Key Verse: "I
have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to
all who have longed for His appearing."
Well, here we
go again, with two different versions of the same story. Remember, if Jesus did
use this parable on more than one occasion, as story teller, it is His
prerogative to adjust the story depending on His audience. We will do better
here again to focus on the similarities to get to the basic message.
So, we have
here, once again, a master, who is a powerful person, who leaves home. We
mentioned before the importance of a master to be able to leave the care of his
property and possessions in the hands of servants he can trust. We actually
learn, in this parable, just how the responsibility was distributed. He gave
the first servant the most, demonstrating a great deal of trust in that
individual. The second servant may not have been quite as capable or
dependable, nevertheless, the master gave him a modest amount of
responsibility, probably knowing that this servant's heart would mean well and do
his best to please. The third servant received the least, and as the parable
continues, we learn why. It may have been amazing to the other servants that
the master entrusted him with anything at all. The master did entrust him with
a small amount of responsibility though to give the servant a chance to prove
himself. This is grace.
The master
goes away for an undetermined amount of time. The servants do what they will do
while they wait for the Master's return. When he returns to his home, it is
time for the judgment. The first and
second servants have risen to the challenge. The master is pleased. "Well
done!" Then, along with the praise, they are given additional blessings
and responsibilities according to what they have done.
It is the
third servant that is most interesting. Not much was expected of him and he
complied. His view of the master didn't help. He saw the master as grasping and
demanding. He totally missed the grace that the master offered by giving him a
chance at all. The master calls him "wicked," and banishes him to
eternal punishment. We may want to come to his defense by explaining that,
"at least he didn't lose what he was given! The master didn't lose
anything. He just didn't gain anything either." How could that be so bad?
Is it
possible that the reason that we are more quickly able to come to the third
servant's defense is because we see ourselves in his shoes? What have we been
given by God that we are not using for His glory? What talent or ability are we
hiding, thinking that it won't matter anyway? We compare ourselves to the first
and second servant types and belittle what we have been given to do. We see
them as the movers and shakers and doubt that our small offering will really
make any difference.
Obviously,
however, from God's perspective, that isn't true. Even the small thing that we
can do, we do because of His grace. He has entrusted us with something. And not just money, but any talent or ability that could be employed in his service. If we
are found faithful in using it, it just could increase, as referred to in the "key verse" above, that if we are faithful, there is reward. Similarly, "I tell you that
everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even
what he has will be taken away." (Luke 19:26) "Whoever can be trusted
with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with
very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been
trustworthy in handling worldly, wealth who will trust you with true riches? And
if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give
you property of your own? (Luke
16:10-12) Basically, "Use it, or lose it." The choice is yours.
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