41: Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42: And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? 43: Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44: Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45: But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46: The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47: And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48: But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

41: Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all? 42: And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

The Lord has just given a parable about watching and waiting. The faithful steward is the one who will be watching and waiting for the Lord when He comes. The parable is about the Lord Jesus coming back the second time. In other words there will be some people who are ready when Jesus comes.

43: Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44: Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45: But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; 46: The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

In contrast to the faithful steward, the Lord Jesus describes an unfaithful servant. Instead of caring for those in the Lord’s Household, the unfaithful servant mistreated them and spent his time eating and drinking until he was drunk because he didn’t think his lord would return so soon. The spiritual application of this parable concerns those who have responsibility for the Lord’s Household or the Lord’s Church. They are the ministers. They have spent their time reading (eating) and being instructed (drinking) in false doctrine (old wine-drunkenness). Because they have been deceived, they caused the Lord’s Household or Church to be deceived with false doctrine. The Lord will return physically in a day when they do not expect him and they will not be ready. The Lord will also come spiritually in an hour when they are not aware in Judgment and will appoint them their portion with the unbelievers. Thus probation will close without them being aware of it and they will be lost because they were not watching and waiting. This parable clearly teaches a Pre-Advent Judgment or a Judgment which will be completed before Jesus comes the second time.

47: And that servant, which knew his lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48: But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

The teaching brought out in this part of the parable concerns accountability. Those who know the most truth are held the most accountable. The Lord in the Judgment will render just punishments.