FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANT (Matt. 24:42-51)
The word “wisdom” is used in Scripture in a very unique way, it is usually in reference to a believer that is “faithful.” The Psalmist expresses it thus:
Ps 111:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom : a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
KJV
The writer of the Proverbs also conveys the same theme:
Prov 9:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom : and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
KJV
Jesus’ distinction between a carnal believer and a spiritual in His parable of the “Faithful and Wise servants” of Matthew 24 is clearly presented. There are many different interpretations of this parable, so I suggest our being like the saints at Berea in Acts 17:11; “search the Scriptures and see if these things are so.”
After finishing with the parable of the “fig tree,” Jesus warns His disciples: “Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Then He continues, “But know this, that if the Goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered [allowed] his house to be broken into. Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Then He asks His disciples, “Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant who his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.”
Jesus then warns His disciples about the unfaithful and disobedient servant: “If that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘my Lord delayeth his coming;’ and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink and be drunken, 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, and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The same idea is conveyed in Luke’s gospel:
Luke 12:47
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
KJV
COMENTS ABOUT THE “FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANTS”
The unfaithful and disobedient servant here is equivalent of the carnal Christian. The word “evil” (Strong’s #2556) in Matthew 24:48 simply means a worthless or injurious person. It means he lacks the qualities that he should possess. He thought his lord would delay his coming. And this, of course, affected how he lived his life. He was lazy, untrustworthy and cruel. He abused his position by being ill tempered and self-indulgent to all those who worked with him. He thought he would never be called into account, because he secretly believed his lord would not come. [Are there some similarities with Christians here today?]
In verse 51 the Lord says something similar to the parable of the Ten Talents and the Man without the Wedding Garment. However, “outer darkness” is replaced by the term “a portion with the hypocrites.” Again I advise you to search the Scriptures and see if we are both seeing the same thing.
He says the unfaithful servant will be “cut asunder,” appointed “a place [or portion] with the hypocrites” and there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Being “cut asunder” (Strong’s #1371) means appropriate discipline “for one who had lived a double life.” It means the thoughts and motives of the person’s heart will be exposed and scrutinized. Hebrews 4:12 talks about a sharp two-edged sword that will bring to light the motives of our hearts, the things of darkness. “A portion with the hypocrites” could be referring to the “outer darkness” where other unfaithful Christians are, who assumed the role of servants but who did not really take care of others, have gone.
Another interpretation could well be unfaithful Christians being excluded from the Millennial kingdom of Christ and spend that one thousand years with those that have rejected Christ. They are the ones whose names are found in the book of life (seen in Rev. 20:15) and were not cast into the Lake of Fire. Their tears would be wiped away (Rev. 21:4) as the tabernacle of God is once again with them:
Rev 21:3-4
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
KJV
Like the disobedient servant in the “parable of the Ten Talents,” this unfaithful servant will be thrown into the “separate place” – a place with all the other hypocrites – where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). Again, we believe, (you check it out in the Word) this speaks of a dark space outside the lighted and company of the spiritual saints and the blessings provided to them – [depicted in Ezekiel’s Temple (Ezek. 42:20), the Gizrah, the Profane or separate place.”]
A Christian who refuses to avail himself of the moment-by-moment cleansing that God provides, is seen as walking in darkness. He has not been cleansed by the washing of the water of the Word, therefore he can only remain in the darkened courtyard outside the light of the Holy Place.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth could well apply to carnal believers reflecting remorsefully on their lives and all the missed opportunities. Scripture says they will remember. Again, God will have just reminded them of every detail of their lives ant the Judgment Seat.
The Pulpit Commentary says that “rewards and punishments will be allotted in the coming world with strict justice. To some, great knowledge of the Divine will be given and a high lace in the city of God will be allotted. But for those that fail, their portion will be many stripes…They will occupy a lower grade in the hierarchy of heaven, (or in the darkness outside) [emphasis mine].
The faithful and wise servant in this story, of course, is equivalent to a spiritual Christian. He placed the lord of the house and his desires above his own and was an obedient steward who provided fro his family. He did what he was required to do and he steadfastly awaited his lord’s return. In the same way, God entrusts us, His own servants, to feed His spiritual family, to do His will and to await His soon return. Our rewards for doing this will be the privilege of greater service in the coming kingdom.
The special pleasures, honors and splendors, which are to accompany the return of the Lord from heaven and the setting up of His kingdom, are to be a reward for fidelity and faithful service in His absence. Without these things, blessings will be forfe
The word “wisdom” is used in Scripture in a very unique way, it is usually in reference to a believer that is “faithful.” The Psalmist expresses it thus:
Ps 111:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom : a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
KJV
The writer of the Proverbs also conveys the same theme:
Prov 9:10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom : and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
KJV
Jesus’ distinction between a carnal believer and a spiritual in His parable of the “Faithful and Wise servants” of Matthew 24 is clearly presented. There are many different interpretations of this parable, so I suggest our being like the saints at Berea in Acts 17:11; “search the Scriptures and see if these things are so.”
After finishing with the parable of the “fig tree,” Jesus warns His disciples: “Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Then He continues, “But know this, that if the Goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered [allowed] his house to be broken into. Therefore, be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Then He asks His disciples, “Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant who his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.”
Jesus then warns His disciples about the unfaithful and disobedient servant: “If that evil servant shall say in his heart, ‘my Lord delayeth his coming;’ and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink and be drunken, 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, and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The same idea is conveyed in Luke’s gospel:
Luke 12:47
47 And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
KJV
COMENTS ABOUT THE “FAITHFUL AND WISE SERVANTS”
The unfaithful and disobedient servant here is equivalent of the carnal Christian. The word “evil” (Strong’s #2556) in Matthew 24:48 simply means a worthless or injurious person. It means he lacks the qualities that he should possess. He thought his lord would delay his coming. And this, of course, affected how he lived his life. He was lazy, untrustworthy and cruel. He abused his position by being ill tempered and self-indulgent to all those who worked with him. He thought he would never be called into account, because he secretly believed his lord would not come. [Are there some similarities with Christians here today?]
In verse 51 the Lord says something similar to the parable of the Ten Talents and the Man without the Wedding Garment. However, “outer darkness” is replaced by the term “a portion with the hypocrites.” Again I advise you to search the Scriptures and see if we are both seeing the same thing.
He says the unfaithful servant will be “cut asunder,” appointed “a place [or portion] with the hypocrites” and there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Being “cut asunder” (Strong’s #1371) means appropriate discipline “for one who had lived a double life.” It means the thoughts and motives of the person’s heart will be exposed and scrutinized. Hebrews 4:12 talks about a sharp two-edged sword that will bring to light the motives of our hearts, the things of darkness. “A portion with the hypocrites” could be referring to the “outer darkness” where other unfaithful Christians are, who assumed the role of servants but who did not really take care of others, have gone.
Another interpretation could well be unfaithful Christians being excluded from the Millennial kingdom of Christ and spend that one thousand years with those that have rejected Christ. They are the ones whose names are found in the book of life (seen in Rev. 20:15) and were not cast into the Lake of Fire. Their tears would be wiped away (Rev. 21:4) as the tabernacle of God is once again with them:
Rev 21:3-4
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
KJV
Like the disobedient servant in the “parable of the Ten Talents,” this unfaithful servant will be thrown into the “separate place” – a place with all the other hypocrites – where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30). Again, we believe, (you check it out in the Word) this speaks of a dark space outside the lighted and company of the spiritual saints and the blessings provided to them – [depicted in Ezekiel’s Temple (Ezek. 42:20), the Gizrah, the Profane or separate place.”]
A Christian who refuses to avail himself of the moment-by-moment cleansing that God provides, is seen as walking in darkness. He has not been cleansed by the washing of the water of the Word, therefore he can only remain in the darkened courtyard outside the light of the Holy Place.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth could well apply to carnal believers reflecting remorsefully on their lives and all the missed opportunities. Scripture says they will remember. Again, God will have just reminded them of every detail of their lives ant the Judgment Seat.
The Pulpit Commentary says that “rewards and punishments will be allotted in the coming world with strict justice. To some, great knowledge of the Divine will be given and a high lace in the city of God will be allotted. But for those that fail, their portion will be many stripes…They will occupy a lower grade in the hierarchy of heaven, (or in the darkness outside) [emphasis mine].
The faithful and wise servant in this story, of course, is equivalent to a spiritual Christian. He placed the lord of the house and his desires above his own and was an obedient steward who provided fro his family. He did what he was required to do and he steadfastly awaited his lord’s return. In the same way, God entrusts us, His own servants, to feed His spiritual family, to do His will and to await His soon return. Our rewards for doing this will be the privilege of greater service in the coming kingdom.
The special pleasures, honors and splendors, which are to accompany the return of the Lord from heaven and the setting up of His kingdom, are to be a reward for fidelity and faithful service in His absence. Without these things, blessings will be forfe
1 comment:
Another great teaching. Thank you!
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