This parable illustrates the two attitudes that people during the Tribulation will have regarding Jesus' return.
24:45-47 The servants (Gr. doulos) are Jesus' disciples to whom He has entrusted the responsibility of managing His affairs during His absence from the earth. Some servants will be faithful and wise (prudent, cf. 7:24; 10:16). They will carry out God's will for them (feeding the world the gospel?), which dispensing food represents in the parable. When Jesus returns, these faithful servants will be "blessed"(i.e., the objects of God's favor and consequently happy, cf. 5:3). Moreover Jesus will promote them to positions of greater responsibility in the kingdom that He will establish.
"The reward of faithfulness is to be trusted with higher responsibilities; cf. xxv. 21, 23, Lk. xvi. 10a. Since the parable deals with the Parousia, the words apply to higher activities in the age to come."930
24:48-51 Other disciples may conclude that Jesus' delay indicates a postponement of His appearing. This conclusion may lead to their abusing their fellow disciples and their carousing. Jesus' return will surprise such disciples who will not be ready for it. The fate of such unfaithful and unwise servants will be tragic. Jesus will cut them to pieces, a graphic description of personal destruction (v. 51; cf. 1 Sam. 15; 33; Heb. 11:37).931Their lot will be with the hypocrites, those whom Jesus predicted would experience God's most severe judgment (cf. 6:2, 5, 16; 16:3; 23:13-29). Furthermore they will eventually go to hell.
"Invariably throughout Matthew this phrase [weeping and gnashing of teeth] refers to the retribution of those who are judged before the millennial kingdom is established (Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 25:30)."932
Clearly these unfaithful servants must be disciples of Jesus during the Tribulation who are not genuine believers. There will be some people who claim to be followers of Jesus in the Tribulation but who have not trusted in Him for salvation. There were many such in Jesus' day, and there are many today.
In this parable the good servant was prudent and faithful (v. 45). Jesus next gave the parable of the 10 virgins to illustrate prudence, and then He gave the parable of the talents to illustrate faithfulness.933
