41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.(Luke 12:41-48 KJV)
The Faithful and Wise Steward
Here is Peter’s question, which he put to Christ upon the occasion of the foregoing parable (Luke 12:41): “Lord, are you speaking this parable to us who are your constant followers, to us who are ministers, or to all who come to be taught by you?”
Peter was again the spokesman for the disciples. We are thankful to God for men like him who have a gift for speaking; let them take care not to be proud. Peter wanted Jesus to clarify his meaning and direct the message of the parable to its intended audience. He calls it a parable, not only because it was figurative, but because it was weighty and instructive. Peter asked, “Was it intended for us, or for all?” Jesus gives a direct answer elsewhere (Mark 13:37): “What I say to you, I say to all.” Yet here, he seems to emphasize that the apostles were especially concerned. We should all apply Christ’s words to ourselves and ask sincerely: “Lord, is this message for me? Speak to my heart.”
Christ’s reply to this question is directed to Peter and the rest of the disciples. Even if what Christ had said earlier applied to all Christians, what follows is especially directed at ministers, who are the stewards in Christ’s household. Jesus now tells them what their duty is and the trust committed to them.
They are made rulers over God’s household under Christ, to whom the house belongs. Ministers receive authority from Christ to preach the gospel, administer ordinances, and apply the signs of the covenant of grace. Their responsibility is to give God’s children and servants their appropriate portion—conviction or comfort, depending on the need. This is rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).
They must also provide this in due season, at the time and in the way best suited to the hearers. A word in season is most helpful to the weary. In doing this, they must prove themselves faithful and wise—faithful to Christ, who entrusted them with this work, and faithful to fellow-servants, for whose benefit they serve; wise in seizing every opportunity to honor Christ and serve his people. Ministers must be both skilled and trustworthy.
If they do this faithfully and wisely, they will be blessed (Luke 12:43). Blessed is that servant who is actively doing his work—not idle, not indulging in ease, but feeding others through public teaching and private encouragement. Blessed is the one found doing this when his Lord comes, who perseveres despite difficulties. His happiness is compared to a steward promoted from a lower to a higher service (Luke 12:44): “He will make him ruler over all that he has,” as Joseph was promoted in Pharaoh’s court. Ministers who are faithful will receive even greater mercy and reward when the Lord returns.
But if they are unfaithful (Luke 12:45-46)—quarrelsome, negligent, or abusive—they will face judgment. Thinking that Christ delays his coming leads to careless living. His patience is often mistaken for absence, which discourages the faithful and emboldens the wicked. Those who persecute God’s people are often indulging in self-centered pleasure. They beat their fellow servants and indulge in worldly pleasures, ignoring their own sins and the sufferings of others, like the king and Haman drinking while the city was in turmoil (Esther 3:15). Their indulgence dulls their conscience.
Death and judgment will be especially terrible for unfaithful ministers. It will come as a surprise—“at an hour they do not expect.” They will be cut off and assigned a place with the unbelievers.
Their sin and punishment will be worse because they knew their duty but didn’t do it (Luke 12:47-48). The servant who knew his master’s will but didn’t do it will be punished with many stripes; the one who didn’t know will be beaten with fewer. The law made a distinction between sins committed in ignorance and willful disobedience (Leviticus 5:15; Numbers 15:29-30; Deuteronomy 25:2-3).
Ignorance does lessen guilt to a degree. If someone didn’t know the master’s will due to negligence or lack of opportunity, and sinned, he will still be punished because he could have known better, but with fewer stripes. The Jews killed Christ in ignorance (Acts 3:17; 1 Corinthians 2:8), and Jesus interceded for them: “They don’t know what they are doing.”
But knowledge increases guilt. The servant who knew the master’s will and disobeyed will be beaten more severely. It’s a greater offense to sin against knowledge, and such people will face harsher punishment—not just from God, but from their own consciences. “Son, remember,” will echo in their ears. The more one has been given, the more will be required. If someone has greater knowledge, spiritual gifts, and access to God’s Word, then their responsibility is greater, and their account will be heavier.