Have you ever felt like your words fell on deaf ears? If you have, according to today’s passage, it is quite possible you were right. The servant under consideration here is an individual who obeys in order to avoid the consequences of rebellion. This individual does not desire the will of their master, and obeys out of fear rather than love. The problem with this rebellious attitude is not that he doesn’t understand the master. The problem is that he despises the master’s will because it imposes on his own desires. Does this sound like you or someone you know? A common distinction that occurs again and again in Proverbs is that those who are wise will listen, and words mean nothing to fools. How do you respond to those who are in authority over you? Are you seeking to be wise or are you stubbornly determined to be a fool?