Greatest Gifts Come From Above
Stewardship Series
“It is important that we recognize that every good gift comes from the Lord…”
“14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Explanation:
The Parable of the Talents is one of the most well-known of the teachings of Jesus. Its occasion makes sense considering common practices of landowners in ancient Judea, who would often entrust their property and errands to their personal servants. Two of the three servants depicted in the parable make industrious use of the money entrusted to them, most likely by setting up a business to increase the initial return on the investment. Their labor and thoughtfulness are recognized by the master as having made excellent use of what he had entrusted to them. Moreover, that he has an equal reaction to both faithful servants regardless of the total return on investment indicates that it is faithfulness and not the actual return that is important. In contrast, however, the wicked servant is depicted as having a deep mistrust and fear of the master as opposed to showing love for him. In the end, the wicked servant, who zealously holds onto the little that he has rather than giving it over to the service of the master, will in the end lose his talent anyway – while those who have been faithful in what they have been given will continue to thrive.
Connection:
In life, God gives us many gifts. These can come in many forms. Some people are given exceptional talents and abilities that allow them to be very successful in many areas of life. Others are provided wealth and other material possessions with which they are able to accomplish much. Yet still, some are given the gift of relationships. In all of these are the potential for growth. That is, God expects us to invest the natural gifts and talents that he has given us to produce a return that is greater than what he initially has given us.
Because of this, it is important that we recognize that every good gift comes from the Lord, and we must choose how to use these gifts wisely in his service (James 1:17). It is a good idea to often reflect on the gifts and talents that he has given us so that we can choose actions and vocations that will be beneficial to others and to God's kingdom. Just as the faithful servants In the Parable of the Talents made excellent use of the Master's deposit, so too should we seek to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
Action:
Assess –
It is always important that we reflect often on the many gifts and blessings that God has given us. As you evaluate your gifts, it is important to ask yourself how you can best utilize them to build one another up to the glory of God. It is good to recognize that God only asks that we are faithful in whatever path that we choose, so long as this path does not cause others to stumble.
Plan –
Often, determining how to invest our blessings will take careful planning to develop into a good steward or choosing the best vocation. For instance, one who is by nature quiet and reserved will likely not make the greatest salesperson or orator. Likewise, one who is outgoing might make a poor accountant. Choosing the wrong vocation may also damage our relationships with our families, friends, and co-workers. Just as the faithful servants planned their course of action, we too should follow their example.
Trust the Lord –
To be sure, there is an element of trust and faith that go into becoming good stewards of the richness that God has given us. The wicked servant did not believe that God was looking over him and was stingy with what he has been given. Therefore, we should trust that God will give us back in abundance whatever we give in his name - even if we cannot see it from our perspective.