Which other scriptures emphasize the importance of being a faithful servant? A sobering picture from Matthew 24:45-51 • Jesus places the “faithful and wise servant” in charge of the household. • Reward: “he will put him in charge of all his possessions” (vv. 45-47). • Warning: the unfaithful servant is “cut…to pieces” and assigned “a place with the hypocrites” (v. 51). • Scripture’s accuracy and literalness underscore that faithfulness is not optional; eternal consequences hang on it. Echoes of faithfulness in the Gospels • Matthew 25:21 – “Well done, good and faithful servant! … Enter into the joy of your master!” • Luke 12:42-44 – Parallel to Matthew 24; the faithful manager is rewarded with greater trust. • Luke 16:10 – “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much.” • John 12:26 – “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me… the Father will honor the one who serves Me.” The Apostolic letters: faithfulness as a stewardship • 1 Corinthians 4:2 – “It is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” • Colossians 3:22-24 – Work “for the Lord and not for men… you will receive an inheritance from the Lord.” • Ephesians 6:6-8 – Serve “with goodwill, as to the Lord… the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does.” • Titus 2:9-10 – Servants are to show “complete fidelity, so that they may adorn the teaching of God our Savior.” • 1 Peter 4:10-11 – “As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another.” Old Testament portraits of faithful servants • Joseph – Genesis 39:2-4, 21-23: Even in prison, his steadfast service is honored by God and men. • Moses – Numbers 12:7: “My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.” • Samuel – 1 Samuel 2:35: God promises “a faithful priest” who will do what is in His heart and mind. • Hananiah – Nehemiah 7:2: Chosen to guard Jerusalem “because he was a faithful man who feared God.” • Psalm 101:6 – “My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me.” • Proverbs 25:13 – A faithful messenger “refreshes the soul of his masters.” The ultimate model and reward • Isaiah 42:1 – The Messiah Himself is God’s perfect Servant. • Philippians 2:5-11 – Christ’s humble obedience leads to exaltation; the pattern for every servant. • Revelation 2:10 – “Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” • Revelation 22:3 – In the New Jerusalem, “His servants will serve Him.” Putting it together Scripture consistently presents faithfulness as: • A present duty—serve where you are with integrity. • A test—how we handle “very little” reveals fitness for “much.” • A witness—faithful service “adorns the teaching of God our Savior.” • A path to reward—the Master’s joy, greater responsibility, the crown of life. |
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