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Parable #9 — Luke 12:42-48 — Faithful and Wise Servant
And the Lord replied, “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master
can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding
them. If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there
will be a reward. I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of
all he owns. But what if the servant thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a
while,’ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk?
The master will return unannounced and unexpected, and he will cut the servant
in pieces and banish him with the unfaithful.
“And a servant who knows what the master wants, but isn’t prepared and
doesn’t carry out those instructions, will be severely punished. But someone who
does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly.
When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when
someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Parable #10 — Luke 13:6-9 — Unfruitful Fig Tree
Then Jesus told this story: “A man planted a fig tree in his garden and came
again and again to see if there was any fruit on it, but he was always disappointed.
Finally, he said to his gardener, ‘I’ve waited three years, and there hasn’t been a
single fig! Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden.’
“The gardener answered, ‘Sir, give it one more chance. Leave it another year,
and I’ll give it special attention and plenty of fertilizer. If we get figs next year,
fine. If not, then you can cut it down.’”
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