Luke 12:41-45

Luke 12:41 (KJB)
Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all?

Peter was not sure who the Lord had in mind when He made these statements but we know for sure that the Lord was speaking to all because the time of the second coming was in view. Peter’s answer would be given in the parable.

Luke 12:42 (KJB)
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Then Jesus goes into a narrative about the difference between a faithful servant and an unfaithful servant. Jesus poses a question in response to Peter’s question. (Luke 12:41 KJV) Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? Jesus speaks about a faithful servant whom the lord of the house made ruler over his estate and family and faithfully gives them the food and other sustenance they need on a regular basis. He does his tasks with regularity and he does them honestly and in such a way that the household is prospering plus laziness is not part of his character. The lord of that house has no qualms about leaving a wise steward in charge of his house. A good example of this was Joseph in the house of Potiphar where God blessed the house for Joseph’s sake. (Gen 39:5 KJV) And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.

Luke 12:43 (KJB)
Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

The faithful servant does not have to look over his shoulder or even worry about when his master is coming back because his work ethic remains the same, whether the master is there or not. When the master returns, he will not be disappointed because his servant will be about his duties faithfully. Now let us look at these two verses in a spiritual manner. Between the time of the Lord’s first coming and His second coming, Christians have been left with the task of getting the gospel out to the ends of the world. By their faithfulness in ministering to the needs of others, the wise and true servants of the Lord Jesus will become well known. There are many Christians today who do nothing outside of going to church and that is the extent of their commitment which is really non-commitment. The faithful Christian who daily ministers and looks for avenues to minister will be ready when the Lord comes and has no need to wonder when the Lord is returning because his faithfulness to Christ has made him ready. There are two groups which need to concern themselves with the Lord’s return, the unbelievers and lazy uninvolved Christians.

Luke 12:44 (KJB)
Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

This is almost like the parable of the talents where the one who had ten talents and gained ten more was rewarded beyond those talents by the master. There is going to be some kind of reward for those who have remained faithful but as to what that is, needs to be kept in the hands of the Lord and we need not speculate on that. The fact that we are going to Heaven and not an eternity in the lake of fire should be reward enough for all of us. Nevertheless, the Lord is teaching a lesson that faithfulness to Him has its reward.

Luke 12:45 (KJB)
But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

Then the Lord contrasts the faithful servant with one whom He describes as apathetic, which we could say is someone who claims to be a Christian but they have never been regenerated. The evil servant is always counting on the master to delay his coming for a long time. The word “delayeth” is in the present tense so he is continually counting on his master to remain away for a long time, in fact, he is even hoping that his master does no return at all. The apostate church today does not believe the teachings of Jesus because if they did, they would not be in the condition they are in, in case the Lord returned. They are counting on the Lord being away forever.  This apathetic servant saw that his master had delayed his coming and instead of taking care of his estate, he started to lord it over the other servants. He made sure that he was well taken care of and did not see to the provision for the rest of the household instead he became a glutton and drunk as he now started to make friends with the drunks. Instead of him spending time with faithful servants, he spent time with those who were of lower caliber and then he became as one of them. He was enjoying himself in pleasure and the lusts of this world. (1 Th 5:7 KJV) For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. This servant is a child of the night and not of the light because he thinks there is no consequences for living that type of life. This is akin to those in the churches who have made alliances with other unbelievers and had not sought out the ways of the Lord. Their unbelief has kept the church as an entity of the night.

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