Matthew 24:45-51: a reflection

45“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? 46Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. 47Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. 48But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ 49and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, 50the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, 51and will cut him in pieces and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.

Jesus tells a parable about two servants left in charge while their master is away, and the difference between them comes down to how they behave in the master's absence. The faithful and wise servant keeps doing his duty, giving the household their food in due season, and is blessed when the master returns to find him at his work. But the evil servant says in his heart, My lord is delaying his coming, and begins to mistreat his fellow servants and carouse; and the master returns when he does not expect it. The difference is faithfulness in the delay: whether we keep faithfully at our duty when the master seems long in coming.

Notice what distinguishes the two servants: faithfulness during the master's delay. Both were left in charge; both faced a master who did not immediately return. The faithful servant kept doing his duty, serving the household as he had been charged, whether the master came soon or late. The evil servant presumed on the delay, telling himself the master was long in coming, and grew careless and cruel. The delay tested them: the faithful one remained faithful through it, while the other presumed on it to grow slack. Faithfulness in the delay, keeping at one's duty when the master seems long in coming, is what the parable commends.

That is worth taking to heart, for we are called to be found faithfully at our duty even when the Lord seems long in coming. The Lord's return may seem delayed, far off; and in that delay we can grow careless, presuming on the time, slackening in our duty, as the evil servant did. But we are called to be found faithful whenever the Lord comes, keeping at our duty through the delay, not presuming on it. Do not presume on the Lord's apparent delay to grow careless in your duty; be found faithfully at your work whenever he comes, as the faithful servant kept serving the household. Keep faithfully at the duty the Lord has given you even when his coming seems long delayed, not presuming on the delay to grow careless, as the faithful servant was found serving the household when the master returned; for the Lord may come when we do not expect him, and blessed is the servant found faithfully at his work, not the one who presumed on the delay to grow slack.

Lord Jesus, you tell a parable about two servants left in charge while their master is away, and the difference between them comes down to how they behave in the master's absence. The faithful and wise servant keeps doing his duty, giving the household their food in due season, and is blessed when the master returns to find him at his work. But the evil servant says in his heart, my lord is delaying his coming, and begins to mistreat his fellow servants and carouse; and the master returns when he does not expect it. The difference is faithfulness in the delay. Show me what distinguishes the two servants: faithfulness during the master's delay. Both were left in charge; both faced a master who did not immediately return. The faithful servant kept doing his duty, whether the master came soon or late. The evil servant presumed on the delay and grew careless and cruel. The delay tested them. Faithfulness in the delay is what the parable commends. Take that to my heart, for I am called to be found faithfully at my duty even when you seem long in coming. Your return may seem delayed, far off; and in that delay I can grow careless, presuming on the time, slackening in my duty, as the evil servant did. But I am called to be found faithful whenever you come. Keep me from presuming on your apparent delay to grow careless in my duty; help me be found faithfully at my work whenever you come, Lord, as the faithful servant kept serving the household.