Luke 12:47-48 (NIV) “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Dante read this section of Jesus’ discourse and envisioned a hell composed of various levels, with increasingly unpleasant punishments the deeper you went. Those in the upper reaches were guilty of only minor sins, and so mostly suffered only intense regret, while the murderers, the blasphemers and the idolaters were consigned to the lower levels, and tortured eternally by demons.
But Jesus is not talking here about the torments of hell, some lesser and some greater, but about God’s discipline of His servants here and now; a completely different thing with a completely different purpose.
Put plainly, those who are in leadership (see the context of this statement from verses 41-46 above), who know clearly what God requires of them, yet don’t do it, who become self-indulgent and take advantage of those they are assigned to lead and care for, can expect God’s discipline of them to be immediate and harsh, because they know what He requires of them, yet don’t do it. On the other hand, those who don’t know God’s will as well, those young in the faith, or those mis-taught, if they do things worthy of punishment, what they receive will be lighter, and delivered with mercy, designed to teach, to discipline more than to punish or destroy.
The reason for this is obvious, even from a purely human perspective. A ten-year-old who is acting up at the table, and after being warned repeatedly spills his milk receives a much different punishment from his parents than a three-year-old who spills. The older child should know better, and is able to understand the consequences of his or her actions to a degree that the younger child cannot. So while the younger child may receive harsh words and maybe a token swat, the older child may be sent away from the table and lose some privileges. In the same way, from those old enough in the faith to be called by God into leadership, much will be expected. And if those expectations are either willfully or lazily disregarded, they can expect God’s punishment to be appropriately stern.
Father, this does make sense. And it calls to mind the warning in James 3:1 (NIV): “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” This warning to take seriously our calling, our privilege in being assigned by You to leadership in the Church, is designed by Jesus to save us from the sorrow and shame of Your discipline, correction, and even punishment. Thank You for that warning. Amen.