Quote:
Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!
Hey - in reading this book last night regarding the Bema ("Your Eternal Reward: Triumph and Tears at the Judgment Seat of Christ" by Lutzer) the author conveyed something that hit me. He was talking about the three servants in Matthew 25 and said the unfaithful one was not willing to take a risk with what was entrusted to him by his master. The faithful servants had traded their entrusted talents in the marketplace and had doubled their master's money. The unfaithful one was afraid to take that risk, and hid the talent.
It hit me that this is what the Lord is asking us to do - take a risk with what He has given us! So much of the time I just stay with what is comfortable, not willing to go too far out. If you read the paper I just posted, "Faithful in a Few Things," then you know I have my four basic "few" things I know from the Lord to be faithful in (and I'm pretty comfortable with). But stepping out to do just a little more than that . . . well it seems a little "risky." I had never seen the faithful/unfaithful servants story in that light!
(And of course, this "risk" we know is really no risk at all, and is the very best investment of all!)
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Right. The one talented servants may be intimidated or introspective about only having 1 talent... watching the 5 talented one give back 10, or the 2 talented one give back 4... he might be thinking his 1 talent could never return 10 or 4 ... he thinks probably not even 2.... so he buries it. Yet the Lord only asks him to invest what he has received.
I think of it this way.... Billy Graham was a 5 talented member of the Body.... he returned 10 (arguably more than that but to stay within the lines of the parable) ... we could get introspective about that and say "y'know, Brother Billy really understands how to lead people to the Lord... but I never could do what he does so I won't even try to preach the gospel... he more than makes up for my lack". That would be to bury our one talent in the matter of gospel preaching and thereby not fulfilling the great commission. Or in practical service in the church.. or any number of related talents we could be guilty of burying our talent.
There is something more there related to the comment " I knew you were a harsh man".... the Lord did not dismiss the point but rather turned it back on the unfaithful servant. "Knowing I was harsh...". Yet the attitude on the part of the servant seems to be making excuses in blaming the Lord for his burying the talent. So, there is the risk of failure... but maybe he felt some despising toward the Lord.. like "you gave them 5 and 2 talents... but me you gave only 1". I'm still chewing on that.
Drake