Matthew 24:45-51; Psalm 124

Matthew 24:45-51
I return to Wiersbe's commentary (pp 90ff) to help me with this section. The earlier verses of Matthew 24 are written primarily to the Jews and describe the Tribulation period. We are presently in the Church Age, the age of grace, and we will be gone before the Tribulation begins.

Matthew 24:45-25:30 is written primarily to our present age--the Church age. Apparently Christ has delayed His return (see 24:48, 25:5, 19). "In the section devoted to Israel, Jesus described primarily the outward events of the period; in this section, He described inward attitudes. While everyone who has trusted Jesus Christ as Saviour is going to heaven (John 3:16-18; 17:24), not every believer is ready to meet the Lord." p. 91

When Jesus takes His Church to heaven, he will judge us according to our works. He will not judge us for our sin because our sins have already been judged on the cross! He will judge our works and give rewards to those who have earned them. "These parables suggest that Jesus will judge three different groups of professed believers." p. 91

• Obedient and disobedient servants. Matthew 24: 45-51
• Wise and foolish witnesses. Matthew 25:1-13
• Profitable and unprofitable servants. Matthew 25:14-30

I will deal with the obedient and disobedient servants today. God's people on earth today are called a "household," which represents the church. Over each "household" He has placed a "servant" or "servants" to manage and feed them. These are the Pastors and other spiritual leaders. Notice that they are called servants, not masters! Their job is to serve the people, not the other way around. Church leaders must be sure that their motives are right in order to please God by serving the people in love. The members should respect the leadership God has placed over them.

The "servant's" task is to please God. He may or may not be popular with the people. He is charged to watch over the people and to feed them the "food" they need from the Word of God.

If the spiritual leader is faithfully doing his job when Jesus returns, he will be rewarded. If not, he will be dealt with severely, suffering great loss. We should be always anticipating our Lord's return so that we don't get lazy and careless. When we look forward to His appearance, we will be faithful, and we will fulfill our responsibilities properly and with love.

Psalm 124
Sometimes we feel anxious, overwhelmed, and even trapped by our circumstances. When we experience this, we must remember that God is on our side! He will allow us to escape from these emotional traps. He may or may not relieve our circumstances, but He will certainly relieve our emotional suffering! "The trap is broken, and we are free!" v. 7

MEDITATION:  "Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." Psalm 124:8  Think of the great task of creation! If God can manage creation, surely He can manage our issues!