The Faithful and Wise Servant

Story Snapshot

A master puts a servant in charge of his household. The faithful servant keeps doing his duty and is rewarded when the master returns. But a wicked servant, thinking the master delays, abuses others and indulges himself, and is caught and punished when the master comes unexpectedly.

Main Characters

Story Summary

In his teaching about his return, Jesus asked, 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? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, My master is staying away a long time, and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 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. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The two servants are given the same charge; the difference is how they use the time of the master's absence.

Timeline

• The ChargeA master puts a servant over his household.
• The Faithful WayThe good servant keeps doing his duty.
• The Wicked WayThe bad servant presumes on delay and abuses others.
• The ReturnThe master comes unexpectedly and judges each.

Themes

What This Story Means

This parable is about how we live in the time between Jesus' departure and his return. Both servants are entrusted with the same responsibility over the household. The faithful servant simply keeps doing his duty, caring for those in his charge, and is found doing so when the master returns, and richly rewarded. The wicked servant makes a fatal assumption: my master is staying away a long time. Believing the delay excuses him, he turns cruel and self-indulgent. His downfall comes precisely because the master returns when he does not expect it. Jesus teaches that the delay of his return is not a license for carelessness but a test of faithfulness. Because we do not know the hour, the call is to steady, faithful service now, so that whenever the Master comes, we are found doing what he entrusted to us.

Bringing It Home

• Live faithfully now, because the Master's return is certain but its timing unknown.
• The delay of Christ's return tests our faithfulness, it does not excuse carelessness.
• Those entrusted with responsibility will give an account for how they used it.
• Presuming on delay leads to carelessness and cruelty.
• Be found doing your duty whenever the Master comes.

Key Verse

Did You Know?

• It is part of Jesus' teaching about his return on the Mount of Olives.
• A household steward held genuine authority in the master's absence.
• The wicked servant's error is assuming the master delays.
• It appears in both Matthew and Luke.

Read Next

What This Shows Us About God

• God entrusts responsibility and will call for an account.
• God rewards faithfulness found at his return.
• God judges those who presume on his delay.

What This Shows Us About People

• We are tempted to grow careless when the Master seems delayed.
• We use the same trust in faithful or faithless ways.
• We do not know the hour, so we must be ready always.

A Question to Sit With

If the Master returned today, would He find me faithfully doing what He entrusted to me?

Prayer

Lord, keep me faithful in the time of Your absence. Do not let me grow careless because You seem delayed. Help me steward well what You have entrusted, so I am found doing my duty when You come. Amen.