Jesus pledges to reward his disciples in the parable of the wise and faithful servants. In the life setting of Jesus’ ministry, ministering is an action carried out to express the truth, with the great commission serving as the model. In the parable, the master will dismember the sinful servant and place the punished servant alongside the unbelieving. The servant who understands his master’s wishes but does not prepare or execute what his master wants will be punished severely.
This parable pauses a challenge because, again, those who do not know and commit crimes that deserve retribution will be penalized. Punishment, therefore, is a consequence of ignoring the call to serve. Surprisingly, the lesson connects with the message that God will demand more of those entrusted with much. In this context, the much given to a servant may include access to influence in the community.
This parable explains something important about the nature of God and how justice resides in being honest and working for a good purpose. In the gospel, some characters were faithful to God’s calling and lived a whole life. For instance, Joseph himself is regarded as a devoted servant in the narrative of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph strictly adheres to all of God’s rules, regulations, and instructions.
A faithful servant must constantly examine what is expected of them, how they will behave when challenged, and what it takes to be a faithful servant. God seems to give responsibility to those who have acquired understanding and severely punishes those with insight but refuse to act faithfully. Today, people can apply the lessons from this parable because it teaches that being loyal entails placing one’s entire trust in honest service.