"Who really is the faithful and discreet slave [class and its Governing Body], who the master appointed over his domestics [anointed ones, otherwise known as 'house slaves', as opposed to the field slaves] to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if the master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I tell you, he will appoint him over all his belongings [the field slaves and all that they own]."
So...let's follow this metaphor. Here is a slave, who just happens to serve food to fellow slaves. Some of them eat it up and think it's great, while others spit it out or refuse to even eat it. Feeling that his food is excellent, the slave begins telling his fellow slaves that the master has arrived, appearing only to this particular slave, for the sake of appointing him over the household. The slave then proceeds to give thorough instructions which he repeatedly claims are coming from the master.
Many slaves obey, putting trust in this 'faithful slave', sincerely believing he speaks for the master. But the slave first claims the master arrived/appeared to him on one date, then changes said arrival to a date many years later. Most of the slaves who believe him do not find this unusual in any way, but simply believe the master is somehow transmitting updated instructions to the 'faithful slave' every so often. The faithful slave receives many such updates, which eventually leaves the rest of the slaves either too confused or overworked to give it much thought, confident to just keep their head down and work for the master, or...there are other slaves, who are somehow different.
These slaves begin searching for proof that the master has returned in some way that is evident only to a select group. They realize that the master really hasn't returned, because the master said that none of his slaves would know when he would return; he left them no advance knowledge of that. They confront the faithful slave with this accusation and demand an explanation. Clearly unable to prove any of his claims, the faithful slave grows furious and orders these slaves thrown out of the household. When asked about them, this faithful slave says that these slaves were evil, unwilling to obey the master, and that they needed to be thrown out for fear they might contaminate others with their disobedient thinking.
Such slaves might reason, But would the master return in such a way that most of his slaves would never know? Why would the master be so unclear in his instructions that constant clarifications have to be made? How does it reflect on the master if he, for lack of better terms, can't get his story straight, can't communicate his message or instructions accurately? Is he confused? Or worse, is he so demented that he enjoys arbitrarily making and then erasing rules, even rules that harm his slaves?
This is wicked reasoning, some might say--no other household is working for the master except this one. Where else can we go?
A slave who realizes this must make a decision. Does he leave the household and face uncertainty as a free man, or does he stay, trusting that his invisible master will correct matters at an unspecified time? Well, that depends on how many corrections need to be made, I suppose. At a certain point, one is forced to realize that either this household's appointed slave is good enough or if he is negligent in his duties--or worse, deceiving people about the master's intentions.
That slave could choose to be a free man, and decide his own destiny, and call no one his master until he finds one worth the title. The alternative...is to be a slave to slaves. Let's hope this slave chooses wisely. Will you?
