In this story, Jesus relates the importance of remaining faithful in a relationship with God to the role of the servants in the home of their Master.

Jesus explains that when the master is away from the home, the servants must be ready at any time for him to return. They don’t know when exactly he’ll return, but no matter how late, they must keep their lamps burning and be ready to wait on him when he arrives home. He explains that for the servants that are ready when the master returns, they will be glad that they were.

He cautions that if the master of the house ever knew when a thief was preparing to break in then, of course, he would be ready. However, because you don’t know these things, you must always be ready.

Jesus then began to speak about the manager that the master put in charge of the servants.  He explained that the manager that is faithful will be put in charge of all the masters possessions.  But if in waiting for the master, the manager becomes lax and begins to beat the servants and to eat and get drunk, then the master will come on a day that the manager of the servants does not expect and he will be punished severely.

Jesus finishes by explaining the parable by saying that the servant that does not do what he knows the master’s will is will be punished, but the one that doesn’t know the master’s will and doesn’t do it will not be punished as severely.

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” (vs. 48)