The Parable of the Faithful Servant (or Parable of the Door Keeper) is a

parable of Jesus A parable is a succinct, didactic story, in prose or verse, that illustrates one or more instructive lessons or principles. It differs from a fable in that fables employ animals, plants, inanimate objects, or forces of nature as characters, w ...

found in

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...

24:42-51,

Mark Mark may refer to: Currency * Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina * East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic * Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927 * Fi ...

13:34-37, and

Luke People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

12:35-48 about how it is important for the faithful to keep watch. In Matthew's Gospel, it immediately precedes the

Parable of the Ten Virgins The Parable of the Ten Virgins, also known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins or the Parable of the ten bridesmaids, is one of the parables of Jesus. According to , ten virgins await a bridegroom; five have brought enough oil f ...

, which has a similar

eschatological Eschatology (; ) concerns expectations of the end of the present age, human history, or of the world itself. The end of the world or end times is predicted by several world religions (both Abrahamic and non-Abrahamic), which teach that nega ...

theme of being prepared for the day of reckoning.

Narrative

In Luke's Gospel, the parable reads as follows:

Interpretation

In Matthew, the parable opens with the injunction: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come" (Matthew 24:42). In other words, "the disciple must remain prepared for his Lord's coming, remaining alert and awake at his post."Craig S. Keener,
A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew
', Eerdmans, 1999, , p. 592. Even though there may be general signs of Jesus' Second Coming, the exact time is unknown. This is a theme which has also been discussed earlier in Luke 12.

Joel B. Green Joel B. Green (born May 7, 1956) is an American New Testament scholar, theologian, author, Associate Dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Study, and Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, ...

,
The Gospel of Luke
', Eerdmans, 1997, , pp. 497-501. The reference to a

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

banquet in Luke 12:36 suggests a heavenly banquet, and recalls the

parable of the Ten Virgins The Parable of the Ten Virgins, also known as the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins or the Parable of the ten bridesmaids, is one of the parables of Jesus. According to , ten virgins await a bridegroom; five have brought enough oil f ...

, which follows this parable in Matthew. The second part of the parable includes a caution that much will be more required of the person to whom much is given.

J. Dwight Pentecost John Dwight Pentecost (April 24, 1915 – April 28, 2014) was an American Christian theologian, best known for his book ''Things to Come''. Pentecost was born in Pennsylvania and died in Dallas, Texas. His wife was Dorothy Harrison Pentecost (Jun ...

writes that this parable "emphasizes that privilege brings responsibility and that responsibility entails accountability."

,
The Parables of Jesus: Lessons in life from the Master Teacher
', the parable in Gospel says regel Publications, 1998, , p. 175. This applies particularly to religious leaders.

,
The Gospel of Luke
', Eerdmans, 1997, , p. 506.

Hymns

The parable is the theme for several hymns, including

Philip Doddridge Philip Doddridge D.D. (26 June 1702 – 26 October 1751) was an English Nonconformist (specifically, Congregationalist) minister, educator, and hymnwriter. Early life Philip Doddridge was born in London the last of the twenty children of ...

's "Ye Servants of the Lord," which ends:

Christ shall the banquet spread With His own royal hand, And raise that faithful servant’s Amid the angelic band.The Cyber Hymnal: ''Ye Servants of the Lord''.
/ref>

References

{{Jesus footer Faithful Servant, Parable of the

Narrative

Interpretation

Hymns

See also

References