The Foolish Servant

[00:00:00] For the lightning flashes from the east and is seen even to the west. So will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24, 17 Heavenly Father, we're reminded of the grandeur of Your plan and the certainty of Your promises. We humbly acknowledge our limited understanding and the vastness of Your wisdom.

[00:00:27] Help us to live in a state of readiness and mindfulness, ever watching for Your guidance and presence in our lives. May our hearts be anchored in the hope of Your coming, and our actions reflect the love and patience that You embody. Keep us mindful of the brevity of our time here and the eternal significance of Your kingdom.

[00:00:53] In all things, let us seek to honor You and spread Your light until the glorious day of Your return. In Jesus' name we pray, with humble hearts. Amen. Thank you for praying with me today. You're listening to The Jesus Podcast. Remain here to be swept away in another parable told by Jesus.

[00:01:21] Follow this podcast on whatever platform you're listening to. Doing so will keep you updated, but also help us get discovered by more people. We want the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world. Thanks for making that possible. Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives. He sat alone on a large stone overlooking the garden below.

[00:01:48] He prayed silently to the Lord, knowing that the time of His death was approaching. His disciples came to Him and sat at His feet. Something He had said earlier made them curious. They wondered, what would happen at the very end? What would be the signs? And what should they do to prepare? Tell us, Peter began. What will happen at the end?

[00:02:17] And what will be the sign of Your coming? Watch out for liars. Many will come in my name, claiming they are the Messiah. They will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. But don't be alarmed. All of this must happen before the end. Nation will rise against nation. And kingdom will rage against kingdom.

[00:02:43] Famines and earthquakes will abound like contractions before birth. The disciples looked at each other with worried faces. Jesus sighed. They didn't know the half of it. Struggle awaited them. But blessings awaited them on the other side of hardship. You will be handed over to be persecuted. Those who survive will be hated.

[00:03:10] Many will turn away from the faith and betray one another. False prophets will rise. Wickedness will increase. And love will grow cold. Jesus paused and looked at them tenderly. Take heart, my brothers. Those who stand firm to the end will be saved. This gospel will be preached to the end of the earth. When it reaches the nations, the end will come.

[00:03:38] Jesus continued to explain the details of the end. He wanted every follower to be alert, ready, and excited. Jesus didn't desire for anyone to despair. Rather, he desired them to be strong in the face of coming adversity. Nobody knows the day or the hour this will all take place. Not even the angels in heaven or even the sun.

[00:04:06] No, only the Father knows the time. Therefore, keep watch because you don't know the day the Lord will come. If an owner of a house knew exactly when a thief would come, he would only be vigilant on that night. You must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you don't expect. The disciples nodded, but there was a hint of confusion reflected in their eyes.

[00:04:35] Jesus smiled and said, Let me tell you a story about a faithful servant and a foolish one. Nobody knows the day or the hour. Jesus could come in an instant. Will you be caught flat-footed? Many ministries and, frankly, cults have made a lot of money and gained a lot of followers trying to predict the second coming of Christ. Celebrities have been made, books have been written,

[00:05:00] and entire churches have been burred through the notion that an end date can be put on a calendar. But Jesus was pretty clear. Nobody knows the day or the hour. So, the task for us as believers is to care less about when Jesus returns and more about what we will be doing when He does. This is the Jesus Podcast. Gospel sagas meant to inspire, entertain, and strengthen our walk with God.

[00:05:27] I'm Zach with Pray.com, here to guide you through another parable narrated by Jesus. This parable is told in response to Peter's question, What will happen at the end? And what will be the sign of your coming? Jesus tells this story to address something more important than a date or time. He tells a parable to address our hearts. What will be our posture when Jesus returns? Will we be found as faithful and effective disciples? Or, like the servant, will we be caught flat-footed,

[00:05:55] indulging in selfish desires and mistreating the people around us? In the waning days of summer, when the leaves began to whisper tales of change, there was a manor that stood proud and solemn against the rolling hills of Judea. The master of this manor, a fair and just man, was called away on a journey of great importance. He wasn't sure when he'd return, and his property needed tending to while he was away.

[00:06:26] Before his departure, he summoned his servants. Among them was a servant named Tobiah. Tobiah had quickly risen in the ranks of his master's estate. He had cunning that was often mistaken for wisdom. He knew how to flatter and take credit for the work of others. His devotion to his master served his needs, but he cared little for his master at all. The master, his voice steady as the deep currents of the sea, addressed Tobiah and the rest of the servants.

[00:07:22] Tobiah bowed, a veneer of humility. Masking the surge of pride in his heart. Your trust shall not be misplaced, my lord. He assured. His words were a melody of feigned fidelity. As the master disappeared beyond the horizon, a change came over Tobiah. The weight of authority, rather than cultivating wisdom, festered into a vile brew of arrogance and cruelty.

[00:07:49] In the shadow of his newfound power, he turned to the others and yelled. His words sucked the air right out of the room. Tobiah was cordial in front of his master. But when the master was away, Tobiah planned to enjoy himself. Under his rule, the manor became a realm of discord. Tobiah, drunk with power, turned on his fellow servants.

[00:08:15] He doled out punishments on whims, his laughter echoing through the halls like the clanging of chains. The sellers, once guarded diligently, now flowed freely with wine as Tobiah feasted with his friends. Another servant approached Tobiah one afternoon. Tobiah, one of the wagons broke along the road and the grain spilled everywhere. We need to buy some from our neighbors to recoup our inventory.

[00:08:44] I already sent word to our neighbor and expect a short reply. It was a simple issue, one that the master had often dealt with. But to Tobiah, it was an opportunity to exercise his authority. He shouted, throwing his cup of wine against the wall. He grabbed a candlestick and began beating the servant relentlessly. I! How dare you go over my head!

[00:09:14] How dare you! Tobiah's drunken rage echoed through the halls. He looked for any opportunity to indulge himself with pleasure or lash out in anger. In the fields, the servants toiled, their spirits crushed under the tyranny of Tobiah's rule. Whispers of dissent and prayers for the master's return floated on the wind. A chorus of the oppressed yearning for deliverance.

[00:09:41] Tobiah knew it would be a long while before the master returned. He had time. In a few weeks, he could settle down, clean up, and smile for the master's arrival. Yet his plans did not account for an unexpected return. It was midnight, and the moon's gentle glows shone on the master's estate. Tobiah's boisterous laughter filled the banquet hall.

[00:10:08] As the wine flowed, the servant's nervousness grew. Tobiah was at his worst at night. He prowled the halls like a drunken animal, waiting for anyone to look at him wrong or say something foolish. His friends from the town were with him, alongside some of the women from the alleyways. The entire home stunk of lewdness and pride.

[00:10:32] As Tobiah leaned back in his master's chair, suddenly the main doors opened. Tobiah looked up, and a shadow fell upon the doorway. His eyes widened with shock as he saw a silhouetted figure approach slowly. The master had returned, unheralded and unseen. His presence, a silent storm of reckoning. The hall fell into a hush. The air thick with the scent of fear and anticipation.

[00:11:02] The master's gaze, once warm and kind, now held the cold edge of judgment. He looked upon Tobiah, his disappointment a tangible shroud enveloping the room. Tobiah? The master intoned, his voice a low rumble of thunder. What have you wrought in my absence? Where is this servant I entrusted with my household?

[00:11:29] Tobiah, his arrogance withering under the master's gaze, stammered. My lord, you've returned early. I thought... You thought to betray my trust, to sow discord and cruelty, where I sought harmony and stewardship. The master interrupted, his words sharp as a blade. Your time of reckoning is at hand, Tobiah. The time you thought you had has run out.

[00:11:57] At that moment, Tobiah's fate was sealed. Get this man out of my sight! The master shouted. He stood over Tobiah, a force of judgment and rage. You will be banished from here. Forced to beg in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The comfort you squandered here is no longer available to you.

[00:12:21] The master stripped him of his position, casting him out into the night, where his lamentations echoed into the darkness. Once again under just rule, the manna slowly healed from the scars of Tobiah's tyranny. Jesus concluded his story about the foolish servant. The disciples were left in suspense about the idea of God coming at an unknown time.

[00:12:49] With tender strength, Jesus said, The master will cut that man into pieces, and he will be cast into outer darkness. The story is a warning for those to think they know when the Son of Man will return. I have another story for you. A story about ten young women who were waiting for a groom. A bad steward doesn't consider his master's return.

[00:13:18] This story gives us a few character traits of people who don't live in light of Christ's eminent return. One of the first qualities they have is that they mistreat the other servants around them. Those who don't live with an eternal mindset think only about themselves. They freely mistreat others if it serves their own pleasure or purposes. This happens because they don't consider the fact that they're going to be held accountable for how they treat one another. They have no accountability because they don't think God is watching them or even cares about their actions.

[00:13:48] They're not kingdom-minded in this world or in the next. One of the second qualities is that they will give in to hedonism and basic pleasures. You see that with this foolish servant as well. This servant was excessively given to the pleasures of this world, indulging and gorging himself. You remember that term coined around 2011? YOLO? You only live once was a mantra sung by artists enchanted by young people eager to make poor decisions.

[00:14:15] Those who only live for this life will indulge in whatever pleasure they want. You only live once, right? So, might as well enjoy it. That perspective only makes sense if there's no eternity. That perspective only makes sense if you are the center of the universe and bear no responsibility for the people around you. That perspective of you only live once, so live for you and indulge in all of your pleasures, only makes sense if you don't have a ripple effect into the next generation.

[00:14:42] One of the third qualities of servants who don't live in light of Christ's return is that they seek out distraction and intoxication. Ephesians 5.15 says this, Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk with wine which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

[00:15:07] We have been asked to make the most of our hours here on earth because we know that they are fleeting but purposeful to fulfill the will of God. But drunkenness and intoxication and seeking to constantly distract yourself is a way to cope if you have a purposeless life. If nobody needs you, counts on you, or depends on you, then why not spend your time high or drunk on the couch? But to those who have a purpose, those who are driven by a mission greater than themselves,

[00:15:34] drunkenness, intoxication, and distraction are all wastes of precious time. Jesus clearly connected the readiness of his return to a life of love, spiritual focus, and self-control. Likewise, the heart that says my master is delaying his coming is connected to the kind of low and fruitless life that we can all meander into if we are not careful. And listen, I get it. Some people get weary of waiting for Christ's return or cynical about the return of Jesus because it hasn't happened yet.

[00:16:03] This is exactly the attitude Jesus warns us against. If, in the perception of some, Jesus is delaying his coming, it is to rescue more people from the judgment to come upon the world in these last days. Instead of indulging, instead of being self-gratifying, instead of only looking out to your own interests, start building something for eternity. Because even if Jesus doesn't return in your lifetime, the work that you're doing now has a ripple effect into the next generation.

[00:16:32] Are you building something that's going to last beyond you? Are you raising kids in light of eternity? Are you building friendships in light of eternity? Are you running your business in light of eternity? Are you having this kingdom mindset where you know that what you do here and now actually matters and counts for eternity in heaven, but also into the future generations that come after you? Ready or not, one day the master is going to come.

[00:17:01] And when he comes, he's going to punish those who are not ready and denied his coming. But there's also going to be a great reward for those who have diligently and faithfully endured. My friends, may this be so for us. May we faithfully endure. May we build this kingdom of God here on earth as it is in heaven, so that when heaven finally comes, we step into it with vigor and with power. Thanks for joining me again on another episode of The Jesus Podcast.

[00:17:31] If this podcast has blessed you so far, I would personally love it if you left us a review. Doing so is going to give us a sense of how we're impacting people, but it's also going to help us get discovered on Spotify, on Apple, on iHeart. And we want the words of Jesus and the story of Jesus to be known throughout the world. Thanks for making all of this possible. Thank you.