Matthew 25:21 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 25:21

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The master is truly pleased, but his pleasure has nothing to do with the extra he receives, contrary to the sour suspicions of the lazy servant. He rejoices in the transformed character and industry of the faithful servant. He had a truly magnanimous spirit and rejoiced in the improvement of others. In the case of this servant, his generous scheme has borne fruit and created something of great worth. The master apparently knew that he was about to expand his interests greatly and that he would need servants who had proved themselves in a small sphere who could serve in this much greater sphere. In the similar parable of the pounds, the nobleman had gone away to receive a kingdom. That detail is not mentioned explicitly in Matthew’s parable, but some such event must be understood in order to make sense of the words, ‘I will make you ruler over many things’. He had therefore tested them to see who was worthy of this greater responsibility, a part of his plan that was not revealed to them until they had shown themselves to be faithful. The servant is blessed with responsibility and authority, which was itself a mark of honour. As the servant had proved faithful, so the master rewarded him with a greater degree of trust. To this faithful servant, the master says, ‘Enter into the joy of your master’. This was a joy that satisfied even the master and which the master himself looked forward to and was motivated by. All that the master had he was now willing to share with his servants. Though he was still their master, he was prepared to treat them as much more than servants and to elevate them to the position of friends and co-workers.

Application

The Lord Jesus Christ is not looking for any gain for himself; only the mean-spirited suspicions of men can come to that conclusion. All his acts towards us are gracious and kind for he is the great giver, in spite of the fact that men abuse his gifts and receive them with ingratitude.

Why is faithfulness so precious? Because it is directed to a person, not an object, and that person is someone other than ourselves. Faithfulness cannot be directed to a house or a car except in a very trivial sense. It centres on one who is capable, at least in principle, of appreciating that faithfulness. Embedded within the idea of faithfulness is the readiness to resist temptation to betray the interests of another. This will often be at the expense of some personal interest, so that what is admired about faithfulness is its willingness to set the interests of another over its own interests.

Faithfulness is also precious because there is no limit to what it is capable of doing. The same faithfulness which enables a man to do good in a small sphere will let him do good in the greatest of spheres. In the heart of the servant, faithfulness has set a higher value on pleasing the master than on all else that might be gained for himself. Though the servant was unaware of it, the master was proving him in a small task with a much greater task in mind that he might do in the future. The master wanted men who could be trusted in the absence of their master. If they serve well when their master is absent, they will certainly serve well in his presence. Faithfulness is such a rare species that it must be put to the highest use.

Though we must trust in the Lord and there is no reason to have anything less than unlimited trust in him, the amazing fact is that he so changes us that he too can trust us. So wonderful is his work of sanctification in us that when it is completed, he may also be sure that character has been formed in us. In heaven of course, we will no longer be working against our apparent interests, for our interests will visibly coincide with those of Christ, but our faithfulness will still be just as real.

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Matthew 25:21 Commentary and Bible Study