An Exposition of Matthew Twenty-Four on the Second Coming of Christ

THE EVIL SERVANT

VERSES 48-51: “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, 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.” EMTF 88.2

What the evil servant says and does shows most dearly the position and work of the faithful and wise servant. The reason why the evil servant says, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” is that the faithful servant is proclaiming the coming of his lord. The evil servant smites the faithful servant, because he teaches the speedy coming of his lord. The faithful servant, true to his commission to preach the “gospel of the kingdom” to a fallen church and a scoffing world, toils on, and the evil servant smites on. One is laying up treasure in heaven, and is preparing to go home to his eternal reward, while the other is calling down upon his head the displeasure of the high and holy One, and is getting ready to receive the unmingled cup of the fury of the Lord. The faithful servant is turning some to righteousness, to shine forever as stars in his crown of glory, while the evil servant pursues his downward course and work of death, making the bitter cup of woe which awaits him still more bitter. But the separating day is coming. The Lord will come, and cut asunder the evil servant, and appoint him his portion with the lost. In the general wailing and gnashing of teeth, with hypocrites he will receive the portion due him for his works. EMTF 88.3

That this application is correct is shown by the words of the Saviour in the closing part of this chapter. Both parties are professedly “servants” of God. The “evil servant” says, “My lord delayeth “his coming.” But when, because of his unfaithfulness because of his refusal to heed the instructions and. warnings of his lord, and of his ill-treatment of his fellow-servant who is sounding the alarm, the lord shall appoint him his portion with the hypocrites, it will avail him nothing that he has called the lord his lord; that he has been looked up to as a leader of the flock. They have the duty laid upon them, as servants, to give meat in due season; to sound the alarm; to proclaim the message of the advent near, even at the doors. But they are “evil servants,” recreant to the trust committed to them, unmindful of the “sure word of prophecy.” They do not want to think, nor to have the people think, of the Lord’s coming. All scriptures which speak of that day call for watchfulness, diligence, and earnest zeal to be prepared to meet him. But these are worldly-minded, selfish servants. They love their ease; they cry, “Peace and safety,” when sudden destruction is impending. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. They love to slumber; they say, to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.” Isaiah 56:10-12. They join the idle throng in singing, “There’s a good time coming.” In the words of the Saviour, they “eat and drink with the drunken,” “walking after their own lusts.” The sociable, the festival, the fair, the supper for feasting—these have attractions for them which their selfishness cannot resist. By these is piety dethroned; zeal is extinguished; cross-bearing and self-denying become distasteful graces; to hunger and thirst after righteousness is a burden; the “form of godliness” is retained, but “the power thereof” is gone. What a condition for a servant of God to be found in when his Master appears! And yet this is a fitting description of the mass of feasting professors who turn away with scorn from the unwelcome thought of the Lord’s near coming. How different the lot of those who bear the cross, and give the household of faith meat due season! “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.” “Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” EMTF 89.1

We invite the attention of the reader to the following list of points made plain in our examination of this chapter:— EMTF 90.1

1. The Saviour gave definite and plain signs which are to precede his coming. EMTF 90.2

2. He told the effect which these things would produce. See Joel 2:1 and other prophecies. EMTF 91.1

3. He said that by these signs we might know when his coming is near, even at the doors. EMTF 91.2

4. And the language is stronger than that of permission or the expression of ability to know. It is imperative; we are commanded and required to know when it is near. EMTF 91.3

5. The signs are so easy to understand that we may know when it is near, just as we may know that summer is near when the trees put forth their leaves. EMTF 91.4

6. That we are commanded and required to know is confirmed by the illustration of the time of Noah. (I) Noah knew the time that the flood was near. (2) He preached its coming. (3) He prepared for the event. (4) It was fatal to all those who did not (would not) know the time. “So shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” EMTF 91.5

7. The Saviour says it will in like manner be a fatal error on the part of those who do not know when the Son of man is coming. But this could not be so (I) if we could not know the time, or (2) if it makes no difference whether we know or do not. EMTF 91.6

All this teaches us that the doctrine of the second advent is EMTF 91.7