lord if He is speaking this parable to them only, or to all people. Now in responding to him it will become clear that what the Lord Jesus Christ says applies not just to us who believe in Him, but to all people everywhere.
Vs. 42-44 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that those who will be called faithful and wise servants by Him will be those who not only believe in Him, but because they believe in Him (thus we believe His Words) we set ourselves about learning them and doing them, so that we might be equipped and qualified for doing the Kingdom work that He has prepared and assigned to each one of us (Eph. 2:10; also Titus 3:8, 14; 2 Peter 1:1:8 etc.). Therefore, Jesus says when He returns and finds His faithful and wise servants so doing so He will reward each one individually, and here specifically Jesus says that He will make that servant ruler over all that He has, because being dutiful for Him now in whatever “little things” He now assigns to us, means that He is now preparing us and proving us for greater things when He reigns.
Vs. 45-46 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
The Lord Jesus having told us all of the wise and faithful servant who spent their time down here learning His Will through His Word and then they went about seeking to do His Will and Work. Now tells us all about another kind of “servant” who also begins a faith journey. However, these are not faithful to Him (or His Word) but are those who hear the Word of the Lord (just as the just servants did) and yet they do not keep it, for as Jesus says of them, they begin to say in their heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming.’ And so with that change of heart they begin to “beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk…” Thus, though they once were enlightened by the grace of God and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, yet now because He is delaying His return, they have become antagonistic (even hostile) towards Him and His servants. And so, they begin to beat (i.e. abuse, emotionally, physically, psychologically) Jesus Christ’s servants, which is something that one would only do when one begins to hold one (and one’s faith) in contempt. Likewise, then they also go out and begin to eat and drink and be drunk, and thus they begin to exemplify lives of the wicked, the ungodly and the unbelieving. And so instead of Christ’s regeneration taking place in their persons, hearts and lives, which moves and lifts people upward towards holiness, they only degenerate downward in an ever darkening and angry spiral. Therefore, Jesus who is also the Master of that servant, seeing what His servant has become, will now also appear to him on a day when he is not expecting Him, and will “cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” Thus, there will be a repayment and a “reward” for them as well, which will be their eternal destruction and ruin.
Vs. 47-48 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
The Lord Jesus now describes another kind of servant, who knew His Maters will, (that is they were also privileged with hearing the Word of the Lord), and yet unlike the faithful servant, they though knowing Christ’s will did nothing to live according to it. Thus, though they knew it, they still lived their lives indifferently to it. And so, Jesus says that these in the judgment shall be beaten with many strips, because they knew it, and yet they did nothing to set their persons and lives in accord with it (vs. 47). Conversely then Jesus says that those who did not know His Will yet they did things deserving of strips will be beaten with few, because they never had the privilege of fully knowing it, and thus they never had the opportunity to do it, because how could they do what they did not know (vs. 48). Therefore, in concluding Jesus explains how this is so, because He says: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Therefore, greater revelation of the Will of God always means greater responsibility to do it. So, then those who have little knowledge of His Will cannot be judged as strictly as those who do not, for that would only be unfair and unjust. And so just as there will be degrees of rewards for our faithfulness, (according to what we have done with what we knew) so there will be degrees of punishment that will be rendered out most justly and fairly according to what one knew, and what one did not do, with what they knew.
Scripture Quotations
Commentary
Vs. 41 Then Peter said to Him, “Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?”
Having just heard Jesus’ parable to be ready for His return Peter now asks the Lord if He is speaking this parable to them only, or to all people. Now in responding to him it will become clear that what the Lord Jesus Christ says applies not just to us who believe in Him, but to all people everywhere.
Vs. 42-44 42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
And so the Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that those who will be called faithful and wise servants by Him will be those who not only believe in Him, but because they believe in Him (thus we believe His Words) we set ourselves about learning them and doing them, so that we might be equipped and qualified for doing the Kingdom work that He has prepared and assigned to each one of us (Eph. 2:10; also Titus 3:8, 14; 2 Peter 1:1:8 etc.). Therefore, Jesus says when He returns and finds His faithful and wise servants so doing so He will reward each one individually, and here specifically Jesus says that He will make that servant ruler over all that He has, because being dutiful for Him now in whatever “little things” He now assigns to us, means that He is now preparing us and proving us for greater things when He reigns.
Vs. 45-46 45 But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
The Lord Jesus having told us all of the wise and faithful servant who spent their time down here learning His Will through His Word and then they went about seeking to do His Will and Work. Now tells us all about another kind of “servant” who also begins a faith journey. However, these are not faithful to Him (or His Word) but are those who hear the Word of the Lord (just as the just servants did) and yet they do not keep it, for as Jesus says of them, they begin to say in their heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming.’ And so with that change of heart they begin to “beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk…” Thus, though they once were enlightened by the grace of God and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, yet now because He is delaying His return, they have become antagonistic (even hostile) towards Him and His servants. And so, they begin to beat (i.e. abuse, emotionally, physically, psychologically) Jesus Christ’s servants, which is something that one would only do when one begins to hold one (and one’s faith) in contempt. Likewise, then they also go out and begin to eat and drink and be drunk, and thus they begin to exemplify lives of the wicked, the ungodly and the unbelieving. And so instead of Christ’s regeneration taking place in their persons, hearts and lives, which moves and lifts people upward towards holiness, they only degenerate downward in an ever darkening and angry spiral. Therefore, Jesus who is also the Master of that servant, seeing what His servant has become, will now also appear to him on a day when he is not expecting Him, and will “cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.” Thus, there will be a repayment and a “reward” for them as well, which will be their eternal destruction and ruin.
Vs. 47-48 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
The Lord Jesus now describes another kind of servant, who knew His Maters will, (that is they were also privileged with hearing the Word of the Lord), and yet unlike the faithful servant, they though knowing Christ’s will did nothing to live according to it. Thus, though they knew it, they still lived their lives indifferently to it. And so, Jesus says that these in the judgment shall be beaten with many strips, because they knew it, and yet they did nothing to set their persons and lives in accord with it (vs. 47). Conversely then Jesus says that those who did not know His Will yet they did things deserving of strips will be beaten with few, because they never had the privilege of fully knowing it, and thus they never had the opportunity to do it, because how could they do what they did not know (vs. 48). Therefore, in concluding Jesus explains how this is so, because He says: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Therefore, greater revelation of the Will of God always means greater responsibility to do it. So, then those who have little knowledge of His Will cannot be judged as strictly as those who do not, for that would only be unfair and unjust. And so just as there will be degrees of rewards for our faithfulness, (according to what we have done with what we knew) so there will be degrees of punishment that will be rendered out most justly and fairly according to what one knew, and what one did not do, with what they knew.
Scripture Quotations
New King James Version (1982): Thomas Nelson
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