Matthew 24:47 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.

NIV: Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

NASB: Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

CSB: Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

NLT: I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns.

KJV: Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

NKJV: Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.

A follower of Jesus is expected to live in constant readiness (Matthew 24:42) for His return as Judge and King (Hebrews 9:28)? Jesus is illustrating this with a parable about the owner of a household who leaves a servant in charge of running the place while he is gone. The servant's responsibilities include caring for the other servants (Matthew 24:45–46). A servant who wants to be seen as faithful should be found doing his assigned work when the master returns. This servant will be blessed.

Now Jesus adds that this blessing includes being given more responsibility (Matthew 25:20–21). Finding his servant "wise and faithful," the master will put him in charge of everything he owns. Being trusted in this way is the highest honor a servant can receive from his master. This is a theme Jesus will explore in more detail in an upcoming parable (Matthew 25:14–15)

Living in readiness for the return of Christ means, in part, faithfully carrying out the work He has given us to do in His absence. This may include caring for other people, as well as accepting responsibility for representing Jesus well in all we do (Matthew 5:13–16). Jesus shows that blessings will follow for those who live in this way (Matthew 16:33).

The following verses illustrate what is in store for the servant who does the opposite: living wickedly as if the master's return is so delayed as to be without consequence (2 Peter 3:3–7).

Matthew 24:36–51 contains an explicit warning which has frequently been ignored by false teachers. Nobody will know the precise time of His return to earth. Only God the Father knows when it will happen. Everyone will be caught by surprise at the sudden appearance of those signs, just as the people swept away in Noah's flood. Jesus' followers must live in constant readiness for His return. He uses a parable to illustrate this, describing the choices of two servants while their master was away. One was faithful and wise, the other wicked. When the master returned, the faithful one was rewarded, and the wicked one was cut into pieces.

Jesus makes a dire prediction about the destruction of the temple. Immediately after this, while seated on the Mount of Olives, Jesus responds to a question from the disciples. They ask when judgment will come and what signs will signal His return. Christ describes a season of unimaginable world turmoil and persecution. He points to a specific moment of defilement of the temple, at which point people should run for their lives. Jesus speaks of world-threatening tribulation which will be cut short right before He returns as King and Judge. Since nobody can possibly know when He will return, His followers must live in readiness.

Jesus has just left the temple area, after delivering a blistering criticism of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23). After predicting that the temple would be destroyed, He answers their questions about the end times. He speaks of a period when He will be gone from earth and they will be persecuted and killed. The world will be in turmoil, but the gospel will be preached everywhere. Nobody knows exactly when Jesus' return will be completed, so his followers should constantly be prepared. Jesus continues to teach on these themes in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.