The faithful and wise servant [Matt 24b]*

Matthew 24:32-51

Key Verse: Matthew 24:45-46 "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.”

Introduction:

Jesus’ disciples asked him these two questions: what would be the signs of the end of ages and of Christ’s coming and when would these signs happen. Jesus answered that there signs that signify the beginning of the end, signs of the final judgment, and signs of his second coming. Though Jesus mentioned the signs leading to the end of time, he did not say anything about a particular time when these things would happen. Therefore, we know what is coming, and what signs to look for…What can we do now? This is answered in today’s passages.

To clarify this portion of God’s word, it will be divided as follows:

A.    My word will never pass away [Matthew 24:32-35]

B.    The Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour [Matthew 24:36-44]

C.   The faithful and wise servant [Matthew 24:45-51]

A.    My word will never pass away [Matthew 24:32-35]

Having said all this about the signs of the end of the age, what should we do about this? Do we need to take this at face value? Or do we need to understand it as a possibility instead? Will it be the worst or most dreadful event in history? Can it be true that the sun will fade, the moon will give no light, and the stars will be shaken? Is Jesus truly coming back? If he does so, is his coming near? Is it within our lifetime? Since Jesus said this, two thousand years passed by! How much does this apply to us? To answer these questions, Jesus gave his disciples this lesson:

"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” (Matthew 24:32-33).

In Israel, most trees are evergreen, but fig trees lose their leaves in winter and grow new buds in spring. Since there are no major changes in Israel’s four seasons, it is hard to discern between spring and summer. Out of this confusion, fig trees are a sign of spring because of its buds, twigs, and tender leaves. When one sees this, he could be sure that summer was near. This was not a guessing game. When its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, that person will know for sure that summer is approaching.

Twigs and tender leaves are a sure sign of summer’s coming. Likewise, the signs that Jesus mentioned - the four signs of the beginning and end of the age — give us a certainty about the coming judgment as well as his second coming.

In addition to this, Jesus asserted the certainty of the coming of the end of the age in this way:

“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:34-35).

Jesus said that the generation to whom he was talking would surely face all of these things; they would not escape any of these end time events, including the most dreadful, the Day of Judgment. Jesus emphasized that the generation that was listening to him would surely experience God’s judgment.

In addition to this, Jesus’ word was much more reliable than heaven and earth. For as long as we can remember, the sun rises from the east every morning and sets in the west. In the world in which we live, heaven and earth are the most reliable objects that we rely on for our lives. So it is difficult for us to think that the provisions we receive from the heavens and the earth for our lives won’t be there for us one day. Yet Jesus’ word is even more reliable than the heavens and the earth! His word provides a firmer foundation for our lives than anything else. In this way, Jesus personally guaranteed that his word will surely be fulfilled. Jesus is the Son of God; he is also God and what he says is what God says. God the Father who created the whole world guarantees the reliability of Jesus’ words. In this way, Jesus was saying that the signs of the beginning of birth pains and the dreadful Day of Judgment will certainly come and this generation would face these judgments. Is this applicable to us? What does this mean for us?

No one should dare to take Jesus’ words lightly; when false messiahs, wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famine comes, it will be the beginning of birth pains, which will last until God’s full judgment is delivered on the dreadful Day of Judgment. As the twigs of the fig tree signify the coming of summer, so also the Day of Judgment is certainly coming in this generation.

Throughout Israel’s history, God’s prophets delivered words of judgments, but many disliked this and even killed the prophets. They love to hear prophecies of blessing, prosperity, and peace instead. However, as a whole, this is a birth pain; it will happen and cannot be escaped.

Despite the certainty we have that everything will end, what do we tend to think?

Our lives have been problem-free for so long, that we often say that nothing bad will ever happen to me, my family, or my community. I had never heard of any tornados happening here in College Park, MD; however, in 2001, a tornado touched down in this city. It barely missed our church building and touched some of the houses around Metzerott Rd. It went over the University of Maryland campus and lifted a car with two college students inside, high into the air. The car dropped and crashed; the two sisters died on the spot.

Until then, I had only thought that the tornados only came in the Midwest, where there is large areas of flat land, like Oklahoma or Kansas. However, this one had come right to my door. It was scary! I am not immune to tornados!

What did these two sisters think when they left home that day? We don’t know whether or not they were prepared for such an occasion as this, but we know that they never expected this to happen to them as they left school that day! Therefore, judgment comes when we least expect it. As we studied in previous passages, two things are certain: the Day of Judgment and the Lord Jesus’ return.

Though the coming judgment is certain, why do people ignore it?

B.    The Son of Man will come at an unexpected hour [Matthew 24:36-44]

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36).

Here, Jesus emphasized that no one knows when these things will happen. The exact time of the final judgment has never been told. Only God knows; however, He has given signs of its coming, though not the exact date or hour. Since this event is not known, even to the Son of Man, they should not make any excuses that they did not know continue to live as they were doing. Rather, they must take the signs that Jesus gave them into their hearts and apply them to their lives in faith. If they do not do so, what happens? They are in limbo uncertain in their faith. The people of Noah’s time did not know about the coming judgment and carried on doing what they had been doing; they were eating, drinking, marrying, and being given in marriage. They never took Noah’s warning in their hearts; however, Noah, who was certain of the Flood’s coming, obeyed and built an ark so that he and his family did not perish.

What is the key point in this situation? They should have used the sign given to them by faith and obeyed what God said! Through these accounts, it is clear that the Day of Judgment and the Lord’s return is certain! Yet, it is God’s decision to not give  an exact date or time for these two events! God wants His people to live by faith, no matter when Jesus comes back! It is His prerogative to bring judgment on His own time schedule.

When Jesus comes, how will people’s attitudes change?

This is how it will be at the Son of Man’s coming.

“Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” (Matthew 24:40-41).

Here, two men were working in the fields as usual. Suddenly, one would be taken and the other would be left. Two women would be grinding a hand mill; one would suddenly be taken and the other left behind.

When no one expected, people would be taken away to be judged and others would be left for God’s blessing (or vice versa) . No one knew ahead of time; the one who was taken did not know, and the one who was left behind did not know. None of these people knew the time of His coming! We must live without that information!

The reason for this is clear:

“But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.” (Matthew 24:43).

It is God’s intentional will and purpose to not reveal the time or date of Jesus’ coming. Why might this be His will? As this verse indicates, God wants our lives to be true and genuine through and through; our faith must not be just a flash in the pan. Even while living in this earthly kingdom, our commitment and will must be fully devoted to God and His purpose. We must be witnesses for Jesus and live holy and righteous lives, even in times of hardship. We must grow worthy of His kingdom!

So, what is the final word?

“So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:44).

We must be ready! What does this mean?

How can we characterize this time? It is a time of purification, following the Day of Judgment, and a time of God’s distinction between the godly and ungodly. This event has a dual purpose, one for believers and one for unbelievers. Believers are to develop readiness for the Lord’s coming! How can we be ready when He returns? Do we want to make sure that the whole world hears the good news of God’s kingdom? No! We sinners must be ready to welcome Jesus, the Holy One of God. We must be ready now!

This is well pictured in Jesus’ parable of the secrets of the kingdom of God, as recorded in Matthew 13.

If we look at these parables carefully, the sequence goes like this:

The parable of the weeds, the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl, and the parable of the fishing net.

This section begins with a parable whose lesson is leaving the tares alone until the time of the harvest. At the harvest, the field owner will burn the weeds and bring the wheat into his barn. This speaks to us about God’s plan.

In the second and third parables, Jesus speaks about God’s kingdom growing and spreading. The fourth and fifth parables are about one’s personal commitment to the kingdom. The last parable, the seventh, is about separating the good from the bad fish.

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, these parables are bundled together into one set that speaks about God’s coming kingdom. At the end of his teaching, Jesus said this:

“He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (Matthew 13:52).

It is clear that, through these seven parables, Jesus made the new treasure of God’s kingdom known. This treasure of knowledge is detailed here in his prophecy in Matthew 24, which we are discussing today.

If we put them in sequence, we can learn the following: a) the field owner allowed the wheat and tares to grow together, b) the growth of the kingdom of God, c) the need for believers to commit to the kingdom by faith, and d) God’s final selection of the chosen.

Likewise, if we combine the first two parables into one, as well as the last two, then there are two periods: the beginning of birth pains and the actual delivery of Christ’s return.

What does it mean to be ready?

Here are some examples:

1.    “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 4:13).

2.    “It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-- the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:12-14).

3.    “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews10:22).

Being ready means being prepared to welcome Jesus in his Glory and power when he returns! We all must become fit to enter God’s kingdom. In this kingdom, only those who demonstrate godly righteousness and holiness can .

How did God plan for us to grow in readiness? Here, three things come together: persecution, witnessing to the world, and possessing a clear hope for the Lord’s coming. We all must seriously consider God’s judgment, and the day of Jesus’ return in glory. No one should be uncertain about these two concepts! I pray that each of us will be ready for when Christ comes back.

C.    The faithful and wise servant [Matthew 24:45-51]

"Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time?” (Matthew 24:45).

During this time of waiting, who can be called the best, most faithful, and wisest servant? The best servant is the one who provides good things at the right time and in the right amount whenever needs arise. Why do some of God’s servants fail to do this? When my needs are not met, I always seek to meet my needs first. When the servant is not happy in and with God, he will be busy caring for himself; he will have little time for others. What is the best way to live godly lives as we wait?.

In this parable, the faithful servant is the one who gave food to his fellow servants at the proper time. Jesus shows us the best example of how to accomplish this. Let’s find out what each of these symbolizes: food, servants, and the proper time.

Food

What was the food that he gave to his fellow students? In Matthew 4:4, Jesus answered Satan in this way:

“Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."” (Matthew 4:4).

The real food that sustains our lives is God’s words. Therefore, studying the Scriptures, memorizing it, and receiving it into one’s hearts is so important for one to become a faithful servant. Also, that servant must feed and satisfy not only himself with both physical and spiritual food, but must also serve others with the excess of what he has received. To do so, his life must be centered on preparing and distributing food. He must prepare food that is well-cooked, correctly portioned, nutritious, energizing, and even invigorating for God’s entire household. He must have plenty, enough to feed himself and others.

Entire household

This means that the faithful servant must not only care for himself or his own family, but also his master’s entire household, whoever they might be, ; this symbolizes the importance of serving the whole community of believers. When Joseph was put in prison, he took care of his cellmates so well that he was put in charge of all of the prisoners. One day, he noticed that two prisoners seemed worried, so Joseph asked them what was wrong. They had had strange dreams that they could not interpret; Joseph cared and served them by interpreting their dreams. For Joseph, all of his fellow prisoners were his household.

The Proper Time

The proper time is whenever people need food, both regular meals as well as emergency meals. There comes a time when everyone needs spiritual food to meet their spiritual hunger, cravings, or temptations. One day when I was serving as an army medical officer, I visited a company that was stationed about an hour away. There, a sergeant came to me and told me about a senior sergeant who drank alcohol, even during military exercises. He ate very little food, but lived on alcohol. So, I told that sergeant that he needed to go to the hospital for his alcoholism and cirrhosis of the liver. Several months later, one of my college classmates visited me at my barracks; we left early and went to a local restaurant, where we are an early dinner with some alcohol. When I came back to my apartment, I was told that many people were looking for me, including my senior staff sergeant, because that same sergeant had been transferred by ambulance to my company for emergency care. He was in shock when he arrived; however, by the time I called them back, the sergeant was already dead.

In this incident, I failed twice to meet his need; when I first met him, I did not provide the food for his life, which was sending him to the hospital right away, even by commanding or arranging his immediate transfer to the hospital. But I failed to do so.

The second time, I was eating, drinking, and having fun when he arrived in shock. When he needed immediate attention, I was not available for at least three hours; when I got there, it was too late. There are always many signs of people in trouble and need before life-threatening disasters happen.

Jesus visited Peter when he was out fishing. Even after seeing Jesus’ resurrected body, Peter was deeply troubled by the fact that he had denied him three times. Peter could not see himself as still fit to follow Jesus; he was a sinner, a failure, and a betrayer. In this time of need, Jesus visited him and enabled him to catch a larger amount of fish. He asked Peter these questions: Do you love me more than these? Do you truly love me? Do you love me? Peter answered yes to all three questions. Jesus responded, feed my lambs, feed my sheep.

Here, Jesus showed his disciples the example of the best way to live while waiting for the Lord’s coming. He visited Peter when he was starving and gave him ‘proper food’, plus the opportunity to experience the best life by feeding his sheep.

The best life is one spent serving God’s household, feeding them at the proper time, and shepherding those in need.

We all have to work in order to make a living. To accomplish this, some have a job, and others are studying for the purpose of finding a good job. However, this is not the only things we are to pursue for life. We are called to be good servants who give food to others at the proper time, without fail. Simply, this is an evangelistic life, the best life we can have as a servant, dearly loved by Jesus, while we live through this time of waiting and hardship.

To do this, the center of our lives must be studying God’s words; we must do this faithfully, diligently, and persistently, until Jesus returns, even at such a time as this.

For this purpose, we need friends and communities that share the same principles and mindsets, so that, as a whole, we may not fail to serve and live as the best of servants until Jesus returns.

But if he is not found doing these things when Jesus returns, what would happen?

“But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,' and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 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 and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:48-51).

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1.    The master came when his servant did not expect him.

2.    Moreover, he found his servant beating his fellow servants and eating with drunkards.

3.    As punishment, he will cut him into pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. 

The focus of this servant’s life was not God’s word or with his fellow believers, but with drunkards.

1.    Drunkards are those who drink too much and have no sobriety.

2.    Here, ‘drunkard’ may mean more than just heavy drinking. Drunkards live in a state of inebriation. They are unable to make sound judgments or experience a stable lifestyle. They cannot see God’s coming judgment and kingdom; their focus is enjoying the present.

3.    Drunkards are not only alcoholics. Many people are absorbed with so many things; some are drunk with sex, money, power, sports, exhilaration, or fun. No matter what one becomes drunk with, one thing is common; they are not able to make sound judgments or discerning choices.

4.    Those who slide away from the faith, even for a short time, are hypocrites; this means that there is a difference between what they profess to believe and how they live. If someone lives differently from what they profess or teach, they are hypocrites.

The Pharisees were professional hypocrites. They lived their whole lives in a hypocritical mindset and lifestyle. Even though many of them lived as God’s servants, they thought of Jesus’ coming as being delayed. In Jesus’ parable, the wicked servant would share the same punishment as the Pharisees. Jesus pronounced woe upon the Pharisees seven times!
Those who do not have a clear vision of Jesus’ return and God’s coming judgment will surely fall into this trap and become hypocrites; they will also be eternally punished.

This is the time of judgment; no time is given for when the signs of the Lord’s coming will arrive. May God bless you richly so that you may be ready for His coming!