Church Fathers Commentary Luke 12:41-46

"And Peter said, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even unto all? And the Lord said, Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall set over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will set him over all that he hath. But if that servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint his portion with the unfaithful." — Luke 12:41-46 (ASV)

Theophylact of Ohrid: Peter, to whom the Church had already been committed, as having the care of all things, asks whether our Lord directed this parable to everyone. As it follows: Then Peter said to him, Lord, do you speak this parable to us, or to all?

The Venerable Bede: Our Lord had taught two things to everyone in the preceding parable: that He would come suddenly, and that they should be ready and waiting for Him. But it is not very clear which of these points—or whether both—Peter was asking about, or whom he was comparing to himself and his companions when he said, Do you speak to us, or to all?

In truth, by the words “us” and “all,” he must be understood to mean one of several contrasts: either the Apostles and those like them versus all other faithful people; or Christians versus unbelievers; or those who die individually and receive the coming of their Judge (both willingly and unwillingly) versus those who will be found alive in the flesh when the universal judgment comes.

Now, it is remarkable if Peter doubted that everyone who waits for a blessed hope must live soberly, piously, and justly, or that the judgment will be unexpected for each and every person. It therefore remains to be supposed that, knowing these two things, he asked about what he might not have known: namely, whether those sublime commands of a heavenly life—in which He commanded us to sell what we have, provide bags that do not grow old, and watch with our loins girded and lamps burning—belonged only to the Apostles and those like them, or to all who were to be saved.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The great and difficult of God’s holy commandments rightly belong to the courageous, but to those who have not yet attained such virtue belong the commands from which all difficulty is excluded. Our Lord therefore uses a very obvious example to show that the command just mentioned is suited to those who have been admitted into the rank of disciples, for it follows, And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful steward?

St. Ambrose of Milan: Alternatively, the form of the first command is a general one for everyone, but the following example seems to be proposed to the stewards—that is, the priests. Therefore, it follows, And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Theophylact of Ohrid: The previously mentioned parable relates to all the faithful in common, but now listen to what is fitting for the Apostles and teachers. For I ask, where will the steward be found who possesses both faithfulness and wisdom?

Just as in the management of goods, the master's property perishes whether a man is careless yet faithful or wise yet unfaithful, so also in the things of God, there is a need for both faithfulness and wisdom.

For I have known many faithful servants of God who, because they were unable to manage ecclesiastical affairs, have destroyed not only possessions but also souls, by exercising an indiscreet virtue toward sinners through extravagant rules of penance or unseasonable indulgence.

St. John Chrysostom: Our Lord asks the question here not because He is ignorant of who a faithful and wise steward is, but because He wishes to imply how rare such a person is, and the greatness of this kind of leadership.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Whoever, then, has been found a faithful and wise steward, let him rule over the Lord’s household so that he may give them their portion of food in due season—either the word of doctrine by which their souls are fed, or the example of works by which their life is shaped.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now, He says “portion” in order to suit His measure to the capacity of each of His hearers.

Isidore of Pelusium: The phrase in their due season was also added because a benefit not given at its proper time is made useless and loses the name of a benefit. The same bread is not equally coveted by the hungry man and the one who is satisfied. But with respect to this servant’s reward for his stewardship, He adds, Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing.

St. Basil the Great: He does not say doing, as if by chance, but so doing. For not only is conquest honorable, but also contending lawfully, which means to perform each thing as we have been commanded.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Thus, the faithful and wise servant, by prudently distributing the servants’ food in due season—that is, their spiritual food—will be blessed according to the Savior’s word. This is because he will obtain still greater things and will be considered worthy of the rewards that are due to friends. Hence it follows, Of a truth I say to you, that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

The Venerable Bede: For whatever difference there is in the merits of good hearers and good teachers, there is a corresponding difference in their rewards. The one whom He finds watching when He comes, He will have sit down to eat. But the others, whom He finds to be faithful and wise stewards, He will place over all that He has—that is, over all the joys of the kingdom of heaven. This does not mean that they alone will have power over them, but that they will enjoy eternal possession of them more abundantly than the other saints.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Alternatively, He will make him ruler over all that He has, meaning not only over His own household, but so that earthly things as well as heavenly things will obey him. This was the case with Joshua the son of Nun and Elijah—the one commanding the sun, the other the clouds. Indeed, all the Saints, as God’s friends, use the things of God.

Whoever lives his life virtuously and has kept his servants—that is, anger and desire—in due submission, supplies them with their portion of food in due season. He supplies to anger, so that it may be felt against those who hate God, and to desire, so that it may exercise the necessary provision for the flesh, ordering it toward God. Such a person, I say, will be set over all things that the Lord has, being considered worthy to look into all things by the light of contemplation.

St. John Chrysostom: Our Lord leads the hearer to correction not only by the honors kept in store for the good, but also by threats of punishment for the bad, as it follows: But if that servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delays his coming.

The Venerable Bede: Observe that it is counted among the vices of a bad servant that he thought his Lord’s coming was delayed, yet it is not counted among the virtues of the good servant that he hoped it would come quickly, but only that he ministered faithfully. There is nothing better, then, than to submit patiently to being ignorant of what cannot be known, and to strive only to be found worthy.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Many evils proceed from not considering the time of our departure. For surely, if we thought that our Lord was coming and that the end of our life was near, we would sin less. Hence it follows, And shall begin to strike the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken.

The Venerable Bede: This servant represents the condemnation of all evil rulers who, forsaking the fear of the Lord, not only give themselves up to pleasures but also harm those placed under their authority. These words can also be understood figuratively, meaning to corrupt the hearts of the weak by an evil example.

To eat, drink, and be drunken means to be absorbed in the vices and allurements of the world, which overthrow the human mind. But concerning his punishment, it is added, The Lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him—that is, the day of his judgment or death—and will cut him in sunder.

St. Basil the Great: The body is not divided so that one part is exposed to torments while the other escapes. This is a fable, and it is not a just judgment for only half to suffer punishment when the whole has offended. Nor is the soul cut in sunder, since the whole soul possesses a guilty consciousness and cooperates with the body to work evil.

Rather, this division is the eternal severing of the soul from the Spirit. For now, although the grace of the Spirit is not in the unworthy, it seems ever to be at hand, awaiting their turn to salvation. But at that time, it will be cut off from the soul completely. The Holy Spirit, then, is the prize of the just and the ultimate condemnation of sinners, since those who are unworthy will lose Him.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, to cut him in sunder means to separate him from the communion of the faithful and send him to be with those who have never attained the faith. Hence it follows, And will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. For, he who has no care for his own, and especially for those of his own house, has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The unbelieving steward will also rightly receive his portion with the unbelievers, because he was without true faith.