Matthew 24:48 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’

NIV: But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is staying away a long time,'

NASB: But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’

CSB: But if that wicked servant says in his heart, 'My master is delayed,'

NLT: But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’

KJV: But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

NKJV: But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’

Jesus is using a parable to show the difference between proper readiness for His return, versus carelessly ignoring that impending moment (Matthew 24:42). He has described the master of a household who leaves a servant in charge of running things and feeding the other servants. The master returns and finds His servant doing his work exactly as he was instructed. That trusted servant is blessed with greater responsibility, and greater honor, over all the master owns (Matthew 24:45–47).

In contrast, Christ depicts a servant left in the same position who decides that his master's return is delayed. This servant assumes that since the master has not returned by now, he must not be coming anytime soon (2 Peter 3:3–7). Is this a hint from Jesus that the time of His return may be much longer than His followers may have expected at first? Perhaps.

The following verses show that the wicked servant, thinking he has been left on his own, will respond by living as if there will be no consequences for his actions (Matthew 24:49).

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.

Accessed 5/4/2024 6:51:03 PM