Eating & Drinking

"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?" (Matt. 24:45 NKJV)

In His famous Olivet Discourse, Jesus is discussing the signs of the end times. Solemnly turning from discussions of wars and earthquakes and famines, He is now focusing on the heart attitude of His servants. Here we see the pointed question, to whom can "the master can give the responsibility of managing his household and feeding his family?" (NLT) He continues,

"Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is that servant whom, when his master comes, he will find so doing. I solemnly declare to you, he will set him over all his possessions." (Matt. 24:26-47 Amp.)

Faithful and wise stewardship of God's family is a weighty responsibility. How we as stewards should cry out for grace to manage the people of God with integrity! You might manage your children. You might manage a classroom. You might manage employees. You might manage a Bible study group. Whatever the case, this exhortation is a sobering reminder of our responsibility before the King. If found faithful (by His glorious grace), we are promised dominion over ALL His possessions. Not some, but all! What does that even look like?

"But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, 'My master is delayed and is going to be gone a long time,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware, and will punish him [cut him up by scourging] and put him with the pretenders (hypocrites); there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

Jesus here warns against wickedness and explicitly lays out the root causes. First of all, there is an internal dialogue within the wicked servant that dispels all sense of urgency. His lifestyle is not watchful and his heart is not expectant of Christ's return. This attitude is very easy to fall into and leads into several other traps. Immediately Jesus points out the steward's abuse of his fellow servants. He beats them. When charged with managing (protecting) and nourishing the people of God, instead he hurts them.

Next Jesus points out the wicked servant will "eat and drink with the drunken," and I believe this gets to the core of the issue. Now, we must all eat and drink. How could anyone be expected to nourish others when he himself is malnourished? The question is where do we feed ourselves? That one phrase "with the drunken" illuminates a prevailing problem in the church today. John Crowder once said something to the effect of "We will be drunk on the things of heaven or the world--either way we'll be intoxicated in the end." The spirit of this age produces a drunken stupor that numbs us to the things of heaven. Its counterfeit spiritual bread is unsubstantial and will ultimately kill you. The world offers a spiritual satisfaction and intoxication that might appear wholesome but in the end lead to destruction.

As stewards of God's people, we must always take care to eat the Bread of Life and drink of His living waters every day! The drunkenness of the New Wine produces a sobriety and self-control and maturity that is not of this world. As these days draw to a close, it will become impossible to do the work of ministry without being totally and utterly filled with Jesus.

"You will never stumble"

^"5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; ¹¹ for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-11

1) Faith +

2) Virtue (moral excellence, as modesty, purity) +

3) Knowledge (understanding) +

4) Self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites) +

5) Perseverance (in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings; steadfastness, constancy, endurance) +

6) Godliness (reverence, respect, piety towards God) +

7) Brotherly Kindness +

8) Love (affection, good will)

"...If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"

"...If you do these things you will never stumble"

Unshakably Happy

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ^{(James 1:2-3)}

When trials and suffering come, a reckoning or accounting is to take place according to knowledge. This knowledge enables us to "do the math" and consider trials as reason for gladness. What is this valuable knowledge that empowers us to transcend tribulation? The trying of our faith gives birth to patience in our spirit.

I'm convinced that maturity in our walk has everything to do with rejoicing in the midst of trials. There is a mighty power that God is eager to pour into us as we are infused with His joy. This unshakably happy strength gives us endurance to withstand temptation. To be overflowing with joy while enduring suffering is evidence of a transcendent, supernatural trust in God.

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ^{(James 1:4)}

Here we have an explicit promise. To be whole--lacking nothing--is to allow patience to have its finished work in our hearts. We are sustained and carried by His joy in the process.