How much is required of me? (Matthew 25:14-15)
Often this seems to be the first question asked in defense of the quality of one’s service. If Jesus says that everyone who has been given much is required to do much with it, then what about those who do not have much? What if I don’t feel like I have a lot in comparison to the people around me? Jesus gives a parable about servants given talents by their master to answer this question. Perhaps the meaning is lost when we focus on the number without being reminded of the value of a talent. A talent was a monetary unit equal to twenty years’ wages for an average laborer. Now consider the “one talent man.” How much money do you make in a year? Multiply that by twenty and imagine receiving that amount all at once. That is what Jesus says it is like, even for those to whom very little is given by comparison. For this reason also it is proven a foolish practice to compare ourselves with others, as what God entrusts and expects is according to our own ability.
Consider also that God “himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” (Acts 17:25) Jesus is not saying that stewards are only held accountable for managing money and possessions. What do you suppose God expects of you when He has given you life, health, family, friends, abilities, influence, sustenance, grace, mercy, His Word, the church, renewable resources, overwhelming amounts of technology, abundant transportation, and time. (To name a few things.) Given the due punishment of death that each person faces because of his sin, even if you led a relatively deprived life physically, is not salvation and the promise of eternal rest more than enough to qualify as “much?”
Having considered these things, is it reasonable to adopt the attitude that seeks to do the bare minimum to get by? Given all that God has entrusted to us, what is the minimum but our lives?
What’s in it for me? (Matthew 25:16-23)
It seems fair to ask this question, as God has revealed Himself as a just and merciful God. It would be thought pretty cruel for a master to demand diligent work from a servant he had no intention of compensating, when the master had no need of the servant’s service in the first place. Paul reminds us, “The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands as though He needed anything.” (Acts 24:25) This being the case, it is good for us to remember that our service to God ultimately is to our own benefit. Drawing from the message of the parable, however, leaves us with this truth: the initial thing “in it for me” is hard work. Jesus mentions that the master did not return for a long time, and for two of the three servants, we can only conclude they spent that time working. Given the kind of steward Jesus says is blessed, this is important to note for two reasons. First, being a faithful servant means that we must work until the master returns! In other words, we are to work until we die. Second, being a wise servant means we live prudently, thus our commitment to doing the hard work is not dependent upon our present circumstances but upon our Master’s trustworthy promise of eternal rest when our work is done.
Everyone is some kind of steward. Are you the kind that will be happy and blessed when the Master returns?