Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Blessed is the servant whom his returning master finds faithfully doing his assigned work, a promise Christ gave about servants and their lord in view of the last events of earth's history when He will come suddenly at an unexpected hour. The lord is Christ, now absent in heaven, who has left His people as stewards of His household and of the interests He came to serve. The doing that brings the blessing is the work of the faithful and wise steward set over the household to give its members their portion of spiritual food in due season, watching solemnly for souls as one who must give account, with prayer and wholehearted vigilance rather than listless idleness. That faithfulness means using every talent, knowledge, ability and opportunity according to the light received and doing the best possible work in the present duty, for all entrusted goods belong to the Lord and must be used in His service rather than for selfish gratification, with each steward answerable to God for the trust. Those found so watching are richly rewarded, for the Lord Himself will serve them and faithful service blesses both others and the servant, while neglect receives the reward of the unfaithful steward when the Lord investigates the stewardship.
Setting and Promise
Blessed is the servant whom his returning lord finds faithfully carrying out his assigned work and duty. The blessing rests on the faithful and wise steward whom the Lord has made ruler over His household to give the portion of meat in due season and finds doing that work when He comes. The verse belongs to Christ's description of the last events of earth's history and to His teaching about servants and their lord. It is to be studied in connection with faithful use of what belongs to the Lord.
The lord is the absent Christ who has returned to heaven and left His people in charge as stewards of His household and of the interests He came to this world to serve. A physician is such a servant, entrusted with responsibility for the care of fellow beings. The Lord's servants are entrusted with responsibility for His household and are blessed when He returns and finds them faithfully carrying it out.
His coming will be sudden, for the Son of man comes at an unexpected hour, and those found sleeping instead of faithful will miss the blessing. Constant readiness is therefore required, and readiness means faithfully attending to life's duties, not idly waiting. They must remain ready for His unexpected return, not sleeping or living in conformity with the world, but clothed in His righteousness.
Those found watching are rewarded, for the Lord will gird Himself and make them sit down to meat and serve them. Faithful service blesses both others and the servant. The servant found doing the present work his Lord gave him receives blessing and reward, while neglect brings the reward of an unfaithful steward. The Lord investigates how people have managed what He entrusted to them, for the entrusted goods belong to the Lord and are to be used in His service, not for selfish gratification or needless luxury, and those who prove faithful receive His reward.
Faithful Work Required
The blessing falls on the faithful and wise steward whom the Lord has made ruler over His household to give its members their portion of spiritual food in due season and at the proper time, when He comes and finds him doing that work. That doing is solemn, serious watching for souls as those who must give an account, with loins girded and lights burning like men waiting for their lord to return from the wedding to open immediately when He knocks. It is carried on in daily prayer and watchfulness with the whole heart put into the service of Christ, instead of striving in a tame, listless way.
The entrusted work is to use the talents, knowledge, abilities, and opportunities God has given according to the light received, doing the best possible work in the duty assigned. Faithful service invests God's gifts for His purposes and keeps working faithfully until He comes, continuing while there is time to work. Faithful use of knowledge and abilities brings greater knowledge and power for service and bears fruit, yet its merit belongs to God's grace and not to the servant. The work is urgent because opportunities may pass before the Lord comes, and because His coming is connected with the gospel being carried throughout the earth, so believers are to work urgently and faithfully in sharing it rather than be absorbed in self-serving concerns.
All entrusted goods belong to the Lord and are to be used in His service rather than for selfish gratification or needless luxury. Each steward must answer to God for that trust, for the Lord investigates how people have managed what He entrusted to them and those who prove faithful receive His reward. Stewards are held accountable for neglecting His work and for failing to heed the warnings and light they have received.
Stewardship in Daily Life
The blessing falls on those given great light, especially students, who show real religious interest, seek the Lord most earnestly, and do not merely claim to believe the truth but live it and practice it. The doing is to live as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above, guarding the heart with perpetual vigilance against estrangement from God and thirst for human praise. It is to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to make self-denying sacrifice for the cause without ostentation, to hide self in Jesus, and to walk in self-abasement, lowliness, and sanctification of the Spirit.
Present duties and burdens are to be taken up today in the fear of God, with ways and works made perfect before Him, including sacred duty to family. The servant is not to neglect present duty to attempt some great work not given, and by faithful present work reproach is removed from God's cause and time is redeemed. Ministers live this by studying Scripture so they can give the church its portion of spiritual food at the proper time, while physicians do so by working with refinement rather than in a coarse, careless, or haphazard way. All in responsible positions must not withhold knowledge or hinder others from entering and receiving it, lest they be found unfaithful stewards when Christ comes.
A steward honored by God represents Christ's patience, kindness, long-suffering love, honesty, and self-denial, remembering that he is a servant and not exalting himself or oppressing others. If he fails to represent his Master, those entrusted to his care may rightly discharge him. Faithfulness also governs means and influence: gifts are to provide a plain, neat, debt-free and suitable house of worship devoted to educating and training adults, children, and youth, rather than needless adornment or debt. The faithful steward returns the Lord's portion so the vineyard does not remain barren, takes every matter to the Lord in prayer to learn what the Lord would do in his place, and works by the Lord's principles with clear discernment. He does not spend all in overabundance on his own field nor take more than he can carry, but counting the cost and knowing he has received more than others, he willingly and cheerfully restrains his own inclinations and unselfishly shares means, foresight, and judgment with fellow workers in hard, destitute places lacking facilities, so the work is built up everywhere. He loves his neighbor as himself and shows compassion and generosity to the needy rather than neglect.
Because he does with God's goods as God chooses, his works of righteousness flow as a continual stream to the desert portions of the vineyard. Of him the Lord declares in the councils of heaven that he is a faithful steward who can be trusted to handle God's goods, who keeps God's fear before him. God has made His people stewards of His grace and truth as the means of life for perishing fellow men, and the blessed servant faithfully carries and imparts those blessings without abating. Neglect to impart them is unfaithfulness to trust and is reckoned as robbery, with the cries of the perishing ascending to heaven. The unfaithful steward loses his first ardor and good impressions, gives place to temptation through evil counselors, lets selfish gain take possession, stops short of the destination, forgets the starving people and his purpose of mercy, and diverts entrusted stores into selfish and mercantile advantage for his own benefit while leaving others to die. Likewise, leading people by personal influence to act against God's direction makes a person an unfaithful steward who is answerable to God and must repent.
Blessed is the servant whom his returning master finds faithfully doing his assigned work, a promise Christ gave about servants and their lord in view of the last events of earth's history when He will come suddenly at an unexpected hour. The lord is Christ, now absent in heaven, who has left His people as stewards of His household and of the interests He came to serve. The doing that brings the blessing is the work of the faithful and wise steward set over the household to give its members their portion of spiritual food in due season, watching solemnly for souls as one who must give account, with prayer and wholehearted vigilance rather than listless idleness. That faithfulness means using every talent, knowledge, ability and opportunity according to the light received and doing the best possible work in the present duty, for all entrusted goods belong to the Lord and must be used in His service rather than for selfish gratification, with each steward answerable to God for the trust. Those found so watching are richly rewarded, for the Lord Himself will serve them and faithful service blesses both others and the servant, while neglect receives the reward of the unfaithful steward when the Lord investigates the stewardship.
Setting and Promise
Blessed is the servant whom his returning lord finds faithfully carrying out his assigned work and duty. The blessing rests on the faithful and wise steward whom the Lord has made ruler over His household to give the portion of meat in due season and finds doing that work when He comes. The verse belongs to Christ's description of the last events of earth's history and to His teaching about servants and their lord. It is to be studied in connection with faithful use of what belongs to the Lord.
The lord is the absent Christ who has returned to heaven and left His people in charge as stewards of His household and of the interests He came to this world to serve. A physician is such a servant, entrusted with responsibility for the care of fellow beings. The Lord's servants are entrusted with responsibility for His household and are blessed when He returns and finds them faithfully carrying it out.
His coming will be sudden, for the Son of man comes at an unexpected hour, and those found sleeping instead of faithful will miss the blessing. Constant readiness is therefore required, and readiness means faithfully attending to life's duties, not idly waiting. They must remain ready for His unexpected return, not sleeping or living in conformity with the world, but clothed in His righteousness.
Those found watching are rewarded, for the Lord will gird Himself and make them sit down to meat and serve them. Faithful service blesses both others and the servant. The servant found doing the present work his Lord gave him receives blessing and reward, while neglect brings the reward of an unfaithful steward. The Lord investigates how people have managed what He entrusted to them, for the entrusted goods belong to the Lord and are to be used in His service, not for selfish gratification or needless luxury, and those who prove faithful receive His reward.
Faithful Work Required
The blessing falls on the faithful and wise steward whom the Lord has made ruler over His household to give its members their portion of spiritual food in due season and at the proper time, when He comes and finds him doing that work. That doing is solemn, serious watching for souls as those who must give an account, with loins girded and lights burning like men waiting for their lord to return from the wedding to open immediately when He knocks. It is carried on in daily prayer and watchfulness with the whole heart put into the service of Christ, instead of striving in a tame, listless way.
The entrusted work is to use the talents, knowledge, abilities, and opportunities God has given according to the light received, doing the best possible work in the duty assigned. Faithful service invests God's gifts for His purposes and keeps working faithfully until He comes, continuing while there is time to work. Faithful use of knowledge and abilities brings greater knowledge and power for service and bears fruit, yet its merit belongs to God's grace and not to the servant. The work is urgent because opportunities may pass before the Lord comes, and because His coming is connected with the gospel being carried throughout the earth, so believers are to work urgently and faithfully in sharing it rather than be absorbed in self-serving concerns.
All entrusted goods belong to the Lord and are to be used in His service rather than for selfish gratification or needless luxury. Each steward must answer to God for that trust, for the Lord investigates how people have managed what He entrusted to them and those who prove faithful receive His reward. Stewards are held accountable for neglecting His work and for failing to heed the warnings and light they have received.
Stewardship in Daily Life
The blessing falls on those given great light, especially students, who show real religious interest, seek the Lord most earnestly, and do not merely claim to believe the truth but live it and practice it. The doing is to live as pilgrims and strangers whose citizenship is above, guarding the heart with perpetual vigilance against estrangement from God and thirst for human praise. It is to hunger and thirst after righteousness, to make self-denying sacrifice for the cause without ostentation, to hide self in Jesus, and to walk in self-abasement, lowliness, and sanctification of the Spirit.
Present duties and burdens are to be taken up today in the fear of God, with ways and works made perfect before Him, including sacred duty to family. The servant is not to neglect present duty to attempt some great work not given, and by faithful present work reproach is removed from God's cause and time is redeemed. Ministers live this by studying Scripture so they can give the church its portion of spiritual food at the proper time, while physicians do so by working with refinement rather than in a coarse, careless, or haphazard way. All in responsible positions must not withhold knowledge or hinder others from entering and receiving it, lest they be found unfaithful stewards when Christ comes.
A steward honored by God represents Christ's patience, kindness, long-suffering love, honesty, and self-denial, remembering that he is a servant and not exalting himself or oppressing others. If he fails to represent his Master, those entrusted to his care may rightly discharge him. Faithfulness also governs means and influence: gifts are to provide a plain, neat, debt-free and suitable house of worship devoted to educating and training adults, children, and youth, rather than needless adornment or debt. The faithful steward returns the Lord's portion so the vineyard does not remain barren, takes every matter to the Lord in prayer to learn what the Lord would do in his place, and works by the Lord's principles with clear discernment. He does not spend all in overabundance on his own field nor take more than he can carry, but counting the cost and knowing he has received more than others, he willingly and cheerfully restrains his own inclinations and unselfishly shares means, foresight, and judgment with fellow workers in hard, destitute places lacking facilities, so the work is built up everywhere. He loves his neighbor as himself and shows compassion and generosity to the needy rather than neglect.
Because he does with God's goods as God chooses, his works of righteousness flow as a continual stream to the desert portions of the vineyard. Of him the Lord declares in the councils of heaven that he is a faithful steward who can be trusted to handle God's goods, who keeps God's fear before him. God has made His people stewards of His grace and truth as the means of life for perishing fellow men, and the blessed servant faithfully carries and imparts those blessings without abating. Neglect to impart them is unfaithfulness to trust and is reckoned as robbery, with the cries of the perishing ascending to heaven. The unfaithful steward loses his first ardor and good impressions, gives place to temptation through evil counselors, lets selfish gain take possession, stops short of the destination, forgets the starving people and his purpose of mercy, and diverts entrusted stores into selfish and mercantile advantage for his own benefit while leaving others to die. Likewise, leading people by personal influence to act against God's direction makes a person an unfaithful steward who is answerable to God and must repent.