Luke 12:42-48

Luke 12:42-48 The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose the servant says to himself, ‘My master is taking a long time in coming,’ and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 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 unbelievers. “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

All the servants in this parable knew the master. They knew his character and how he ran things. They also understood what it meant to be in his household. They knew how he wanted them to act and what kind of demeanor they should display towards others. They understood if they violated his will, his authority, they would face discipline. Now the servant he gave much authority, the one he put in charge of others, is especially culpable, for he knew the master's complete will. Of all the servants, he has heard the master the most often. He has received exact instructions on running the household. If a servant with much authority and knowledge ignores the master's will, he or she will experience great wrath from the master's hands should he fail. However, if a servant knows little about the master's ways and has little authority, he or she will be punished with few blows. To know the master, to know God, and then to stray from his will and do our own thing is a dangerous place, a place of judgment, not redemption. If servants with intimate contact with the master fail to implement his will in their lives, they are in danger of everlasting judgment. The word is very plain is this area: the Lord takes no pleasure in those who quit, who give up, who fail to endure. They will face judgment of some kind. This is a caution for mature Christians.

Now, every Christian partaking of the breakfast this morning has been put in charge of something or someone. If we are parents, our children depend upon us. They are not only in our households, they are in the household of the Master. All of our friends, acquaintances, fellow employees, and people in general are in his household. If we mistreat members of God's household, people made in his image, we will be asked to give an account. God will not let us destroy relationships or willfully hurt people without retribution, for GOD IS A JUST GOD. The Bible says, "Vengeance is mine." We must always act towards our fellowmen in a way that Jesus would approve. What would He say to us if He returned while we were in the midst of mistreating people He made in his image, those for whom He died? What would he say if He appeared while we unrepentantly hurled vitriolic remarks towards people, even towards our loved ones? How would He deal with us then? The above parable tells us always to treat people well. We should not get drunk on our own importance, our own authority. Instead of reveling in our supposed independence, we should bring our will under the authority of the Master's will at all times.

God desires that we always hear his voice as the Holy Spirit talks to our hearts and shares his thoughts with us. He wants us to succumb to his will and not our own. But if we become self-willed, unreachable in our inner persons, hardened to the Holy Spirit's voice, we place ourselves in jeopardy of discipline. My dear Christians, we should listen carefully to the Holy Spirit's voice, listen as He tenderly entreats us to do good and love righteousness. As we listen, portray his likeness, and obey him, He will make us as He is, full of goodness, mercy, and grace. The Master's will is that we display the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Paul cautioned the Galatians to seek this harvest in their lives rather than the works of the flesh. When Christ returns, He will say to each of us who fall under his authority, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."