The pictures in Matthew 24 stress the sudden nature and unpredictability of Christ’s return. The picture of the flood reminds us that many persons will be lost. The picture of the two men working in the fields and the two women grinding at the mill points to a radical separation and reminds us that we are not saved by knowing or being close to a believer. The picture of the thief reminds us that our souls are valuable and that it is simple prudence for us to be ready.
The next picture contrasts two servants. This picture provides an explanation of what being ready means. Being ready means loving, trusting, and waiting for Jesus Christ. The faithful servant is faithful because he is expecting his Lord’s return. But it also has to do with faithful service, that is, continuing to carry out what Jesus has left us in this world to do. We find the same idea in two of the three parables in Matthew 25. In one parable faithfulness is demonstrated by the wise use of the talents Christ has given (Mt.25.14-30). In the other it is seen in selfless service to those who are hungry or thirsty or have other pressing needs (vv.31-46).
How are we to evaluate the service of these two men? Not much is said about the good servant, only that he gave the other servants their food at the proper time. Jesus may be thinking of spiritual food and of the service of pastors in teaching the Bible. On the other hand, much is said about the bad servant. His service is marked by three vices.
He neglects his work because, he says, “My master is staying away a long time.” This reminds us of II Pe.3.4: “They will say, ‘Where is this “coming” he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’ ” It always seems like that to unbelievers. Jesus has not returned yet, so they are careless. What seems delayed to us is not a delay with him. Therefore, says Peter, “Be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.”
The second vice of the wicked servant is cruelty to his fellow servants, because he began “to beat” them. This is like the Pharisees whom Jesus said would pursue, flog, kill, and crucify his servants, only here it is not merely the apostles and missionaries who are beaten. The underservants are beaten, and the one doing the beating is a person who claims to be a servant of the Lord.
Finally, the Lord denounces the wicked servant for his carousing. He has begun “to eat and drink with drunkards.” He is behaving like those living in the days of Noah who were “eating and drinking” and “knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.”
The passage says of the good servant only that it will be good for him when his master returns. But of the bad servant it says, “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware… He will assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
There is an old fable in which three apprentice devils were talking to Satan. The first one said, “I will tell people there is no God.” Satan replied, “That will not fool many, because they know there is a God.” The second devil said, “I will tell them there is no hell.” Satan said, “You will never fool many that way, because they know there is a hell.” The third said, “I will tell people there is no hurry.” Satan said, “Go, and you will ruin millions.”
So I ask, even as Jesus asks over and over again: Are you ready for His return? Are you watching? To be ready when Jesus returns means salvation; not to be ready is to perish.
(mar-uh-nath-uh – “Our Lord Comes”)
Pastor Steve can be reached at PastorSteve@MaranathaBibleChurch.org