(Source from The Word Among Us)

Well done, my good and faithful servant. . . . You were faithful in small matters. (Matthew 25:23)

Don’t we all long to hear these words from Jesus when we meet him face-to-face? Though we stumble and fall, we put our faith in our Lord’s mercy. We hope that one day, we will greet our Master with joy and confidence rather than with fear and trembling. But how can we see this hope fulfilled? Today’s Gospel gives us a clue. In this parable, Jesus is doing more than giving financial advice. He’s teaching us how to be ready for his return in glory.

Earlier in this discourse, Jesus told two similar parables. First, he spoke of two servants who are put in charge of their master’s household (Matthew 24:45-51). One is responsible and provides faithfully for his fellow servants. He is rewarded and put in charge of all his master’s property. The other is lazy, selfish, and cruel to the others; he earns a severe punishment.

Jesus’ second parable involves two groups of women awaiting a bridegroom (Matthew 25:1-13). Some are wise and bring oil; some are foolish and do not. When the bridegroom returns, only the wise women have oil to light their lamps. They are ready to greet him and enter the feast. The foolish rush off to buy oil, but in the end, they are too late to join the celebration.

Now in today’s parable, Jesus tries once more to show his disciples how to be ready for his return. He wants them—and all of us—to enter the feast of heaven and “share [our] master’s joy” (Matthew 25:21). And that requires faithfulness. Jesus wants us to be like those servants who earned a return. He’s urging us to stay alert, obey his commands, and be faithful “in small matters”(25:21). Every act of love and obedience will help us to live as children of light. Then our hearts will be ready to greet Jesus and hear him say, “Well done!”

“Lord, help me to be faithful, even in the small things.”