Continuing from our earlier study on hearing “Two Distinct Groups”

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!

Matthew 25:21 NIV

What an incredible future faithful servants have to look forward to! This truth should be chewed on and digested until it motivates our day-to-day faithful service to our Lord. When was the last time you listened to Steve Green’s “Find Us Faithful”? Let it be so, Lord, for our good and Your glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Notice that at this point Jesus leaves the parable and begins describing eternal realities. The prophetic promise “I will” includes the future rewards and the future joy. One is reminded of David’s words: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand” (Psalms 16:11 NIV).

This commendation outranks all the flattery and every honor the world may bestow. And Jesus holds it up to us in advance, so that we may keep it always before our eyes and let it make us faithful.

What Are the Many Things?

What, then, will the “many things” be?

They are veiled here by their own multitude and their richness, partly because the imagery of the parable is so restricted, and partly because our poor earthly minds cannot reach up to these coming heavenly glories. But even here we see all the Lord’s goodness and grace appear. His one thought is our elevation and our joy.

He places us first over a few things, then over many things, and both of these phrases are placed forward for the sake of emphasis. Note the sense of the word “over.” “I will put you in charge” voices the power and the authority of this master. “I will station thee.”

Think of what these words mean when they are addressed to us by our Lord.

Why Would I Want to Hear It?

The question most of us ask is this: What do I need to do to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” when I arrive in heaven?

But here is the better question: Why would I want to hear it?

The answer is in the last line of the verse. “Come and share your master’s happiness.” The reward is not the commendation alone. The reward is the Master Himself.

In the parable of the talents, the Lord tells us of two faithful servants who used what they had been given to increase the master’s wealth. When the master returned from a long absence, he rewarded them both with those same words. Every Christian longs to hear them from Jesus’ lips someday in heaven.

Remember this: we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but we are saved to do good works (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus spoke of laying up treasures in heaven, and His parable of the talents hints at various rewards for those who faithfully serve Him in this world.

So to hear those words from Jesus, first make sure you are saved. The unbelieving will never hear them, for “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). And recognize that Jesus is not only your Savior; He is also your Lord (Luke 6:46). “Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2 NASB).

Ways to Serve Him Faithfully

Share the gospel. The Lord Jesus desires us to make disciples, teaching others of the nature and character of God and sharing the meaning of His death and resurrection. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV). The Amplified Version puts it this way: “help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words.” If we do this daily, we will store up for ourselves an incredible eternal treasure.

Help the disadvantaged. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man is condemned because he does not help Lazarus and because he trusts in his wealth too much. Do not put self-gratification before the needs of others. “But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 John 3:17 NASB).

Faithful With a Few Things

He places us first over a few things, then over many things. That is the order, and it does not change.

We are not commended in this parable for doing extraordinary things. We are commended for being faithful with a few things. A handful of responsibilities. An ordinary week. The gift in our hand right now. That is what the Master evaluates.

And His one thought in all of it is our elevation and our joy. The many things are coming, so rich and so many that a parable cannot hold the description of them and our earthly minds cannot reach up to them. But they come after. First the few. Then the many.

So be faithful with the few. And keep that commendation before your eyes, the way the Lord intended when He held it up to us in advance: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.”