“His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 25:23 Mean?
"His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." In the parable of the talents, the master returns and evaluates his servants. The servant who received two talents and doubled them hears the identical commendation as the one who received five. The reward isn't proportional to the amount earned but to the faithfulness demonstrated.
"Faithful over a few things" reframes what seems like a massive return on investment (doubling your talents) as a small thing compared to what's coming. The ultimate reward isn't more money or more responsibility in an earthly sense — it's "the joy of thy lord," which is participation in the master's own delight. Faithfulness in stewardship leads not to a bigger office but to a deeper relationship.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'few things' are you currently being faithful with that feel too small to matter?
- 2.How does it change your motivation to know that the standard is faithfulness, not success?
- 3.What does 'enter thou into the joy of thy lord' mean to you — and how does that compare to the rewards you usually pursue?
- 4.If the two-talent servant received the same commendation as the five-talent servant, what does that tell you about comparing yourself to others?
Devotional
"Well done, good and faithful servant." Five words that might be the most longed-for sentence in all of Scripture. Not "well done, talented servant." Not "well done, successful servant." Good and faithful. That's the standard. That's what he's looking for.
Notice what the master praises: faithfulness with "a few things." Even the servant who turned five talents into ten — a massive return — is told he was faithful with a few things. Because from heaven's perspective, everything in this life is a few things. Your career, your finances, your relationships, your gifts — they feel enormous to you, but they're a fraction of what's coming. God is evaluating you on a scale you can't see yet.
The reward is staggering: "enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Not a bonus. Not a promotion. Joy. The master's own joy. You get to share in the delight of the one who entrusted you with the talents in the first place. That's the inheritance of the faithful — not more stuff, but more of him.
Whatever small thing you're being faithful with today — the unglamorous task, the unseen service, the job that nobody applauds — it's being evaluated by a master whose standard is faithfulness, not size. Do the small thing well. The "many things" are coming.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
His Lord said unto him,.... The same words as he did to the other servant,
well done good and faithful servant, thou…
The Parable of the Talents, in this Gospel only
The parable of the Pounds, Luk 19:12-27, is similar, but there are…