THE WISE AND FAITHFUL SERVANT

Passage: Matthew 24:32-51

Key verse: 45

NIV

32 “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. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[a] is near, right at the door.(A) 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(B) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(C)

The Day and Hour Unknown(D)(E)

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[b] but only the Father.(F) 37 As it was in the days of Noah,(G) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,(H) up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.(I) 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.(J) 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.(K)

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.(L) 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,(M) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready,(N) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant,(O) whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.(P) 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.(Q) 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.(R) 50 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. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(S)

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 24:33 Or he
  2. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts do not have nor the Son.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, (A)at the very gates. 34 (B)Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 (C)Heaven and earth will pass away, but (D)my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 “But concerning that day and hour (E)no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, (F)nor the Son,[a] (G)but the Father only. 37 (H)For as were the days of Noah, (I)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 (J)For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, (K)marrying and giving in marriage, until (L)the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, (M)so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 (N)Two women will be grinding (O)at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, (P)stay awake, for you do not know on what day (Q)your Lord is coming. 43 (R)But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night (S)the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be (T)ready, for (U)the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 “Who then is (V)the faithful and (W)wise servant,[b] whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 (X)Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, (Y)he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master (Z)is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants[c] and eats and drinks with (AA)drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come (AB)on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place (AC)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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Footnotes
  1. Matthew 24:36 Some manuscripts omit nor the Son
  2. Matthew 24:45 Or bondservant; also verses 46, 48, 50
  3. Matthew 24:49 Or bondservants
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Jesus told his disciples to discern the times. When they saw all the things he talked about, they would know that his coming was near. Jesus gave these disciples his words, and his words are eternal. Earth and even heaven will pass away, but the words of Jesus last forever.

When every day goes by like the one before, it is easy to become complacent. Noah built an ark in obedience to God’s command, while the rest of humanity ignored him. In the same way Jesus taught his disciples to keep watch. He taught them to live like Noah, to watch for his coming when everyone else went about their lives as usual. The Son of Man will come; therefore, we keep watch. No one knows the exact hour when the Son of Man will come, but the wise servant lives with the expectation of his master’s coming at all times. Jesus wants us to be wise and faithful servants. He teaches us to serve him as we serve God’s people in our times. The Son of Man comes to judge and to save. He calls us to be ready and to serve him faithfully.

Prayer: Lord, help me to hold on to the words of Jesus and be a wise and faithful servant in my generation.

One Word: A wise servant