Topic:  Blessed Servant                                                                                Text: Luke 12: 35-48              

No one in this world wants to live without blessing. Opportunity, grace and good deeds lead human to receive blessing. The world thinks that those who have prosperity, power, and wealth are blessed ones but those who are poor and meek are the cursed ones. During Jesus’ time Pharisees and Sadducees were in high position, yet Jesus said woe to them. Jesus called the rich man who stored grains for the future as foolish. World’s standard is always based on one’s present position but Jesus always sees the future. Here Jesus speaks a parable about a Master, who returned home and rewards one servant and punishes the other. Verse 43 says blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.

Now, we are going to meditate why is this servant considered by the Master as a blessed servant? Or what are the qualities he has? V 42 says And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? While meditating upon this passage we will understand why the other servant was punished.

To be a blessed servant within us we should have two Qualities. First Quality is to be Faithful and the second Quality is to be Wise (prudent)

1. Being Faithful

To be faithful is not easy because it is related with the Heart. Even though we are committed to be faithful, but there are some circumstances that we may slide. There may be different questions arise in us, for example, everyone are normal and unfaithful then why should I be faithful? Everyone lives a luxury and cozy life then why should I remain poor?  

The Greek word Gre-go-rio is used here for watch meaning be alert or more than being alert. Among the Jews, night was divided into three “watches” this could be clearly seen in Exodus: 14:24 & Judges 7:19 and this continued till Roman times. The Romans divided night into four “watches”; the Jews also recognized this. That is what we could see in Mark 13:35. The point of the parable seems to be that thieves do not send calling cards ahead to announce the arrival if one is to be ready for the thieves intrusion, one needs to be redeem all the time in view here is a prospect of suffering loss or damage through lack of constant readiness, the parable has been linked thematically. Among the servants one is faithful. What does this mean? It means in all situations he opened his eyes and did his duty. He never minded whether his co-servants did their duty sincerely or not, he never compromised with them, he never blamed or complained them but sacrificed his sleep and did his duty. Another important thing we could find in him is that he was ready to welcome his Master one who returning.

As per the Jewish law a servant should be always ready to welcome his master at the door step while he is arriving. Those who are ready to welcome the master any time when he comes will find to their surprise that they will have the experience of being served servants rather than that of being serving servants.

For a servant to meet his master is not an easy task; any time the master may call the servant for accounts, if a servant is ready he has to give a proper accounts of what the duty has been assigned, he has to maintain a ledger. Here the faithful servant had no fear and was always ready to face his master at any time because he had done his duty and maintained all the accounts and ledger. Till the end the faithful servant sustained the oath that he had taken in front of his master. The faithful servant is steadily carrying out his masters wishes when his master walks in the door. The servant who takes advantage of master’s delay will have to pay the ultimate penalty for his foolishness.    

When Bishop Polycarp was persecuted by the Roman counsel and he stated “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He has done me no wrong: how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

Once Mother Teresa stated that “God has not called me to be successful but to be faithful”

Faithfulness is a long obedience in a same direction.

1. Being Wise (Prudent)

Once there lived a Master and a Monkey. The master trained that monkey in order to protect him from danger. Once they both had to travel to forest, few miles away the master was tired and instructed monkey to guard him and went to rest. There came a fly and disturbed his master; the monkey tried a lot to defend him. Finally the fly sat on the master’s nose, so the monkey got angry and took a big rock nearby threw on his master’s nose. The master was injured severely and felt very bad for keeping this unwise animal as defender.  Foolishness always brings danger, that’s why Bible says Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.  When we read the Bible we could see in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 1 verse 9-18 that, Moses appointed wise and reputable leaders to lead the Israelites.  

When the master of the house returned, he decided to appoint his servants in different authority and decided to select a talented servant who was not only faithful but also wise to manage his property. In Jewish tradition they own slaves according to their capacity. Few may have one, others two but one who is rich might have hundreds of slaves. Here in this passage we can see the Master’s intention is to uplift his slaves as manager. A slave always does not have authority to do anything of their own. The slave in the Jewish law is really only a worker or servant. Mostly a master considers a slave should not be wise nevertheless to be faithful but if a slave should be appointed as a Manager, he should be faithful as well as wise because he has authority over other slaves under him why because now he is not Slave like other slaves rather he is going to be the leader of other slaves. If the Leader is not wise a slave can easily cheat him as well as the Master who appointed him. The wise will know how to act in order to keep his position stable. In Luke v 47 the master chooses a servant “who knew masters will and who act according to master’s will” why because if a slave does not know his master’s aim or purpose, he could bring shame, pain and disaster to his master. Knowing himself is good at the same time knowing master’s desire of heart is wise.

A boy was going to school, saw a small pond. He saw many fishes jumping inside. The boy said “My father likes fish, he will be happy if I take this to him”. So he got into the pond caught few fish and he took them home happily. But his father did not receive it happily. Father said “my son it is true that I love fish but the more I love is you to go to school”. Many a times we take decision on our own way and say, I have done many good things for God, but in reality we really avoid to hear the rhythm of His heart. Therefore, the wise who understood his masters would work according to his master’s expectation, but the irresponsible servant began to beat the male and female servants, and eat and drink and get drunk is what v 45 says. Knowing the will of the Master is wise.

For Luke the “master” (same Greek word as Lord) of each of the parable is the Lord Jesus. Knowing the will of the Lord is wise. That is why when Paul prayed for the Church of Colossians he used “you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”. Only those who hear the master’s voice will not put the master to shame and loss.

Conclusion

The one who is faithful and wise can only lead the people in a right way. Today the value of money has increased; but faithfulness and wisdom have no value at all. Only unfaithful and imprudent officers are in authority, so corruption plays a prominent role. It is common to a society as well as to a church if foolish and unfaithful leaders are in power they cannot yield good fruit for the society.

In this present world that we live today, if any one submits to the will of God and lives a faithful life i.e. faithful to people around them is considered as a lunatic in the society. The world judges human being from his or her present situation, rather, God sees his or her future. That is why the Master called the person who was faithful and wise as a Blessed Servant. Along with him there was another servant who was unfaithful enjoyed, drank, ate and merry. The world would have thought that he is blessed but in the Bible we read that when the master returns from the banquet he kicks and throws the unfaithful servant and blesses the faithful and wise servant.

My dear friends ‘this morning the question that has been set before you and me is, am I a faithful servant? And as a wise, Are we able to understand the will of God? Through illegal ways and corrupted voice we could earn lots and lots but when God appears in glory and when we stand before His throne do you think that God will say to us, He/she is my Blessed Servant.

May the almighty God help us to be faithful and wise. Amen