Daily Devotional For Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Good day Southside. We are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Today we come to the last part of Matthew 24. Look at Matthew 24:45-51:
“Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? (46) Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. (47) Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. (48) But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ (49) and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; (50) the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, (51) and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (NASB).
What Jesus is referring to here in verse 45 is that it was common when a master went away on business, he would put his most trusted servant in charge of the household. What Matthew is doing here is two things:
- First, he is showing how Jesus is making a comparison of Jesus entrusting His ministry of making disciples to His own disciples with the authority for them to make disciples when He leaves.
- Second, he is showing how those in leadership in the church have been entrusted to be found faithful to carry out Jesus’ ministry of making disciples as well before He returns. This is why such a servant or slave in this case is blessed when his master returns or we are when Jesus returns.
But sadly, some Christians, some leaders in the church might take advantage of Jesus’ physical absence from us. They indulge themselves in sinful and disobedient behavior, then such a believer will be embarrassed when the Lord returns and finds them in that state of behavior, wickedness, sinfulness and laziness.
That servant may believe his master will be gone for a very long time, but without notice and to his shock, his master unannounced returns and catches his evil servant in this state of behavior. The master’s judgment against his servant will be extremely severe. Jesus says that servant will be “cut into pieces.” This is a Jewish way to express punishment and damnation. Not a pretty picture here, is it? To be assigned to the place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” is an euphemism for hell. Meaning – God’s judgment is just as guaranteed as Jesus’ second coming.
Matthew’ point is that there is a day of reckoning coming. We may think we have time, lots of time to repent, in reality, it may be a whole less than we think and believe. In verse 48, the servant says, “May master is not coming . . .” The Greek New Testament word is [χρονίζω; chronizō]. Most translations translate this word as “delay.” This servant beating his fellow servants was a poetic way for Matthew those who refused to come to Christ and are caught off guard by Christ’s second coming.
We are to be good stewards of what God has entrusted us with – our time, our talents, our tithes and testimony just to name a few. Those who prove to be not good stewards will be punished severely by God. What are the lessons from this parable by Jesus? New Testament scholar Craig Bloomberg shares these three insights:
- “God rewards and punishes people at the final judgment on the basis of their stewardship of the tasks assigned to them.
- Faithful stewardship requires perseverance and consistency, for the end could come at any time.
- Those who postpone their responsibilities and do evil in the meantime may sadly discover that it is too late for them to make amends for their errors” (Source: Craig Bloomberg, Matthew, Vol. 22, “Parables,” p. 369).
Reflection Assignment: God has entrusted you personally with talents, skills, abilities and spiritual gifts to fulfill His purpose in making disciples. If Jesus, your Master, were to return right now, would you be caught off guard? What would be His verdict on you? As you look over the three insights above, how are you doing with each one of them?
Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 28:19-20, “As you are going about your everyday lives, MAKE DISCIPLES, then baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have taught you – mainly to MAKE DISCIPLES themselves. Remember, wherever you are, wherever you do, I will always be with you” (PAR).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, today I have been reminded that one of the best ways I can be a good steward of what You have given me is to make disciples. I do not want to die and stand before You embarrassed and ashamed that I did not do this. I do not want You to return and not be doing this. Give me Your heart for the lost to make disciples. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly