Bible Parables S3E1 : The Faithful And Unfaithful Servant
This is a live session recording where we delve into the timeless wisdom of The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servant from Luke 12:42-48 (NKJV) and its practical application in our daily lives. This session is part of an ongoing series where we explore how biblical teachings can guide us in living fulfilling lives. In this session, we will explore the deeper meaning behind the parable and offer practical insights for bringing more compassion and connection into our daily lives. This session includes a guided reflective meditation which will gently lead you through a journey of inner reflection and healing. Come prepared to reflect on your own journey, engage with thought-provoking ideas, and leave inspired to create a life filled with purpose and abundance. This session is welcoming to all, regardless of religious background or familiarity with the Bible.
Transcript
The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servant And the Lord said,
Who then is that faithful and wise steward,
Whom his master will make ruler over his household,
To give them their portion of food in due season?
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
But if the servant says in his heart,
My master is delayed in coming,
And begins to beat the male and female servants,
And to eat and drink and be drunk,
The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him,
And at an hour when he is not aware,
And will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And that servant who knew his master's will,
And did not prepare himself or do according to his will,
Shall be beaten with many stripes.
For he who did not know,
Yet committed things deserving of stripes,
Shall be beaten with few.
For every one to whom much is given,
From him much will be required.
And to whom much has been committed,
Of him they will ask more.
And that's the parable of the faithful and the unfaithful servant.
We will go now into a line-by-line interpretation of the parable.
And the parable starts,
And the Lord said,
Who then is that faithful and wise steward,
Whom his master will make ruler over his household,
To give him their portion of food in due season?
The faithful and wise steward.
This is simply your conscious mind.
This is your state of being.
This is that part of the mind which is charged with managing your internal world,
Your thoughts,
Your emotions,
Your beliefs.
The household is your life.
The household is your personal world.
The household is the influence that you have on others.
Food in due season.
This represents truth,
Wisdom,
Spiritual nourishment,
Which you are meant to give both yourself and others when it is needed.
So the first sentence,
We are called to be the caretaker,
The steward of our own consciousness,
The steward of our state of being.
Whatever we focus on,
It grows.
When we wake up in the morning,
As part of our reflection,
Morning reflection,
We could ask ourselves whether we are feeding our lives and the lives of others with love,
Clarity and compassion or are we living selfishly?
So it's important to nourish the mind with empowering thoughts,
Affirming our wholeness,
Giving generously to others true kind words and kind actions.
The parable goes on,
Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
The master's return.
This symbolizes moments of awareness,
Moments of insights.
The master's return can also symbolize opportunities.
To be found ready.
To be found ready means we are living in integrity.
We are living authentically.
We are living in alignment with who we want to be as people.
We are living in integrity regardless of external circumstance or regardless of who is watching.
When we are consistent,
When there's readiness in our spiritual practice or in our personal growth,
When there's this consistency and readiness,
Blessings flow naturally.
The parable goes on,
Truly I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
And this is the law of consciousness.
When you master your inner world,
You automatically become the master of your life experience.
You automatically become the master of the way you experience life.
When we demonstrate spiritual maturity,
We are automatically promoted in life.
Being made the ruler over all,
It means that we are being entrusted with greater creative power,
With greater influence,
With more opportunities.
So we need to recognize that mastery inside leads to mastery outside.
When we are disciplined in our thoughts,
In our emotions,
Life responds to us by giving us more clarity,
By giving us more peace and by giving us more abundance.
But if that servant says in his heart,
My master is delayed his coming and begins to beat the male and female servants and to eat and drink and be drunk.
And this sentence,
It symbolizes the fall into unconsciousness,
Forgetting our purpose,
Ignoring the spiritual principles,
Slipping into fear,
Into judgment or into indulgence.
Beating the servants.
Beating the servants represents misusing your energy,
Whether it's through criticism,
Whether it's through negativity,
Whether it's trying to control the outcome of everything.
Beating your servants means misusing your energy.
And eating and drinking with drunkards.
This could be seen as getting lost in distractions,
Spending time binge watching instead of doing the meaningful work that you need to do.
So eating and drinking with drunkards,
Getting lost in distractions,
Materialism or living an ego-based life.
So we need to stay vigilant.
Don't let procrastination,
Don't let complacency lead you into lower states of consciousness.
Be mindful of where you waste your energy.
Be mindful of where you are using your energy.
And when you become aware of where your energy is being wasted,
Realign yourself with positive,
With constructive action.
The master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour when he is not aware and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.
And life often presents unexpected moments of truth,
Unexpected tests of integrity,
Unexpected tests of alignment.
These can come without warning.
Life also presents us with unexpected opportunities.
And these opportunities can come at a time and a day when you don't expect it to happen.
This sentence teaches spiritual readiness.
To live in alignment all the time,
Not only when you're expecting something significant.
To always be in alignment,
To always be ready because you do not know when that test of will come up.
You do not know when that test of alignment will come up.
You do not know when that opportunity will come up and when it does come up,
You do not want to be caught off guard.
So practice moment-to-moment awareness because life is happening now.
Not yesterday,
Not tomorrow.
Life is happening right now.
When we are living our life connected to our values,
Connected to our purpose,
We are able to meet life's surprises with grace and power.
And life always throws us surprises.
That is the nature of life.
And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes.
When you know better,
When you know better,
There's a higher expectation to live in alignment.
When you attend sessions like this to expand your mind,
To understand yourself,
To find out how to prepare yourself spiritually,
Mentally,
Emotionally,
That's what's meant by when you know better.
And when you know better,
There's a higher expectation that you live in alignment with what you know.
When you fail to act on your inner wisdom,
When you fail to act on the basis of what you already know,
This starts to create inner conflict and suffering.
And the stripes that are mentioned here,
These can be compared to mental anguish,
To guilt,
To dissatisfaction.
It's kind of that mental anguish and that guilt we have when we know that we are supposed to have done something today,
But instead we spent our time doing something else which is probably not important.
Maybe we were busy with some distraction.
And this mental anguish,
This guilt,
This dissatisfaction is what we have at the end of the day when we realize that we did not do what we needed to do.
So,
Living in alignment with what you know is true.
If you ignore your intuition,
If you ignore your wisdom,
This can cost you your peace.
And a good practice is to reflect on areas where you're avoiding right action.
And all of us,
Me included,
Many of us,
We have some area of our life where we know what we are supposed to be doing,
But we are not doing it.
So,
Reflect on areas where you're avoiding right action.
And when you identify these areas,
Bring yourself back to alignment.
But he who did not know,
Yet committed things deserving of stripes,
Shall be beaten with few.
Because when we act unconsciously,
And this happens many times,
Many a times,
Because sometimes we forget to be aware.
When we act unconsciously,
Spiritual law is still at work.
Spiritual law is always at work.
But if we are committed to learning,
If we are committed to growing,
Grace and compassion are always present.
So,
This encourages self-forgiveness.
This encourages compassion for others who may still be unaware of higher truths.
Because many a times there are people who are not aligned with the way we think,
Because while we have grown spiritually,
They probably haven't.
And when we encounter such people,
We are called to encompass forgiveness,
Encompass compassion for these people,
Because they are still not aware of higher truths.
So,
Give grace,
Extend grace to yourself as you learn.
Because we all make mistakes on our journey.
And offer understanding to those who are still finding their way.
For everyone to whom much is given,
From him much will be required.
And to whom much has been committed,
Of him they will ask the more.
If you've received awareness,
If you've received gifts,
If you've received wisdom,
You are automatically called to greater service.
You are automatically called to share that awareness,
To share those gifts,
To share that wisdom which you have received.
And this is not a burden,
But this is a privilege.
Because when you receive these gifts,
You are trusted to hold more light,
To hold more love,
To hold more power,
Because you now know how to share that wisely.
So,
We all have something unique to offer.
Our insights,
Our compassion,
Our creativity.
And we are called to use the gifts that we have,
In a way that will benefit others,
While fulfilling your purpose.
So,
When you get some time today,
Try to reflect on your responsibility as a creator in your life and the lives of people that you touch.
So,
Some takeaways from this parable.
Firstly,
To be a faithful steward.
And that's simply disciplining our thoughts and our emotions daily,
Constantly.
Secondly,
Stay awake and ready,
Be prepared.
Our lives are constantly shaped by what we consistently think and do.
Thirdly,
Serve from your gifts.
We are all entrusted with divine power and love,
And we are called to use it wisely.
And fourthly,
Accept responsibility with joy.
This is your path to inner freedom and fulfillment.
And that is the interpretation of this parable.
We'll now go into a guided reflective meditation on the same parable,
The parable of the faithful and the unfaithful servant or steward.
Get yourself comfortable,
Whether you're sitting,
Whether you're sleeping,
Whether you're moving around,
Simply get yourself comfortable.
Try to relax yourself a bit.
If it is safe to do so,
You can close your eyes.
If you are not comfortable closing your eyes,
Simply lower your gaze toward the floor.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
Hold it for a bit.
And exhale through your mouth.
Take another deep breath through your nose.
Hold it for a bit.
And exhale through your mouth.
Take one more deep breath in.
Hold it for a bit.
And exhale through your mouth.
Let go of any tension in your body.
And feel yourself arriving fully at this moment.
And imagine yourself walking along a quiet path.
You're walking along a quiet path.
Ahead,
You see a beautiful house.
It's radiant with light.
This house represents your inner world,
Your thoughts,
Your feelings,
Your beliefs.
You have been given the divine responsibility of tending to this household.
You are its steward.
Walk gently toward the house.
Place your hand on the door and slowly open it.
Step inside.
Inside,
You notice many rooms.
And each room represents a different area of your life.
Your health,
Your relationships,
Your purpose and creativity.
Your emotions,
Your beliefs about yourself and the world.
Take a slow,
Reflective walk through these rooms.
Observe them.
Observe these rooms with kindness,
With curiosity.
Without judgment.
Which rooms feel well tended to,
Clean,
Vibrant.
And which rooms feel cluttered,
Neglected or dimly lit.
Take a deep breath.
And know that you have the power to bring order,
Light and harmony to every space.
As you stand at the heart of the house,
Two figures appear before you.
Both these figures are parts of you.
To your right stands the faithful steward.
Standing steady,
Peaceful,
Full of quiet strength.
They have consistently tended the house,
Bringing order,
Love and care.
They embody clarity,
Responsibility,
Trust in the divine order.
To your left stands the unwatchful servant.
They appear restless,
Distracted,
Perhaps tired or overwhelmed.
They have forgotten their purpose at times.
They have chosen to delay,
To neglect or to seek comfort in distraction.
But they are not bad or wrong.
They are simply human and they hold lessons too.
Pause here.
Take a deep breath.
Acknowledge both parts of yourself.
The one that remembers and the one that forgets.
Approach the unwatchful servant gently.
Look into their eyes with compassion.
Look into their eyes with understanding and ask softly.
Why did you fall asleep?
What were you seeking in distraction?
What pain or fear caused you to forget your purpose?
And simply listen.
There is no judgment here,
Only compassion.
Perhaps they were tired,
Overwhelmed.
Lonely.
Or perhaps they felt disconnected from their true power.
Now offer them kindness.
Tell them,
I see you.
I understand.
You are welcome to the turn to the light.
And watch as the unwatchful servant begins to transform,
Reclaiming their inner light.
They are ready to remember who they are.
They are ready to serve once more.
And now stand between the faithful steward and the newly awakened unwatchful servant.
Stand between these two.
And feel both energies merging within you.
The wisdom of discipline and the compassion of experience together they create a whole wise and loving steward.
You are now fully awakened,
Ready to tend the household of your life with love,
Clarity and balance.
Take a deep breath in and feel the wholeness of your being.
Affirm quietly within.
I am the faithful and wise steward of my life.
I tend to my consciousness with love and care.
I am awake and aligned.
With divine purpose.
You now hear a presence approaching.
The master of the house has returned.
This is divine spirit,
The infinite law,
The presence within you.
The master looks at you with deep love and trust.
They place in your hand a golden key symbolizing trust,
Power and responsibility.
You are entrusted with greater authority over your life because you are now ready.
Feel the weight and warmth of the key in your palm.
You are now the ruler over all that has been given to you.
You accept this role with humility,
Grace and joy.
Affirm softly.
I accept my role as co-creator with spirit.
I rule my life in harmony with divine law.
And take a deep breath in and feel the wholeness of your being.
And exhale slowly.
Feel yourself grounded,
Centered,
Clear.
Bring your awareness back to the area that you are in,
The place that you are in.
Wiggle your fingers.
Wiggle your toes.
Stretch if you need to.
And when you are ready,
You can open your eyes.
You are now the faithful steward,
Awake,
Present.
And ready to create from your highest truth.
So based on this parable,
What can be a call to action?
And I think the most obvious one is to be a steward of your inner world and your outer life.
The parable calls us to wake up.
It calls us to become wise,
Become the faithful steward of our consciousness.
To live in daily alignment,
To live in vigilance,
To live in responsibility.
Whether we are aware of it or not,
We are always creating to the law of mind.
And to live as the faithful servant is to be awake.
To nourish our life with right thinking.
To use our gifts responsibly.
Thank you everyone for being here.
Love,
Light,
Blessings.
Namaste.
