I want to point something out here. Peter has just asked the question in verse 41, “Lord, are you addressing this parable for us?” The Lord answers the question with a question, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?” The Lord is asking Peter, “Who are they?” Just as a master puts slaves in charge of overseeing and caring for the rest, so does our Lord put those over His sheep to care for them and look after them. But the question is, “Who then are these? Who is the faithful steward?” I think the point is there aren't many of them. They knew too well of the so-called shepherds of Israel. There was a great number of religious leaders and religious authorities in Israel. They knew how many of those there were, but they also knew how few were “faithful” shepherds evidenced by their refusal to unite with Jesus.

The shepherds of Israel had failed. Jesus uses this example to prepare them that there are going to be a lot of shepherds in the church age who are not faithful. One could say with Jesus today, “Where are the faithful shepherds? Where are they?” I mean, in today’s church, how many pastors are faithfully striving to preach the word in the power of the Spirit and properly divide the word of truth? In today’s church, how many pastors are striving to be faithful to preach and establish sound doctrine for the church to function by? In the church today, how many pastors are striving to teach and counsel people to a genuine conversion and not just a quick, man-centered, “hoop-jump fix"? In the church today, how many pastors are genuinely striving to only baptize true converts into the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and avoid adding to the already bloated church rolls of those who never even darken the church door! In the church today, how many pastors are striving to exercise biblical authority, accountability, and exercise compassionate discipline within the body of Christ. And how many faithfully lead the church away from worldly amusements and entertainments that the church may learn to find her joy in Christ and in Bible truth?

I also think there’s another question here. How many professing Christians care? How many really care if the church is sound and the flock is cared for and the shepherds are faithful? Not very many. Isn’t it interesting that you can take the condition of ancient Israel and how unfaithful shepherds vastly outnumber the faithful and see that the ratio today is not much different?