THE WISE AND WATCHFUL STEWARD

MATTHEW 24:45-51

          Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (NASB).

INTRODUCTION

          When Harry Truman was thrust into the presidency, by the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Sam Rayburn took him aside.

          “From here on out, you are going to have lots of people around you. They will try to put up a wall around you and cut you off from any ideas but theirs.

          They will tell you what a great man you are, Harry. But you and I both know you ain’t.”

          I would like us to explore the subject: “The Wise and Watchful Steward.”

I.                  THE FAITHFUL STEWARD VV. 45-47

          A master of a number of servants has to leave his household for an undetermined length of time. In the ancient times it was a common practice for masters to put one servant in charge of all the household business.  The master makes the necessary plans for his departure and calls in one of his servants, who in the master’s opinion, is able to manage the day-to-day duties of the household. It is the servant’s duty to be in charge of his fellow servants, to give them their food at the proper time, and to prove his faithfulness and prudence in his master’s absence. If the master finds everything in order upon his return, he intends to promote the servant to be the manager of his possessions.

          The servant demonstrates two indispensable characteristics: faithfulness and prudence. He is dependable because his yes is yes and his no is no. His fellow servants know that he does not break his word. They can trust him. He is also shrewd, for he has a canny way of anticipating problems, of being fully prepared to meet them skillfully and to solve them effectively. With apparent ease he seems to be in full control of every situation. This servant has the skill in dealing with fellow servants that encourages the timid and reproves the lazy ones.

          When the master returns from his journey, he makes an inspection tour and finds everything in good order. He is pleased with the glowing reports he hears about the servant. As a reward for his faithfulness, the master promotes the servant to the position of manager over all his possessions. He knows now that the servant has stood the test of efficiently managing his household. He awards him by placing him second in command.

          This parable reminds me of Joseph in the house of Portiphar, and later became the second in command in all of Egypt. The Bible says that God blessed the house of Portiphar because of Joseph. The same blessings of God continued to follow Joseph even when he was thrown in jail, because he was faithful to God. If you are faithful to God, wherever you go the blessings of God will follow you. God will also bless the people around you. The servant was faithful to his master’s work and His master took notice of it and blessed him.

          As Christians, we should also be about the Lord’s work, honoring Him in every area of life. Some of you are reluctant when it comes to giving of yourself and your money to the Lord’s work. You do it grudgingly as if you are doing it for the pastor. However, everything that you do either in the church, or at your place of work, you are doing it for Christ. As a Christian, you are ultimately responsible to Jesus Christ for what you do or refuse to do. Dr. Billy Graham says it better, “If God has given you more than your neighbors, dedicate it to Christ, and realize that you are only a steward of that which God has given you—some day you will have to give an account for every penny you spent.” In the economy of God, leaders must serve more than rule. Such people who serve will be “blessed.” In other words, the Lord Himself will bless them at His return. When you serve the Lord well with the spiritual gifts, investments, and the sphere of influence the Lord has given you, He will expand your territory. He will enlarge your circle of influence. All that the Lord requires of you is your faithfulness to what He has committed to your care. In the economy of God success is equal to faithfulness. God sees success more different than the way the world does.

          A Persian legend tells us that a certain king needed a faithful servant and had to choose between two candidates for the office. He took both at fixed wages and told them to fill a basket with water from a nearby well, saying that he would come in the evening to inspect their work. After dumping one or two buckets of water into the basket, one of the men said, “What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour the water in, it runs out the sides.”

          The other answered, “But we have our wages, haven’t we? The use is the master’s business, not ours.” “I am not going to do such fool’s work,” replied the complainer. Throwing down his bucket, he went away.

          The other man continued until he had drained the well. Looking down into it, he saw something shining at the bottom that proved to be a diamond ring. “Now I see the use of pouring water into the basket!” he exclaimed. “If the bucket had brought up before the well was dry, it would have been found in the basket. Our work was not useless.”

          When God’s blessing does not fully coincide with your expectations, remember to wait until the well is dry. There may be something precious at the bottom.

II.   THE FALSE STEWARD VV. 48-51

          When a master places someone in charge of his household, he appoints a trustworthy servant whom he expects to do well. The master wants to leave his hands in dependable hands. When you are traveling outside the United States, do you not want to leave your house in the hands of someone who would take care of it for you when you are away? However, human nature is not always dependable, and the master may make a serious error in appointing a particular servant in whom he has put his confidence. In other words, the master can never be absolutely certain that the servant will live up to his expectations.

          The servant may have put a façade before he received the appointment. Now that his master has left, he reveals his true character. He is sly, cruel, and intemperate. On the basis of other journeys his master has taken, the servant calculates that he will stay a long time. In the master’s absence, the servant begins to beat his fellow servants. He feels quite safe in doing so, thinking that the time of his master’s return is in the distant future. He spends his time in the company of drunkards with whom he indulges in excess in the form of food and drink.

          His master hurries home, and appears suddenly and unexpectedly. What is the master going to do with this servant who has been irresponsible and unfaithful? The master hears the stories about his behavior, his parties, and laziness. Nothing escapes him and everything becomes known to him. The master is now the judge and the law enforcer. He must pronounce the verdict and declare the offender guilty. Then he must administer appropriate punishment.

          Jesus said, “He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (24:51). This text presents some difficulty in understanding the phrase “cut to pieces.” If the phrase is taken literally, how can he be given a place among the hypocrites if he is “cut to pieces?” It is possible that the text contains an idiom that should be understood metaphorically, much the same as the expression “skin him alive.” The phrase “cut him to pieces” is a more literal translation of “to cut him off” from the midst of his people. This wording harmonizes with the teaching of Psalm 37, in which the righteous will inherit the land, but the wicked will be cut off. The servant who failed his master receives the opposite reward of the responsible, trustworthy, and faithful servant. He is separated, cast out, and cut off from his people.

          THE ESSENCE OF THE PARABLE

          What is Jesus teaching us with this parable? In this parable, Jesus links belief with behavior. In other words, if you call yourself a Christian, a disciple, and, a witness of Jesus Christ, what you believe or profess as your faith in Christ should be consistent with your behavior. For instance, if you believe in the Second Coming of Christ, then, you must behave accordingly. You cannot live, as you like if you truly believe that Jesus Christ may come at any moment. The certainty of the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ should regulate your home life and preserve you from giving way to riotous excess of living. God-honoring service, true fellowship, holiness of life, and watchfulness will be yours if you allow the thought of the Christ’s return to dominate every part of your life.

          The point of the parable is to call attention to the responsibility given to every follower of Christ. Some believers receive greater privileges than others, but they also are charged with greater responsibilities. Because every believer has his/her own duty in the service of the Lord, no one is excluded or exempt.

          The master of the household represents Jesus Christ, who leaves with the promise of His return. In Jesus’ absence, His followers, including you and I have privileges and responsibilities. If you are faithful and wise in the discharge of your duties, Jesus will reward you abundantly when He returns. But if you are unfaithful and behave irresponsibly, at Jesus’ return you will face complete separation from the people of God along with dreadful punishment. Now, those who are unfaithful and behave irresponsibly are showing by their behavior that their belief or profession in Christ is a sham. They are just like Judas Iscariot. Realize that Judas Iscariot was a disciple of Christ but his beliefs did not match his behavior. He ended up betraying Jesus Christ and subsequently committed suicide.

          One thing that is sure is that the return of the master will be sudden and without warning, and the evil servant will be “caught in the act.”

          The language of verse 51 speaks clearly of the judgment of God against phonies and hypocrites. Everywhere in the Bible Jesus is presented as the loving Lord of all who come to Him in repentance and faith. But on few pages the Bible points to the holiness side, the side of God completely intolerant of sin, unwilling to compromise with evil.

          These fewer pages of the Bible balance the picture. God is love, and God is holy. All who trust in Jesus Christ are participants in holiness. The penalty for your sin was paid on the cross. But everyone who rejects Christ stands in danger of the judgment of a holy God. Do not be there when God’s anger strikes. The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of   God. “For our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Heed the warning and appeal to Jesus because He is your only hope.