“Burying Talents Loses Them”

The Theology of Work (TOW) Bible Commentary* reviews the “Parable of the Talents” found in Matthew 25:14-30. The commentary on the well-known parable (a short and simple story that teaches a moral, spiritual or religious lesson) spoke to my heart as I view Christian service or work for the Lord. A redacted (shortened) portion of the commentary reads as such:

One of Jesus’ most significant parables regarding work is set in the context of investments (Matt. 25:14-30). A rich man delegates the management of his wealth to his servants. He gives five talents (a large unit of money) to the first servant, two talents to the second, and one talent to the third. Two of the servants earn 100 percent returns, but the third servant hides the money in the ground and earns nothing. The rich man returns, rewards the two who made money, but severely punishes the servant who did nothing.

Let’s examine the theme, “Burying Talents Loses Them”

Theme: “Burying Talents Loses Them”

Read Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30 (ESV)

 

Reflection:

The meaning of the parable extends far beyond financial investments. God has given each person a wide variety of natural talents and spiritual gifts, and he expects each person to employ them in His service. It is not acceptable merely to put those natural talents and spiritual gifts on a closet shelf and ignore them (i.e. bury them). Much like the three servants, we do not have talents and gifts of the same degree. But, the Lord expects us to nurture and use, for His service, the talents and gifts we have been given.

It is understood that the servant who received one talent was not condemned for failing to reach the five-talent goal; he was condemned because he did nothing with what he was given. What you have been given from the Lord to be used in His service includes spiritual graces, skills, abilities, family connections, social positions, education, experiences, and more.

The point of the parable is that we are to use whatever we have been freely given and have freely received for the Lord’s purposes. The severe consequences to the unproductive servant, far beyond anything triggered by mere business mediocrity, tell us that we are to invest our natural talents, spiritual gifts, and ultimately our lives in the Lord’s service, not waste (bury) them.

You may ask, “How can we use the Matthew 25:14-30 scripture and commentary in practical ways?”

The answer is the Lord has given you at least one natural talent and/or spiritual gift. He has given and entrusted to you something that is of great value to Him. It is meant to be received and invested to glorify the Lord and edify (build up) the Church. The natural talent or spiritual gift might be spiritual graces; or might be teaching, singing, preaching, ushering, or service to some other need.

It must be understood that when you refuse to invest your natural talent or spiritual gift, you are actually burying it. This demonstrates an attitude of in-gratitude, selfishness, and ultimately a resentment of the Lord’s authority. There is no way to know how many lives could have been won for Christ if only you had nurtured your talent or gift and invested it in service to the Lord.

But, what can be known for certain is that as the scripture states in verses 29 and 30 that those that have invested in service to the Lord will be given more. Those that have buried what was given and received from the Lord will lose all. They will lose what was initially given and received, and what would be given in the future to include even their eternal life. So, if you have refused to use your natural talent or spiritual gift for the Lord; No Excuses! Be Warned!

Amen!

Ref:

*http://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/matthew/living-in-the-new-kingdom-matthew-18-25/the-parable-of-the-talents-matthew-2514-30/

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“Fig Tree Faith”

I recently had the opportunity to read once again a passage in the Bible that was a mystery to me when I first read it. The first time I read the passage my thoughts were that an unfair situation had occurred. The passage in the Bible is the story of “Jesus Curses the Fig Tree” found in Mark 11:12-24. The portion of the story that seemed to be unfair to me was that Jesus cursed the fig tree because it did not contain figs, even though it was not the season for figs.

In other words, fruit bearing trees, such as fig trees, have a season when they produce their fruit, and this was not the season for the fig tree to produce its fruit (figs). So, my thoughts were, why would the fig tree be cursed by Jesus resulting in the tree’s death when the tree could not have figs because it was not the season for the tree to bear (produce) figs.

Well, in my thoughts was embedded that somehow Jesus had been unfair because He cursed the fig tree (and it died) for not having figs to feed Him in His state of hunger, when it was not the season for figs. How could Jesus do such a thing when He knew it was not the season for the tree to bear or contain figs? Well through prayer and further study, I had a breakthrough about that narrative of the fig tree. Let’s take a look at “Fig Tree Faith”.

Theme: “Fig Tree Faith”

Scripture Readings: Mark 11:12-14, 19 – 24 (NIV) Son of man, I have made you a watchman to the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

¹² The next day as they [Jesus and His disciples] were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³ Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴ Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁹ When evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city [Jerusalem]. ²⁰ In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹ Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!” ²² “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

 

Reflection:

The narrative, “Jesus Curses the Fig Tree”, on the surface appears to be unfair, but this appearance is based on viewing the narrative in the natural. What I mean by this is that nature would tell you that the only time a fruit tree could produce fruit is in its season. That is totally reasonable in our understanding of nature and the natural world.

But, Jesus operates in both the natural and the supernatural (above and beyond the natural). In the supernatural Jesus establishes the season of growth and production. This applies to trees, plants, animals, and of course humans. All things and everyone are under submission to Jesus for He is Lord of all in Heaven and Earth. So, it was the expectation and command that the fig tree would be submitted to Jesus’ hunger and therefore expected to produce/contain fruit –figs.

This is where the struggle in logic and reasoning comes in because we/I live in the natural and that forms expectations. In the natural you might think, well the fig tree does not know Jesus. But, scripture in Genesis 1, Psalms 19:1-3, and Romans 1:19-20 testifies that nature has knowledge and a relationship with Jesus’ divinity. So, there is no excuse.

So, I am reminded that living for Jesus requires faith and faith does not follow the natural or human logic, rationale or reasoning. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” So, as believers in Jesus Christ, we cannot operate solely in the natural, because faith exposes us to the supernatural (… assurance of what we do not see).

How does this apply in everyday life? Well, we must submit to Jesus’ needs and acknowledge that Jesus sets our season of growth and production. We don’t. So, when we have an opportunity to serve Jesus, we can’t refuse or say, “It’s not my season to do this or that”, because Jesus provides the opportunity and sets your season for service. You don’t.

So, when you refuse to serve Jesus in the way and time He requires, you are in rebellion and miss an opportunity to be fruitful. And rebellion to our Lord Jesus can have serious results. Remember the scripture says that the fruit tree withered (died) from its roots. In other words its very essence for life and base foundation was ruined forever

I will remember the story of the fig tree and the need to immediately move in faith when Jesus requires my service. I will remember, to have faith in Jesus when I am called upon to do something that I think is impossible, I will remember “Fig Tree Faith”.

Amen!

“The Tragedy of Wasted Influence”

George W. Truett (May 6, 1867 – July 7, 1944) was a great American clergy man and writer. He penned the book, “A Quest for Souls”. In his book he tells the story of man who met the Lord later in life and was so inspired that he dedicated his life to reading, study, and living the Word of God.  The man had two sons and grandchildren.

His sons and grandsons had lived most of their lives with an unsaved father and grandfather. A father that placed importance on everything but church. But, then one day at the age of sixty-eight the man was confronted with the question, “Are you prepared to meet God?” The man that thought he knew everything and had accomplished much did not have an answer.

The question gnawed at the man, until finally he attended church and was convicted of his sin. The conviction was so strong that the man was determined to live his life for Jesus Christ and even better he would confront others with the question that changed his life, “Are you prepared to meet God?” The man decided he would first pose the question to his sons.

Let’s see what happened…

Theme: “The Tragedy of Wasted Influence”

Scripture Readings:

James 5:20 (NIRV) reads, “Then here is what I want everyone to remember. Anyone who turns a sinner from going down the wrong path will save him from death. God will erase many sins by forgiving him.”

Reflection:

The man in the story came to the startling and disappointing conclusion that “no man liveth to himself”. Today, we would say, “no man is an island”. This conclusion was drawn because as the man talked to his sons and invited them to attend church, the sons replied, “Well Dad I guess we’ll start going to church when we get to be about sixty-eight, like you.  Not, being able to convince his sons to go to church, he decided he would invite his grandsons.

The grandsons winked at each other as their grandpa invited them to church. The grandsons with a little wit in their voices said, “Well grandpa, we will start going to church when we turn sixty-eight or seventy”. The grandsons were quite pleased with themselves by their comment. But, their comments fell on the man, their grandpa, like a ton of cement. The man realized he had wasted not only much of his own life by waiting so long to come to Christ, but his influence on his sons and grandsons had also set the stage to waste their lives.

The man realized “The Tragedy of Wasted Influence”. The man had influence over his family, relatives, friends, and associates. But, his influence to bring others to Jesus Christ had been wasted all of his formative years and most of his adult life. When others saw him, what came to mind was his success in business and his well-to-do life. What’s more all of it had been accomplished by him without attending church and without any regard for Christ. This was a severe tragedy to the man. His influence to lead others to Christ had been wasted for far too many years. Now, as an elderly man, no one wanted to listen to his testimony of Christ.

The man was pained by the thought that his influence ruined the lives of his sons and their families? He wondered had his influence led his relatives, neighbors, and co-workers down a path that did not prepare them to meet God? The man was broken-hearted at the thought. So, what can we learn from this story?

Who is in your circle of influence and have you led a life that guided them to Jesus Christ? Are you living the tragedy of a wasted life, and have not realized it yet? If so, act now! It just might not be too late.

Amen!

“Can You Tell The Difference?”

The Prophet Isaiah in the book of Isaiah 5:20 states, “Woe” about three things that will occur. A “woe” is an intense expression of warning about great distress, grief, or calamity that is coming. In Isaiah’s prophecy of upcoming distress the three items to be warned about were a diversity of opposites. This is seen in the exchange of evil and good; darkness and light; and bitter and sweet. The exchange demonstrates a contrast in recognition of behavior, perspective, and emotion.

In other words, there will be confusion about “reality”. When reality is confused it is an indication that perversion or a distortion has occurred. Because of this distortion the Prophet Isaiah gives a warning so that we can be prepared to know the difference. Let’s take a look to see if you can tell the difference between what is real and what is distortion.

 

Theme:“Can You Tell The Difference?”

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 5:20 (NIV)

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”

 

Reflection:

When I look at the news or talk to others it is apparent that distortion is all around us. What was up is now down, and what was down is now up. What was good is now considered bad, and what was bad is now considered good. What was right is now viewed as wrong, and what was wrong is now viewed as right. You might ask, “How did such an upheaval occur?”

Well, there is a saying, “When sin is assimilated and not annihilated in our life; it is eventually absorbed. The result of absorbing sin is that after a while we have an amalgamation of a worldview of acceptable sin”.

Simply said, as we support sin by ignoring it, it becomes part of our everyday lives and before we know it, sin has become normal to us and we not only accept it we give approval to it. So, the Prophet Isaiah said, “woe unto you”. Can you tell the difference between evil and good, darkness and light, bitter and sweet, and right and wrong – think about it, reflect on it, pray about it?

Amen!