Luke 12:48 48But the one who did not know, but did what is worthy of a beating, will receive few beatings. And to everyone was given much, much will be required of him, and to whom has been entrusted much, even more will be asked of him.
Verse 48 offers a middle road between the two scenarios described in verses 42-47. The scenario in this case is the servant who did not know the master’s will and was not doing what was expected. This servant was still guilty and worthy of a beating, but the punishment would be less. This verse describes what in the Old Testament are called sins of ignorance. Leviticus chapter 4 describes at length what a person could do under the old covenant about such sins. Paul the apostle sinned in ignorance and unbelief against Christ’s church but experienced the grace and forgiveness of God because he came to faith in Christ (1 Timothy 1:13-14).
The servant was not ready for the master’s return, which meant he was not caring for his fellow servants like in the first scenario. At least he was not beating and abusing them. Neglect is not quite as back as hurting, but neglect is a sin as well. Leaders of God’s people can be guilty of not knowing how to do God’s will. Ignorance is not a valid excuse. Disciples need to study and come to know God’s will for people of his kingdom. Church leaders, such as pastors and lay leaders, need to read the Bible and spend time in prayer so that they can discern what God wants them to be doing while they await the coming of Jesus.
Jesus’ last statement in this verse is given in the form of a proverb using grammatical and synonymous parallelism where the first line matches the second in structure and meaning. The assumption is that God is the one who gives. The key idea is stewardship. God gives different gifts and responsibilities to people, depending on his purpose and plan for them or their situation. A secondary theme is accountability, found in the words much will be required. Those who have been given greater responsibility will be required to give an account for what they did with this responsibility.
A person might have two responses to this idea. On the one hand, a person can have an overwhelming sense of responsibility that spurs that person to be doing what he or she should be, which is the preferred response. Or, on the other hand, a person could be overwhelmed with a sense of inadequacy because every leader makes mistakes and has faults. This second option should not be a negative motivation but help us realize and experience God’s grace. The key point is whether our motives are right, not if we always make the right decisions. The context of this passage is about being ready for Jesus, the Master, to return. The primary mission of disciples, especially those who are leaders, is to care for one another.
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