FAITHFUL ENDURANCE
Opening Prayer
Jesus, I want to be like You today.
Read Matthew 24:45–51
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Why do you do good things?Jesus now moves into a number of parables to examine different aspects of faithful living in the light of the coming judgment. Yesterday, judgment came unexpectedly.
However, in this parable there is a delay in judgment. The master puts a servant in charge of feeding a household of servants while he is away (45). The “faithful and wise” servant fulfills this task, in contrast to the “wicked” servant who commits evil acts (49).
While the faithful servant is rewarded (47), the unfaithful servant finds himself faced with the unexpected return of his master (50) and faces severe punishment and “a place with the hypocrites” (51). The faithful servant is wise because he has realigned his life to act as a citizen of heaven. However, like the Pharisees and Scribes that Jesus condemned in Matthew 23, the wicked servant has chosen injustice and self-indulgence. He also shows no understanding of the mercy God has shown him.
Apply
“Live as children of the light… and find out what pleases the Lord” (Eph. 5:8b). What pleases God? How can you live in such a way to shine your light today? Take practical steps to make it happen!
Closing prayer
O God, please help me to live “in the light” today.
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