Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

It would be an understatement to say that Jesus is on a roll here with his parables. It seems like the closer we get to the Cross in the story, the more urgent and full-throttle His parables become. Today’s story continues in this pattern.

To understand what Jesus is saying in this parable, we must first take a look at what is going on in this point of Matthew’s gospel.

Jesus had just left the temple in Jerusalem for the last time. He would not step back through those doors during His time on earth. He knew the hard-heartedness of the Pharisees and other religious elite would cause them to ultimately forsake God’s Word, and when his disciples tried to get Him to comment on the splendor of the temple complex, He redirects their awe towards a more important matter: signs of His second coming and the end of the age.

We won’t spend time on this section of Scripture other than to bring up the main theme in Jesus’ speech: Buckle up and be ready.

It is here, in the midst of this speech, that we find the parable of the Two Servants. Let’s unpack each of the servants together.

The Faithful and Wise Servant:

Jesus’ purpose in this parable is to teach us how we are to live in the light of His imminent return. He could come back for His Bride (the church) at any time, so we are to be prepared and ready, actively living in such a way that will give Him glory.

This is the purpose of the first servant. As we await Christ’s return, we are to live “faithfully and wisely.” But what does this mean?

To be faithful is to be one who is trustworthy and dependable. It is to be firmly devoted to and focused on Jesus and one another.

To be wise is to be mindful of what’s to come and to adjust our lives to what we know will take place. It means that we are to live every day as if Jesus is coming back today!

The faithful and wise servant is the one who is focused on the task of service (giving the household food in verse 45). I pray we will wake up every single day, with a fire fueled by the knowledge that the King is on His way, ready to break open the Bread of Life to anyone and everyone who has need. Let us be faithful and wise servants!

The Wicked Servant:

But Jesus doesn’t stop there. He also gives us a picture of the wicket servant. This is the one who is not living in the reality that Jesus could come at any time and begins to live selfishly and foolishly. To Jesus, this is the worst attitude one could possibly have. Yet, it is a temptation.

The enemy would love nothing more than to lull us into a place of passivity and selfishness as we wait on Jesus’ return. The monotony of daily life can rock us slowly into a slumber, where we hardly focus on anyone other than ourselves, much less actually serve them. I can easily fall into this slumber, and it’s parables like this that help open my eyes and reestablish readiness in my life.

In the end, the focus of the parable is this: Christ is returning, and He is returning at any moment. As believers, we are to be ready and active in service to others, living faithfully and wisely. This is our calling.

So, are you ready?

Reflections:

• What emotions or thoughts come to the front of your mind when you read about the faithful servant? What about the wicked servant?
• Read this parable in light of the entirety of Matthew 24. What does this show you about how Jesus saw His return?
• Are you ready for the return of the King? He could come at any moment. How does this change your perspective on your day-to-day life?
• Prayer: Jesus, You are coming soon. Wake me up; make me alert. I don’t want to be in a slumber, moving slowly through daily life, when You return. Holy Spirit, activate my heart and put Your fire in me so that my hands and feet are on purpose, serving those who You have put in my path. I live for You, Jesus. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Matthew 24

Author: Cooper Herrington

One day Jesus is going to come back and take all of His followers to His kingdom. Here is the thing though, no one except God the Father knows when that will happen. In Matthew 25 the author tells us that the day Jesus comes back will be like Noah and the flood. No one except God knew when the flood was coming and all the people kept living like God did not exist. The people threw huge parties and celebrations but they paid no attention to God. It will be the same way when Jesus comes back. The people that don’t follow Jesus will be living their lives just like they would on any other day.

• What does that mean for me and you? Even though we follow Jesus, we don’t know when He is going to come back. That means we want to live every day knowing He could come back at any moment. We want to love and live like Jesus. We want people to know, love, and follow Jesus. Who is someone who doesn’t know or love or follow Jesus who you can invite to church with you?
• Prayer: God, thank You for today. Every day You give us is a gift. God, help me to tell the world about how great You are and how much You love them. Amen.