Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 24:45-51

The idea of not being ready when Jesus returns is less than pleasant, but in the end, according to Scripture it is the result of how we respond to the good news of the Gospel and even by not acting, we are making our preference clear. In his book, The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis wrote this well known quote –

“There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened.”

As Jesus continues the teaching on the end times before His return, two very different people are described. The first is faithful and wise and takes care of his duties consistently, caring for the household of his master. In contrast with the first, the second servant is described as evil and his actions prove it. When the master is delayed, he “beats his fellow servants” and neglects his duties. Instead, he spends his time partying. But there is also a difference in the master’s reaction to each servant. The faithful and wise servan will be rewarded as will the evil servant, but the evil servant will recieve a poor evaluation, to say the least. Jesus describes his condition with the hypocrites in hell “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Remember, these are the words of Christ. Judgment will come for each of us, so which person will we be? What kind of evidence is there in my life?