Based on a message by Ps Sharon Kelly at Sisters March 28, 2018
Blog by Sandy Hopkins
I would love if life could be like “fluffy bunnies” – everyone being happy and everything being fair. I don’t like conflict and injustice really gets under my skin. And Jesus is fair – isn’t he?!
In Matthew 25 we read the parable about financial stewardship – many of us know it as the parable of the talents. Jesus starts off this parable by telling us this is what the Kingdom of God is like – or in The Passion Translation this is what Heaven’s Kingdom Realm is like…
Matthew 25:14-30 TPT
““Again, heaven’s kingdom realm is like the wealthy man who went on a long journey and summoned all his trusted servants and assigned his financial management over to them. Before he left on his journey, he entrusted a bag of five thousand gold coins to one of his servants, to another a bag of two thousand gold coins, and to the third a bag of one thousand gold coins, each according to his ability to manage. “The one entrusted with five thousand gold coins immediately went out and traded with the money, and he doubled his investment. In the same way, the one who was entrusted with two thousand gold coins traded with the sum and likewise doubled his investment. But the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. “After much time had passed, the master returned to settle accounts with his servants. The one who was entrusted with five thousand gold coins came and brought ten thousand, saying, ‘See, I have doubled your money.’ “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Come celebrate with me!” ’ “Then the one who had been entrusted with two thousand gold coins came in and said, ‘See, my master, I have doubled what you have entrusted to me.’ “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Come celebrate with me!” ’ “Then the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins came to his master and said, ‘Look, sir. I know that you are a hard man to please and you’re a shrewd and ruthless businessman who grows rich on the backs of others. I was afraid of you, so I went and hid your money and buried it in the ground. But here it is—take it, it’s yours.’ “Angered by what he heard, the master said to him, ‘You’re an untrustworthy and lazy servant! If you knew I was a shrewd and ruthless business man who always makes a profit, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? Then I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. But because you were unfaithful, I will take the one thousand gold coins and give them to the one who has ten thousand. For the one who has will be given more, until he overflows with abundance. And the one with hardly anything, even what little he has will be taken from him.’ “Then the master said to his other servants, ‘Now, throw that good-for-nothing servant far away from me into the outer darkness, where there will be great misery and anguish!’ ””
Wow! Is that fair Jesus? He didn’t get much to start with – didn’t the others have an unfair advantage?
But if this is what the Kingdom is like – shouldn’t I want to understand how Jesus thinks? We tend to view the world through the perspective of our experiences and the conclusions and beliefs we form from them. But shouldn’t we view things through God’s Kingdom lens? Or at the very least try our best to understand and glean from a Godly perspective?
I’m not perfect, but here’s what I see and glean from this parable…
Life Can Seem Unfair
My husband always seems to get picked out of a crowd. He’s always had something special on his life and people just seem to need to tell him he’s been set apart and encourage him and let him know how God’s going to use him. I was usually very happy for that to happen, but one day it just became too much. Was I invisible? Did God not see me too? I’m nearly always standing right next to him – what about me? Why didn’t I ever get picked? Didn’t God want to say something to me too?
I’ve come to discover…
– Don’t hang your life or your faith on a moment in time. God is big and so are His plans for you. Don’t throw away your confidence in Him just because you are discouraged by one event.
– The Kingdom is not “5 bags for everyone”! We all have different capabilities and that’s OK.
Stay Grateful
If only we could all focus on what we do have – rather than what we don’t have! How different life could be if we did that!
What if the “one bag of gold coins” guy had been grateful? What could God have done with the “little” that he thought he had? We seem to look for the spectacular things God is doing, but I think God is in the smaller, everyday things.
Comparison is a killer of dreams, and so is focusing on what we don’t have. I’m going to live life in my lane and focus on what God has given me to do – because ultimately that’s what I’ll be held accountable for.
Don’t Let Fear Rule
In verse 24-25 we read that the “one bag” guy was afraid and he also thought the wealthy man who had entrusted the one bag of gold coins to him was hard to please and ruthless – yet the others did not. Why did fear even make him bury the coins in the first place?
My God can take something small and make it exceedingly abundant and above! Look at the boy with the loaves and fish in the crowd. Jesus used the little the boy had and when He had blessed “the little” and had the disciples passed it around there were 12 baskets of leftovers gathered. (John 6:13 TPT)
When I felt like I had little to offer, I tended to hide and not put my hand up to help. We can disqualify ourselves by doing that. Instead of hiding it – what if we said “Here’s what I have God”! Just imagine what God will do with what you bring Him?! What if the “one bag” guy had thought “Brilliant – let’s see what God can do with this”?!
That’s our challenge, that’s my challenge – let’s offer God what we do have and look for the possibilities.
PRAYER
Lord I’m yours. You formed me in my mother’s womb and You know me inside out. All I have is yours God – please use me and bless all you have given me for Kingdom purpose. AMEN