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The close parallel between the deeds and the reward is worthy of note. The servant
who as ruler is found "so doing" faithfully, is rewarded by being "made ruler" over many
things. The servant who says in his heart, "My lord delayeth his coming," is overtaken
by the unexpected coming of his lord. He who "smites" is himself "cut off." He who
finds his companions "with" the drunken, finds his portion "with" the hypocrites. In all
this we have the same truth that the Apostle Paul gives in more than one epistle,
"Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." Gal. 6: shows that it is possible for
a believer not only to sow to the spirit, but to sow to the flesh, not only to reap eonian
life, but to reap corruption. Matt. 24: shows the same thing. The first servant is called
both faithful and prudent. These titles, united here in the one example, are subdivided in
the following chapter. We have the prudent virgins, and the good and faithful servant.
It has been suggested that the words "Who then" should be taken as a figure called
Metonymy, this particular example being the Metonymy of the Subject, when the subject,
the thing, is put for that which is connected with it. If this be so the meaning, though not
the translation, would be, "How blessed is the faithful and prudent servants," etc. A
further thought is that by the use of this rather strange expression the Lord intimates that
there will be few such when the Son of man cometh. A reference to Luke 12: 41, 42
may give yet further light. The Lord in verses 35-40 speaks a parable, using the figure of
the watching, waiting servant. Peter then says to the Lord:--
"Speakest Thou this parable unto us, or even to all? And the Lord said, Who then is
that faithful and prudent steward, etc."
This seems to say that if Peter and the rest of the apostles did not come within the
meaning of the words, who then could? The parable is followed by a statement
concerning the few stripes and the many stripes that will be apportioned to fit the case of
the well-informed and the ill-informed servants. The prudent and the foolish are brought
together first in Matthew at the end of the Sermon on the Mount in connection with
obeying or disobeying the words that the Lord had uttered--words not addressed to
sinners needing salvation as is evident throughout. Luke 16: 8 brings before us the
prudence of the unjust steward. Phronimos, "prudent," and phroneġ, "to think," are
related. The usage of this word phroneġ in the prison epistles is very suggestive. For
example, this word is absent from Ephesians and II Timothy, occurs once only in
Colossians (3: 2), but is found ten times in Philippians. Now Philippians is not dealing
with salvation, but with service, not a free gift, but a prize, and this accords with the
usage of prudence in Matthew. Faithfulness comes out prominently in this connection.
Luke 16: 10 says:--
"He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is much."
And again in Luke 19: 17 the parallel with Matt. 24: is clear. To the overcomer
in the book of the Revelation come the words, "Be thou faithful unto death and I will give
thee a crown of life." Those who overcome with the victorious Lamb are, like Him,
"faithful" (Rev. 17: 14; 19: 11). Faithfulness to the trust committed, prudence born of
watching and waiting for the coming Lord, these are the two outstanding features of the
servant who receives commendation. The being made ruler over all the Master's goods
finds a ready parallel in the life of Joseph, as indeed does all that is stated of the faithful