So the “faithful and discreet slave” is one “whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time.” (Matthew 24:45) It was more than nineteen hundred years ago, at his ascension to heaven, that the “master” of the composite “slave” went away, leaving the “slave” with instructions to feed the “domestics.” (Matthew 28:16-20) The “domestics” were not the family of the master but were his “domestic servants” (H. A. W. Meyer) or his “household staff.” (New English Bible) They were slaves, just the same as the “faithful and discreet slave” charged with feeding them. Thus they were all a body of slaves, and were all subject to the same “master.” All were obligated to be “faithful and discreet.”

“GIVE THEM THEIR FOOD AT THE PROPER TIME”

24. What was that “slave” appointed to do, and why might “domestics” be used in having it done?

²⁴ In this parable the “slave” was not given silver “talents” with which to do business. So here we are not talking about spiritual “talents.” The appointed “slave” was specially made responsible for giving his fellow “domestics” their food at the proper time. They needed food regularly, the same as the appointed “slave” did, in order to be strengthened for their work in the master’s house. If the master’s number of domestics was large, the appointed “slave” would not be going to all of them individually and serving each one his meals directly. More sensibly, the “slave” would see to it that the food was made available and that it was served to all the “domestics” or “household staff.” Some of the “domestics” would aid in the serving of the meals to their fellow domestics. It is not odd, then, that the domestics should be helping in the feeding of one another.

25. At what “proper time” did the “slave” class begin to serve the “food,” to whom, and with what result that day?

²⁵ No sooner did the spiritual “food” become available “at the proper time” on the festival day of Pentecost of 33 C.E., than the appointed “slave” class proved itself “faithful and discreet” by passing out the “food” under the inspiration of God’s outpoured spirit. The congregation of about 120 disciples began talking among themselves about the “magnificent things of God.” But that small original congregation did not keep those “things” to themselves. Thousands of spiritually hungry ones, who professed to be servants of Jehovah God, gathered to listen to these “things.” The apostle Peter took the lead in feeding those spiritually hungry Jews and proselytes who were at Jerusalem for the celebrating of the now out-of-date festival of Pentecost. At heart they wanted to become “domestics” of the Messianic “master,” and they needed to be fed to become such. At this “proper time” it was that the “faithful and discreet slave” class fed them. As a result, about three thousand of them became believers, got baptized and received the gift of the holy spirit. Now they were indeed “domestics” of the Master, but still needed more food.​—Acts 2:1-42.

26, 27. (a) When the feeding program was widened out, who was used to do the feeding of the prospective “domestics”? (b) This was in harmony with what command of the Master before his going away?

²⁶ Less than three and a half years later the feeding efforts of the “faithful and discreet slave” class were extended to other prospective “domestics.” These were to be from “people of all the nations,” non-Jews, Gentiles. The apostle Peter was used to take the lead in this and was sent under divine guidance to the city of Caesarea on the eastern Mediterranean seacoast to convert the Italian centurion Cornelius and the interested ones whom he had gathered into his house. (Acts 10:1 to 11:18) Thus the door was flung open wide for Gentiles to become “domestics” of the Messianic Master, Jesus Christ.