But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, “My lord is delaying,”
Here Jesus sets the faithful servant in contrast, showing the danger that arises from indifference and the sense of delay. The words, “My lord is delaying his coming,” express that inner mindset in which a person begins to live as if the Lord will no longer come. From this thought are born spiritual numbness, irresponsibility, and tolerance toward sin. Jesus warns that this very kind of reasoning makes a person an “evil servant,” because he forgets the constant reality of the Lord’s presence. This saying shows that the most dangerous condition is not open unbelief, but that cold indifference in which the heart loses the sense of waiting. The delay of the Lord’s coming is a test for faith, to reveal who is waiting for him with love.