Study Desk

But of this be assured, that if the master of the house had known the hour at which the robber was coming, he would have kept awake, and not have allowed his house to be broken into.

"Who therefore is the loyal and intelligent servant to whom his master has entrusted the control of his household to give them their rations at the appointed time?

Blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes shall find so doing!

In solemn truth I tell you that he will give him the management of all his wealth.

But if the man, being a bad servant, should say in his heart, `My master is a long time in coming,'

and should begin to beat his fellow servants, while he eats and drinks with drunkards;

"Why, it is like a man who, when going on his travels, called his bondservants and entrusted his property to their care.

To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one--to each according to his individual capacity; and then started from home.

But the man who had received the one went and dug a hole and buried his master's money.

"`You have done well, good and trustworthy servant,' replied his master; `you have been trustworthy in the management of a little, I will put you in charge of much: share your master's joy.'

"`Good and trustworthy servant, you have done well,' his master replied; `you have been trustworthy in the management of a little, I will put you in charge of much: share your master's joy.'

"But, next, the man who had the one talent in his keeping came and said, "`Sir, I knew you to be a severe man, reaping where you had not sown and garnering what you had not winnowed.

"`You wicked and slothful servant,' replied his master, `did you know that I reap where I have not sown, and garner what I have not winnowed?

"When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then will He sit upon His glorious throne,

and all the nations will be gathered into His presence. And He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

and will make the sheep stand at His right hand, and the goats at His left.

"Then the King will say to those at His right, "`Come, my Father's blessed ones, receive your inheritance of the Kingdom which has been divinely intended for you ever since the creation of the world.

"Then will He say to those at His left, "`Begone from me, with the curse resting upon you, into the Fire of the Ages, which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.

When Jesus had ended all these discourses, He said to His disciples,

a woman came to Him with a jar of very costly, sweet-scented ointment, which she poured over His head as He reclined at table.