The Wise and Foolish Servants

By Gerry Watts

 

  “It's like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

 

(Mark 13:34-37 NIV)

 

  Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?”

  The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 

 But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces (as in lashes from a whip) and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

  “That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows (lashes - CV). But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows (lashes – CV). From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

(Luke 12:41-48 NIV; also Matthew 24:45-51)

   This parable of The Wise and Foolish Servants could also be called The Wise or Foolish Manager. It is intimately linked to the previous parable of The Wise and Foolish Virgins, and it therefore carries a similar message.

   This parable is recorded in the context of Christ's return at the end of the age, but of course, it applies to every Christian in every generation - not just the generation that will witness His return. Jesus says clearly that the message of watching for His return and being prepared for it is not just for those who are put in charge of His people, but it is for everyone! Yet there is also a strong and sobering word for those who are leaders in the Church of God, those who are spiritual elders and overseers, the shepherds of the Flock of God.

   Luke gives us this parable in greater detail than Matthew or Mark, but when we put all of these accounts together we get the complete picture. Jesus is the wealthy Nobleman, the Master or Lord Who is going away (and the parable later implies that His absence will be for a long time) and He is leaving His household (the people of God) in the hands of His various servants who have been given various tasks. Yet even among the servants there is a structure of authority.

   This is not indicating that Jesus was wealthy in any worldly sense, for there are many texts in the NT that reveal that Jesus was born into a poor family, along with the fact that He became a travelling Jewish Rabbi, and these rabbis relied heavily upon the generosity of their disciples to help with their daily provisions. Of course, Jesus' true wealth is primarily spiritual and heavenly, and it is these things that are the true riches, which He will share with His brothers, the many sons of God. Yet ultimately, even the whole world, the whole universe, belongs to Christ as the true King of all kings - and one day soon, Christ and His Bride will fully inherit it all!

The Wise Servants

   The manager (or administrator) represents the Apostles and Prophets who were given the highest authority over the others as Deputised Overseers, and their authority is contained in the writings of the New Testament. The other servants are those who are called to be Evangelists, and Shepherd/Teachers - those who are to feed the sheep of God as servant/shepherds.

  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

(1 Corinthians 12:27-28 NIV)

 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

(Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)

 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

(1 Peter 5:1-4 NIV)

  ...God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

(1 Timothy 3:15 NIV)

  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

(Ephesians 2:19-20 NIV)

  Those who are faithful and wise are the ones who continue to serve God and His Son, being led by His Spirit, working out their faith with fear and trembling, enduring till the end (either the end of their life or the end of the age, whichever comes first), doing the job that they were called to do by faithfully feeding the other servants in the household so that they get their daily rations at the appointed times. These are the ones who will be ready to face Christ if He should return suddenly, and to stand before Him with all glory and honour, without any shame. These are the Overcomers, the true sons of the Father. The Day of the Lord will not surprise them like a thief in the night!

  The result of all of this at the Judgment will be that these faithful servants will inherit full sonship as the Sons of God, and they will enter into their inheritance of ALL THINGS that belong to Christ. This will begin immediately after the Judgment, in the establishing of a New Creation, the commencement of the Restoration of all things. They will then rule the nations as royal priests with Christ Himself! They will inherit age-abiding Life - that is, the state of immortality and incorruption, which is the Kingdom of God!

 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

(Romans 8:17-21 NIV)

 To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
 'He will rule them with an iron scepter;
      he will dash them to pieces like pottery'— just as I have received authority from my Father...

 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.

(Revelation 2:26-27; 3:21 NIV)

 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

  Here is a trustworthy saying:
   If we died with him,
      we will also live with him;
  if we endure,
      we will also reign with him.
   If we disown him,
      he will also disown us;
  if we are faithless,
      he will remain faithful,
      for he cannot disown himself.

(2 Timothy 2:10-13 NIV)

   The Foolish Servants

   But the servant who is foolish and unfaithful will eventually fall asleep in spiritual apostasy and darkness, sliding into worldliness and lusts of the flesh. He will begin to think that the Master is not coming back for a long time yet, and so he begins to mistreat and abuse those under his authority, while getting drunk and disorderly on the doctrines and rules of men. He becomes a lawless rebel, a worthless servant who is not doing his job as he should. He walks in blatant disobedience to the will of His Master, though some are ignorant of this fact.

  But the time will come when the Day of Judgment will arrive suddenly, His Master will return home, during one of the watches of the night, and the foolish servant will be taken unawares, completely oblivious of the Day or Hour of his Master's arrival. In fact, Jesus said that the foolish servant will not be aware of that Day or Hour, and he will not be expecting it either - and it will take him totally by surprise!

  The outcome is one of severe judgment and chastening for the unfaithful servant. In the Law of Moses, one of the punishments for breaking certain laws was to get a lashing with a whip. Yet notice that the flogging was limited to 40 lashes (40 being the number of trial and probation), which emphasises the point that over-punishment is just as unjust as no punishment at all! To make sure they didn't violate this command through miscounting, the Jews made this the '40 lashes minus 1,' which Paul received 5 times for preaching Jesus as the Messiah! (2 Corinthians 11:24).

  When men have a dispute, they are to take it to court and the judges will decide the case, acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty. If the guilty man deserves to be beaten, the judge shall make him lie down and have him flogged in his presence with the number of lashes his crime deserves, but he must not give him more than forty lashes. If he is flogged more than that, your brother will be degraded in your eyes.

(Deuteronomy 25:1-3 NIV)

   Jesus is using this as a figure for the chastening of the Second Death in the age to come, when each will be judged in accordance with their acts. The one who claims to be a servant of God and of Christ, but is disobedient and unfaithful, will be judged and chastened, and among these, those who have received greater light and knowledge will be chastened (or 'lashed') more severely than others with less knowledge and understanding. 

   For he who has been entrusted with much, then much more will be asked of him. He who has will be given an abundance, but he who does not have, even what he has will be taken away, and he will be lashed with either many blows or fewer blows, depending upon his knowledge or his ignorance of the will of the Master. Nevertheless, the punishment will end eventually, so that they are saved, yet as through fire, for the lashes cannot exceed their divine limit.

   This is also confirmed by James, who says that those who are teachers of the Scriptures will be held more accountable than others and will receive greater judgment. 

 Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

(James 3:1 NIV)

   Also, here's a strong word from the Master for all those who are leaders in the Church of God. God hates the self-righteous actions of religious hypocrites.

 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."

(Luke 20:45-47 NIV)

   A Utensil for Honour

   All of this is indicating that many Jews and Christians who claim to know God or Christ will, in fact, have to endure the Second Death, the Gehenna of Fire, receiving the chastening of God until they are set free. They will not have a place in the First Resurrection. This accords with the rest of Jesus' teaching that the subjects of the kingdom who are hypocritical liars shall be thrown out into outer darkness and death.

   Jesus has already paid the price for our sins and transgressions, which is why He was lashed and beaten most severely, not by a normal whip of cords, which would've been bad enough, but with the dreaded Roman flagellum which ripped the flesh like a knife. I believe also, in accordance with the Divine Law, that Jesus was stoned while He was on the cross, which caused even further lacerations to His whole body - so much so that His face was marred beyond that of any man! It is truly by His wounds that we are healed.

   Therefore, for those who reject His Word, and the glorious Gospel of God's Son, there is nothing left but for the Living Stone to crush them as they receive due punishment for their words and actions on the Day He is revealed. The Gospel does not do away with God's Holiness and Justice - yet Grace will triumph in the end!

   So, for those of us who are servants of the Living God and of Christ Jesus, let us endeavor to become wise and faithful servants, those who run the race to the end to gain the Prize. May we become utensils of gold and silver (spiritually mature sons), rather than those of wood and clay (immature fleshly children), precious utensils that can be used by the Master for noble purposes in His great household.

  Now in a great house there are not only gold and silver utensils, but wooden and earthenware also, and some indeed for honor, yet some for dishonor. If, then, anyone should ever be purging himself from these, he will be a utensil for honor, hallowed (holy), and useful to the Owner, made ready for every good act.

(2 Timothy 2:20-21 CV)

   Become Watchful

   In Mark's account of this parable, Jesus refers to the doorkeeper of the house being watchful. In ancient times particularly, a wealthy household would have many servants, and one or two of those servants would be given the job of Doorkeeper or Gatekeeper. Their main task was to keep watch at the main entrance to the house, usually in the courtyard, to greet visitors, messengers and merchants, as well as being a guard to ward off any intruder or enemy. They were like the Watchmen who stood guard at the gates of a city, but on a smaller scale. They had to be vigilant and sober, keeping themselves awake, even through the night shift.

   Jesus uses this figure of a watchmen or doorkeeper staying awake to teach His servants to stay awake spiritually, to be vigilant and sober, watching for His return in expectation, being careful about the way we live, being aware that we shall all have to give an account to the Master when He returns, and then we shall be given our wages accordingly - or possibly forfeit the reward altogether! These words of warning are not to be taken lightly!

 Consequently, then, we may not be drowsing, even as the rest, but we may be watching and be sober. For those who are drowsing are drowsing at night, and those who are drunk are drunk at night. Yet we, being of the day, may be sober, putting on the cuirass (breastplate) of faith and love, and the helmet, the expectation of salvation, for God did not appoint us to indignation, but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ...

(1 Thessalonians 5:6-9 CV)

  "Wake up! (Become watchful - CV) Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up (if you should not be watching - CV), I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

(Revelation 3:2-3 NIV)

   Therefore, may we become watchful, being prepared, for the Day is very near. Don't let Him find you sleeping! Let us always pray for one another.

Watch! Stand firm in the faith! Be manly! Be staunch! Let all your actions occur in love!

(1 Corinthians 16:13-14 CV)

   (For further study of Christ's Return, see The Day of the Lord, the Return of the King).

 

Copyright © Gerry Watts 2008

 

 

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