Bella Vista Church of Christ
LIFELINES
October 30, 2002 Randall Caselman
Well Done Faithfulness
Jesus gives us the parable of the talents. You remember one person was given five talents, one two and another one. A talent was a great sum of money. Depending on whether it was a gold or silver talent, it could be worth a thousand or tens of thousands of dollars.
When the master returned, he asked an accounting of his servants. The one given five talents had doubled his, the one with two had doubled his. The master's response was, "Well done, thou good and faithful servants!"
However, the individual with one talent came saying, "Lord, I was afraid and went and hid my talent: Here it is - I give you back what is yours." The master was upset. The talent was taken from him and given to another. This unprofitable servant was removed from the master's presence into outer darkness.
What eternal concepts can we learn from this Jesus parable?
TALENT IS ALWAYS EQUAL TO THE TASK.
Think about it: God never asked us to accomplish anything that He has not talented us, equipped us, gifted us to do. Each of these servants was given a different amount - but the right amount. Regardless of what we are being taught today, nowhere does the Bible teach us that all men are equal. We must not Americanize the text. Men and women are different, always have been. Our attempting to make everybody equal is causing serious problems in our families, in the church, in our nation, in our military and in our schools. People are unique, gifted, talented differently. No amount of legislation can change this. God calls us to be different. The body is made up of many parts - being many they make one body - head, hands, eyes, feet. In fact, God has arranged the parts in the body, everyone of them, just as He wanted them to be. This is precisely what First Corinthians 12.12-22 teaches. Read it again!
GOD JUDGES US ON WHAT WE DO, NOT ON WHAT WE HAVE.
The test of faithfulness, success, in this parable is not on what the servants had, but what they did with what they had. Isn't it time that we stop trying to have more, get more, catch up with others (the Jones's) or drag them down to our level? Let us just be what God has asked us to be, regardless of our possession or the possessions of others. Faithfulness is not based upon what we have, but upon our discovery and our doing God's will daily. Paul said, "I have learned to be… Content in need... Content in abundance... Content in being well fed... Content in hunger... Content in plenty... Content in want." Read it again. Contentment is not in HAVING, but in DOING. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."
JESUS TEACHES US THAT FEAR IS FAILURE.
Fear comes to us from Satan, not from God. Fear is never an acceptable excuse before God for our actions. Moses, when called by God in the burning bush, began to make excuses out of fear. I am persuaded that Moses had the same fears you and I have. But God did not accept his excuses. This master in our parable did not accept the fearful excuse offered by his servant, and God will not accept ours. Abraham lied about Sarah being his wife, not once but twice. Abraham's failure was prompted by fear. Our failure in areas of leadership, evangelism missions and teaching is also prompted by this same fear…right?
You see, God is not calling us to be extraordinary people, doing extraordinary things. He wants us to be just common folk, responding to Him out of faith without shrinking back in fear. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him: For he that pleases God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and discipline." Hebrews 11.6 & 2 Timothy 1.7.
JESUS IS TELLING US THAT THERE WILL COME A DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
One day the Master will return. There will be a judgment day. "It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment." This judgment will result in our togetherness with God, or our eternal separation. If that day came today, what would be our destiny? A closer reading of Matthew, chapters 24 & 25 tells us the judgment day will bless those whom the Master finds watching, waiting, doing and serving the Jesus in others. But eternal separation awaits those who are not prepared, not doing, not watching, not serving, not using their talents. Church, hell is not just for the liar, murderer, idolater and the sexually immoral, but it is for the unfaithful servant. Paul was plain in his writing to the church at Corinth and to us, "It is required of stewards (servants - those who have been given a trust) that they be found faithful.
May we serve Him in such a way that we will hear the Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of your Lord." Amen? Amen!
RANDALL CASELMAN
