Luke 12:41-48
41 Peter said, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?”
42 And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?
43 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
44 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
45 But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will take a long time to come,’ and he begins to beat the other slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk;
46 then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47 And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accordance with his will, will receive many blows,
48 but the one who did not know it, and committed acts deserving of a beating, will receive only a few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.
To Those Given Much, Much will be Demanded
A faithful servant
Peter asked, “Lord, are You telling this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?” But Jesus did not answer that question directly. Instead, He gave a lesson that is important for all believers.The term “servant” refers to a slave. This slave was entrusted by his master with the role of a steward and was given full responsibility and authority – from managing the property to providing meals for the other servants in the household. The master entrusts the servant with the management of his household and goes on a long journey. Let us apply this parable to our own lives: (1) We too have been entrusted by our Master (God) with things such as our work, our lives, and our gifts. Think about it. There is nothing we can truly call our own. Everything is temporarily entrusted to us by our Master (God). (2) When the master returns, he evaluates the work that the servant has done. Even in our lives, a time of reckoning will surely come. (3) A faithful servant is entrusted with even greater responsibilities. In our case too, when we faithfully fulfill our calling, we are given even greater missions. Have you ever wondered why those who are already busy serving are entrusted with even more authority? In the kingdom of God, the reward for a faithful servant is a greater mission and greater authority.
An unfaithful servant
What happens to the unfaithful servant? Let us again apply this to our own lives: (1) The Master (God) comes at an unexpected time and severely judges the servant’s wrongdoing. (2) The Master (God) judges not only the sins of commission, but also the sins of omission. As it is written, “So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17). (3) Even if someone is unaware, they will still be judged. Many people may feel resistance toward this teaching. However, no one is ever in a state of being completely free from moral responsibility. Through the natural world and through the voice of conscience, people learn the moral law of God (ref. Rom. 1:20, 2:14-15, etc.). (4) However, the one who was unaware will receive a lighter judgment, while the one who was entrusted with much will receive a harsher judgment. Let us now remember that God is a just God. He always evaluates you rightly and treats you fairly. Let’s entrust our burdens to this God.
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, You are a just God. You have always evaluated me rightly and led me in the path of righteousness. From now on as well, I will follow You with full trust. Please guide me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.