PARABLE 42 - Wise and Wicked Servants

PARABLE 42 — MATTHEW 24:45-51 — WISE AND WICKED SERVANTS

45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Discussion Questions – Parable 42

PARABLE 42 — MATTHEW 24:45-51 — WISE AND WICKED SERVANTS

1. What is the basic meaning of this parable? Who are the wise servants? Who are the wicked servants?

The parable of the wise and wicked servants can be found in both the Book of Matthew and the Book of Luke (parable #9). Jesus told this story to illustrate the return of the Lord. (Vs. 45) The wise servants are the ones found being faithful upon their lord’s return. They are the wise and faithful servants. (Vs. 48) The wicked servant has evil thoughts. They think their lord has delayed his return. They think they have plenty time to set things in order before he returns. In the meantime they do as they please and abuse their fellow servants. The Lord will return at a time they think not and be punished. This parable teaches us that we should remain vigilant and faithful until His return and maintain the righteous path and we will be greatly rewarded, if not we will be cut asunder.

2. What might be considered a faithful and wise servant of the Lord in our day and time?

Faithful means, “having or showing true and constant support or loyalty”. Synonyms of this word is, “constant, dedicated, devoted, devout, good, loyal, steady, and true.”

A true servant is one who not only has been “born again,” but he’s also one who is living a holy and righteous life before God. He has not only listened to sermons on Sunday and daily read the Word, he is actually obeying and doing what he hears and reads. He’s a “living example” of Christ.

He is a good, devoted, dedicated, loyal, working servant of God that is watching and awaiting his Lord’s return.

3. What might be considered a wicked and evil servant in our day and time? (Look up in the Bible what is consider an evil servant)

We must remember, that Christ has placed the riches of the Gospel into our care, and if we act like the evil servant did, we virtually rob him of what is his due.

The Greek word used for evil is “kakos” and means what we think it should mean,  “of a bad nature, wicked” and is described as doing “not such as ought to be done.” Biblically, evil is anything that contradicts the holy nature of God.

The evil servant was found "eating and drinking with the drunken" (Matthew 24:49). Christ's servants do that when they mix freely with the world which has been made drunk with the "wine" of Babylon the Great (Revelation 17:1-2). He was found smiting the fellow servants. Christ's servants can be guilty of the same fault if they unduly exercise lordship over their brethren. He was found saying, "My lord delays his coming." Christ's servants can also act upon that presumption.

In Jude 1:18 we are told there will be mockers in the last days, who walk after their own ungodly lust. Does that not sound like people of today? Mockers – mocking what? They are mocking the Lord’s return. How many times have you heard someone say “they been saying Jesus was about to come back for years and years.” They no longer believe it will happen or they think it is many, many years away. They think the Lord has delayed His coming. In other words they know He is coming, “but not anytime soon”. In the meantime they walk after their own ungodly lust because they think they have plenty of time to get ready. 

There is nothing pure in those that are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences are defiled. They say they know God, but in their actions they deny Him. In their actions they are wicked and disobedient (see Titus 1:15-16). These people too also walk after their own ungodly lust, but they have defiled their minds and consciences into thinking they are right with God. 

Remember, if you are a believer and doing “not such as ought to be done” you are consider an evil servant and the Lord will appoint you to the same place as the hypocrites. 

4. What does it mean to “give them meat in due season” (vs. 45)?

What is meat? Let us look at scripture where the first mention of the phrase "meat in due season" is found. These passages tell us exactly what this meat is, both in a general sense, and in detail. In general, this meat can be seen in the following verses:

These wait upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season (Psalms 104:27). The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season (Psalms 145:15).

In the above passages, we see immediately that this meat in due season is something that ultimately comes from our Heavenly Father, even though it is distributed by His stewards. Let us home in on two additional passages that show us some further detail of the meat in due season that brings nourishment:

(Proverbs 15:23) …”a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (1 Timothy 4:6) “…nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine.”

We then see further confirmation in the passages above, that our nourishment comes from "the words of Faith and of good teaching" — from God's Word, the Holy Scriptures. Oh, how good it is!

What is “due season”? Just as important as feeding the right meal, so is the timing of the feeding. In the above passages, we have seen that the phrase 'due season' seen in Matthew and Luke is the Greek word, meaning "time, season, opportunity; the opportune or right time." So we see that there is an appropriate or proper time for each "course" of the meat that is to be fed to the household. 

Combining these meanings, we see that the 'due season' is both a description of proper timing, as well as the result of its application. We thus may say that the 'meat in due season' is “to give the Word of God to the household in the proper timing”.

The servants (disciples) were left with instructions (God’s Word) about how to care for the household of God and they were to pass on this Word in proper timing. What’s the proper time? The time before the Master returns. Our due season is now.

This is the general description of what “good stewards” are to feed the Master’s household.

“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister (wise and faithful servant) of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (1 Timothy 4:6).

5. What are some things you can do to feed the household of God?