BE YE THEREFORE READY ALSO

Peter asks a question dealing with the breadth of the Lord’s message. Does the application deal with just the disciples who first heard the message, v. 41, or does it have a wider application? The Lord answers that it applies to all who claim to be His servants. As all who claim to be servants will be judged when the Lord comes, we need to heed the message of this parable.

In the first section the distinction is made between the wise and faithful steward and the unbelieving steward. The difference in the stewards’ actions stems from their view of the coming of the Lord. Is the Lord coming and when is He coming? Peter says, ‘there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?”¯’, 2 Peter 3. 3-4. The promise of His coming is very clear and that hope will have an effect on our lives. It will affect how we treat our brethren and how we use our gifts to encourage those with whom we enjoy fellowship. The Lord is coming! We are accountable for the use of that which the Lord has given to us. When He comes, and it may be today, will He find us faithful in the discharge of what He has entrusted to us?

The second part of this parable deals with the amount of understanding we have. In our day there are believers who may have more or less light, but each one is responsible for the light he has been given and will be judged according to that light. We may be amongst those who have just become believers, or those in situations where the teaching has been sparse. We may be a believer in an area of the world where the Bible is not allowed or may not have been translated into the local language. In these conditions learning will be much slower. But the Lord is aware of all these circumstances. He will judge properly, Gen. 18. 25. But we who are privileged to live in the English-speaking world have a tremendous spiritual heritage and opportunity of knowing the Lord’s will through His word. The question for us is what are we doing with it? We who know but don’t do His will have much to lose in that day.

He is coming! Are we faithful stewards? Are we serving in the light of what God has revealed to us?