Who Really is the Faithful and Discreet Slave?
Most of Jesus Christ's parables were meant to teach a general principle about how Christians should live, or about the Return of Christ.
The Watchtower Society teaches that most of His parables are illustrations or stories to teach people certain things, not about actual literal events or actual people.
But, when it comes to the parable of "The Faithful and Discreet Slave" found at Matthew 24:45-51 and Luke 12:41-48, the Watchtower Society changes their tone completely. According to them, that parable is the single most important doctrine of the entire organization of Jehovah's Witnesses. That is the foundation, the bedrock of their entire religion.
Without that parable, the entire organization of Jehovah's Witnesses would not exist. The Governing Body and Watchtower Society would have absolutely no authority to lead anyone, if it were not for their teaching about the parable found at Matthew 24:45-51 and Luke 12:41-48.
Look what the "Insight" Book, Volume 1, Pages 1174-1184 has to say about "Parables" or "Illustrations":
"a "parable" is a comparison or similitude, a short,
usually fictitious , narrative from which a moral or spiritual truth is drawn. [...]"In this connection it may also be remarked that the illustrations, although drawn from life and natural things,
did not necessarily take place in actuality . Although some illustrations begin with expressions such as: "Once upon a time," "A man had," "There was a man," "A certain man was," or similar phrases, they were devised by the speaker under influence of God’s spirit and were what they are called—illustrations, or parables. (Jg 9:8; Mt 21:28, 33; Lu 16:1, 19) [...]
"A second obstacle to understanding is
the drawing of too fine an application of the illustration, trying to make every detail of the narrative of the literal events fit symbolically by arbitrary application or interpretation .
"The proper approach is made, first, by reading the context, ascertaining the setting in which the illustration was spoken, asking, What were the conditions and the circumstances? [...]
"Next, a knowledge of the Law, the customs and usages, and the idiom of the day is often helpful. For example, a knowledge of the Law helps us to understand the illustration of the dragnet. (Mt 13:47-50) The fact that fruit trees were taxed in Palestine during that time and that unproductive trees were cut down helps us to understand why Jesus caused an unfruitful fig tree to wither so as to use it for illustrative purposes.—Mt 21:18-22.
"Finally,
the factors in an illustration should not be given an arbitrary meaning, one gained from a private view or from philosophy. The rule is set forth for Christians: "No one has come to know the things of God, except the spirit of God. Now we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been kindly given us by God. These things we also speak, not with words taught by human wisdom, but with those taught by the spirit, as we combine spiritual matters with spiritual words."—1Co 2:11-13."
That all sounds very good.
But, then the question comes up, "Why do Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the 'Faithful and Discreet Slave' mentioned in Matthew 24:45-51 and Luke 12:41-48 is referring to an actual, literal 'class' of leaders in the 20th and 21st Centuries?"
Here are the Scriptures in question:
Matthew 24:45-51 (New World Translation):
"Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to YOU, He will appoint him over all his belongings."But if ever that evil slave should say in his heart, ‘My master is delaying,’ and should start to beat his fellow slaves and should eat and drink with the confirmed drunkards, the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect and in an hour that he does not know, and will punish him with the greatest severity and will assign him his part with the hypocrites. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.
Luke 12:41-48 (New World Translation):
Then Peter said: "Lord, are you saying this illustration to us or also to all?" And the Lord said: "Who really is the faithful steward, the discreet one, whom his master will appoint over his body of attendants to keep giving them their measure of food supplies at the proper time? Happy is that slave, if his master on arriving finds him doing so! I tell YOU truthfully, He will appoint him over all his belongings. But if ever that slave should say in his heart, ‘My master delays coming,’ and should start to beat the menservants and the maidservants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day that he is not expecting [him] and in an hour that he does not know, and he will punish him with the greatest severity and assign him a part with the unfaithful ones. Then that slave that understood the will of his master but did not get ready or do in line with his will will be beaten with many strokes. But the one that did not understand and so did things deserving of strokes will be beaten with few. Indeed, everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him; and the one whom people put in charge of much, they will demand more than usual of him.Jesus was making the point that each individual Christian (or Christian leader) must be careful to serve his fellow Christians and to serve the Lord in a faithful way, watching for his Lord's Return. But, if that individual Christian servant starts abusing or neglecting others and stops serving the Lord, he will be severely punished. The Christian who knows God's will and doesn't do it will be punished worse than the one who does not know God's will.
Jesus Himself gave the main principle that He was teaching: "everyone to whom much was given, much will be demanded of him; and the one whom people put in charge of much, they will demand more than usual of him."
So, on what Scriptural basis can the leaders of the Watchtower Society and the Governing Body claim that Jesus was speaking about a literal, special "class" of Anointed Christian leaders who would give commandments and direction to the Christians underneath them?
And, on what basis can the Watchtower Society claim that this Parable gives the Governing Body the SOLE AUTHORITY ON EARTHto interpret every verse of the Bible, and that all Jehovah's Witnesses must obey their teachings?!?!
Why should anyone believe that this Parable was speaking about a special Anointed Class that would appear on earth 2,000 years after Jesus spoke those words, instead of the simple explanation that Jesus was speaking about the need for individual Christian servants to remain faithful until the end?