Matthew 24:45-51

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

household - "The Greek word here translated household is only once again used [in Scripture]. In Revelation we read that 'the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.' What relation can there be between healing and household? This question can only be answered by an understanding of what this word household really signifies. It is the word from which we derive our word therapeutic, and the basic idea of it is healing. The word household refers to all such in the house as serve.  That first word, 'Who then is the faithful and wise servant?' is the word bond-slave; but the word household comes from another term for servant, which is other than the word bond-slave. It is a word that signifies a loving service, a purpose of healing in service. This is a case of metonymy, where one word is put for another, which the other suggests, as when we say a man keeps a good table, when we refer really to his food. This word in the parable, then, suggests the picture of a great house, and one Lord; and all of those in the house under his control, as thinking of his interests, while serving under his command.  His attitude is simply that of bringing forth meat in the due season, and feeding the rest; the attitude of caring for all the other members of the household during the Lord’s absence, for the sake of the absent lord." (Morgan)

My master is delayed - "The evil servant's belief (that the master would not return soon) affected his conduct toward others (as is always true)." (Ryrie)

The commentaries don’t know what to do with this passage. Some try to apply it as a general truth for every age. Others say the Lord suddenly stopped talking about the Tribulation and His second coming and started talking about the current age.

While there is obvious universal truth here about serving faithfully, it is impossible for me to believe that the Lord suddenly shifted His topic from His second coming to a separate period that hadn’t yet been revealed and that His listeners could not possibly have understood. Since the kingdom He came to offer wasn’t actually offered until after His resurrection and ascension, it makes no sense that He would be speaking as though it had already been set aside.  The Jew who "endures to the end, he will be saved" (v 13).  Those who don't, will be put with the hypocrites, where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (v 51).