Let us first understand the context of this passage. The Lord Jesus was speaking about what things would be like soon before He comes to reign as King. As we read in Matthew 24:30, “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Keeping the context in mind, let us read Matthew 24:45-51, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This passage brings out that a true believer is seen by how he behaves himself in view of the Lord’s return to reign. Being a faithful servant and doing good works does not save anyone. As we read in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” However, good works reveal the faith that is already there. As we read in James 2:26, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

The faithful servant consistently gave meat to those in his household. His faithfulness when the Lord came resulted in the Lord giving him much responsibility in His kingdom. In contrast, the evil servant assaulted other servants and ate and drank with the drunken. The evil servant’s behavior when he thought the Lord was not coming yet revealed his true position as an unbeliever. Therefore, the Lord judged him with other unbelievers, where there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

We are not looking at this moment for the Lord to return to this earth as King, although He will return to reign “immediately after the tribulation” as Matthew 24:29 tells us. Rather, we are looking for Christ to return to the air and rapture all believers to heaven. As we read in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

If we apply the passage in Matthew 24 to our lives today, what should our behavior be like knowing that the Lord could return at any moment? What responsibility has the Lord given to you? Do you have a spouse and children that the Lord has entrusted to your care? Are you unmarried but have nieces, nephews, or neighbors with whom you interact? Are you seeking to meet their spiritual, emotional, and physical needs to be a blessing in their lives? Let us use our time wisely to honor our Savior and do His will until He comes for us. (174.3) (DJ)