Much Will Be Demanded

What did Jesus mean when he told this short parable – “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows.” ?

It’s actually good news in a way, I guess. People are punished less if they sin in ignorance than if they sin with full knowledge of what they are doing wrong. The principle would be that God recognizes that we are all dealt a different hand when it comes to our ability to make moral choices. Those who should know better but still choose to sin are punished more severely than those who had no chance to know better.

But why should an ignorant person be punished at all? Jesus’ parable was told to an audience that understood that no one is completely innocent, even if they haven’t had proper home training or moral instruction. He went on to say “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” We all have some moral knowledge to work with, as described in Romans 2:5: “…the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.”

This is bad news for those who believe they can’t be held accountable because of ignorance. They are nowhere near as ignorant as they claim to be. In fact, part of the job of our general moral conscience is to prod us to learn the specifics of the law, which for many is readily available in a nearby Bible, in a local church, and in the counsel of godly Christians.

I was reminded of this in a recent conversation with a man named Raphael, who told me he had fallen away from his faith, but was helped back in all three of these ways. He listened to his God-given conscience, and took advantage of the knowledge and moral instruction made available to him.

None of us can claim ignorance, and we all have access to a Bible, a local church, and the fellowship of other believers to help us grow in godliness. We have been given much, and much will be demanded.