“Lord, I knew you to be a hard
man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not
scattered seed. And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the
ground. Look, there you have what is
yours.” Matthew 25:24-25
Play it safe or take a risk----what does God expect His
followers to do?
Do we use our small, imperfect
abilities, or do we leave the kingdom work to those who are REALLY talented?
In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus told a story about a company owner
who was going on a business trip. Before
he left, the owner gave three employees a significant amount of capital to
invest. He gave his high-performer five
talents -- an amount considerably more that a lifetime’s worth of wages. The second rising star in the company got two
talents. The third man hadn’t yet proven
his abilities, but the boss still gave him one talent. A regular worker would
have to labor 16 1/2 years to earn that much money, so the third guy still had
a tremendous opportunity.
When the boss returned, the first man had doubled the
capital. He got more responsibility, and probably a promotion, a bonus, a
raise, and a party. He was invited to
“enter the joy of his lord.” (v. 23) With shrewd investments and trading, the
second man also doubled the amount he was given. Kudos from the boss. Another promotion.
Another party.
But the third man returned his talent. He’d dug a hole and
buried the money in the backyard. He
hadn’t even put it in the bank where it could earn interest.
Maybe his reluctance
is understandable. He might have been thinking,” What if I botch this up? What
do I know about this investing stuff? Better to just make sure this one talent
here is safe.”
But if we look closely, we’ll
notice three things about the third employee, whom the boss calls “wicked and
lazy.”
First, he didn’t love and trust
his master. He called his master a “hard
man.”
Second, he wasn’t on board with
the company mission. He didn’t like the
idea of “gathering where you have not scattered seed.” Somehow, he didn’t go along with his master’s
methods of reaping and gathering.
Third, he was afraid. His own
self-preservation was more important than the boss’s agenda.
The underlying principle in this
parable is that Jesus values faithfulness. Dr. Thomas Constable defines
faithfulness as “using what God has entrusted to one to advance His interests
in the world. It involves making a spiritual profit with the deposit God has
entrusted to each disciple.”
God gives each of us talents, abilities, spiritual gifts and
resources to invest for His kingdom. So, what keeps us from using our talents?
Do we, like the unfaithful servant, have a flawed image of
Our Lord? Do we imagine Him as a harsh taskmaster who gives us a job then sits
back to watch us fail? Do we forget that
He’ll give us the power to accomplish what He assigns?
Maybe deep down, we’re not on board with our mission to
“make disciples of all men.” Maybe we’ve secretly bought into the world’s
philosophy that it’s impolite—or offensive—to share our faith.
My problem is fear. I fear rejection and ridicule as I make
tentative efforts to use my meager abilities. I suspect this is where many of
you struggle, also.
I listen to the voice in my head that says, “You’re not good
enough.” (I can guess whose voice that is.)
But what if that nagging, clamoring voice in my head is
causing such a ruckus that I can’t hear the voice of the Master? What if Jesus
is saying, “Hey, about those talents I gave you? What have you done with them?
How are you using them for My kingdom?”
And what if, instead, I heeded the voice of God’s Word?
“My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” II Corinthians 12:9
It’s never too late to begin. I
think of my own sweet “mother-in-love,” Carol Sawyer, who has been a mentor to
me in my walk with the Lord. She began playing the cello at the age of 60.
She’s in her 80’s now and still plays in orchestras and ensembles. Her cello’s
deep, heart-stirring tones have resonated in churches and concert halls,
weddings and nursing homes. She’s poured into the lives of other musicians.
She’s invested her talents for God’s kingdom.
So now, I’m using my small ability
to encourage you today: Don’t bury your gifts! God wants you to use them!
What gifts and abilities has God
given you? Have you been making excuses instead of making investments in the
kingdom? What can you do today to develop and use your gift?
If you can’t sing on stage, then sing
for a child.
If you can’t plan an event for 100
guests, then invite one friend over.
It’s okay to start small. God will
increase your opportunities as you prove your faithfulness in the small things.
Maybe that involves stepping out of your
comfort zone, but consider this:
If we refuse the risk, we’ll never reap the rewards.
We miss out on hearing, “Well
done, thy good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
