When Jesus was explaining the times of His coming, He gave us examples for four types of His servants. In this post, we will explore evil servant, foolish servant, lazy servant and the good servant.

Evil Servant

But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards;

Matthew 24:48-49

An evil servant is a pretending servant. When the master is in the house, he pretends to be good. However, when is not in the house and seems like he is not going to return any time soon, his true character comes out, beating his fellow servants, eating and drinking with drunkards. This evil comes from his heart.

Today, if we think that Christ is delaying in His coming, do whatever we like in this sinful world, we are like this evil slave.

Foolish Servant

For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

Matthew 25:3

Unlike the evil servants who show their true character when Christ delays, some want to follow Jesus and wait for Him. However, when the bridegroom delayed in His coming, everyone slept. The foolish never planned and prepared for any delays, hence, they didn’t have any oil. The foolish are still denied entry when they can’t burn their lamps at His coming.

Just like these foolish virgins, if we don’t plan for His coming and prepare for any delays, we will also be unprepared when He comes. If Christ is coming tomorrow, what preparation will we be doing? Let’s say, we ask forgiveness, doing good, ignoring worldly desires and obeying Christ is every way. We must have oil to keep this light burning when He suddenly comes.

Lazy Servant

“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.

Matthew 25:26

Apart from being wicked and foolish, Christ explains a third type of servants who are lazy. These lazy servants think of their masters as a hard man and whatever given into their hands stays as such.

God gave many of His possessions into our hands. As Abraham called in Genesis 15, “possessor of Heaven and Earth” or as Psalmist writes in chapter 24, The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. Lazy servants don’t make use of God’s possessions to expand His kingdom for His glory. They are, as Jesus calls them, just lazy.

Good and faithful servant

• We must never think to ourselves that Christ is delaying in His coming and start doing wickedness.
• We must never be like the foolish who didn’t carry oil but plan for His second coming and prepare for any delays.
• We must never be lazy in handling His possessions but work hard to expand His kingdom for His glory.