Sometimes, we preoccupy ourselves with worldly cares too much that we set aside the works we ought to do for the Kingdom of God. Even going to church on Sunday appears a burden that even if we had a chance to spend a couple of hours fellowshipping with the brethren, we would rather choose our earthly pursuits. God has now become an option and not a necessity.
However, would it have been different had we known the exact time of Christ’s return?
In Matthew 24:36-44, Jesus tells of nobody knowing the day and the hour of His return except the Father. In verses 45-51, the parable of the faithful and evil servant follows. You must realize that it is no accident that the verses were arranged that way because there is at least a lesson to learn from there. Indeed, we do not know when Jesus will return, but in the previous verses (vv. 1-35), He gave signs that will hint to us. With this in mind (given the signs before Christ’s return), there are only two responses from any professor of faith based on the parable of the faithful and evil servants—to be faithful until Jesus returns or be idle.
The evil servant drinks with his friends and maltreats his fellow servants, thinking that his master will not return soon. But had he known the exact time his master would return home, he probably would strive to do the work tasked to him for fear of getting terminated from his job. The faithful servant, on the other hand, wisely and diligently fulfills the tasks assigned to him, even without knowing the exact time of his master’s return. Now, which of the two do we strive to be?
Jesus will come anytime soon, and we must ask ourselves, “Will He find us faithful?” Do we perform the duties entrusted to us by Christ, especially the spreading of the Gospel? Do we perform our duties at home—to be a Christ-honoring husband, wife, mother, father, daughter, son, sister, or brother? Do we honor Christ at work? Do we love our neighbor as ourselves? Do we attend to the needs of our local church? Do we encourage the brethren? Are we utilizing time wisely and performing duties diligently like the faithful servant? Dear reader, despite our other duties, do we prioritize Christ? Or are we like the evil servant that wastes his time drinking with friends, doing evil to the world, and saying, “My master will not come anytime soon! I will do whatever I want?”
Let us ponder these realities and be reminded that everything in this world passes away (1 Cor. 7:21). Besides, what do we benefit if we gain the whole world, doing whatever ungodliness we desire, but lose our own souls in the day to come (Mark 8:36)? Let us then use our time wisely for the days are evil, and work heartily for the Lord and His glory (Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 3:24; 1 Corinthians 10:31). And so when He returns, instead of getting thrown into the fires of Hell like the evil servant, He will find us faithful and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
