Title: God's Reward (Matthew 25:14-30)
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There was a widow named Linda Knox, who passed away many years ago at the age of 94. This person lived on the third floor of a small building in Chicago, USA. He was an antique collector and the state sold her property because he died without a mate. According to the investigation, there were quite a lot of expensive ceramics and paintings that had accumulated in dust on the ceilings and closets of the apartments. In addition, the widowed widow's huge apartment, which she bought in 1932, had 20 rooms. However, all of that property became the property of the state. To my surprise, a check was found that was too old to be used, and said it was worth 15 million won in our money.
It reminds me of the parable of the rich fool that Jesus told. Many people in the world are accumulating wealth in this way, obsessed with possessions, forgetting that death is near. In the face of death, even the most precious of the world's treasures would not be of any help.
Today's text is from Jesus, whom we know all too well. The general meaning of the parable of the talents is ‘settlement’. In this time, we want to think about the ‘reward’ that God enforces through the parable of the talents.
Everyone who lives on this earth has been sent with a mission from God. People make their own lives in the world to which they were sent. And whether you know it or not, you will be rewarded by God. Those who are faithful will be rewarded, and those who have lived only for themselves or who have been lazy will be rewarded with expulsion from the kingdom of God. God has given each person the necessary talents to fulfill the mission He has given them. What talents have you been given and how are you using them now?
There was a famous violinist who had a violin with a great tone. This violinist valued the violin as his own life. One day, while on a vacation for several months, I left the violin at my parents' house. Before he left, he urged all his family to never use this violin.
But he made a big mistake because he didn't think about what the violin was made of. This is because, if not taken care of, wood instruments will become moth and lose their value as instruments. In the end, when he returned and took out the instrument, the violin had already lost its beautiful sound as it had been eaten by insects in the beautiful cover all summer long.
You must not become a foolish person who hides the talents Jesus has given you in the ground. To hide one's talents in the ground is to rot one's talents through laziness, but it is also to set aside one's talents and try to acquire other talents. We must use each of our God-given talents. We just need to use it loyally. The result is up to God.
1. First, let's look at how talent is used.
There are three kinds of people in this parable. They were given five talents, two talents, and one talent each. The master provided appropriate talents as assets for each person. And the master went out to a distant place, and the servants started their own business with the talents they received. The person who received the five and two talents went right away and traded with them. On the other hand, the one who received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Here we can see two kinds of process. One is a person who “goes right away” and starts a business, and the other is a person who “gives up work”. The person who immediately went and started the business was active, proactive, and faithfully did what he had to do. This can also be seen by looking at the owner's closing evaluation. But the man who buried his assets in the ground was negative, calculating, and neglecting his duties. He also rushed to excuses at the end of the year.
What does the Lord intend to tell us through this process? It is an attitude to do work. What God requires of people is sincere and faithful obedience. This is a common truth in both the Old and New Testaments. Sincere and faithful obedience means an attitude with all one's strength, will, and life. The attitude of the sheep in Matthew 25, the attitude of the good Samaritan in Luke 10, the attitude of a servant in Luke 17, and the attitude of the workers in Luke 19 are all the same. In the Old Testament, this is the case with all the judges and prophets, and those who are recognized as righteous.
And in the process of work, an important element that cannot be left out remains. Look at Matthew 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and perform many mighty works in your name?' They will say, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.'”
Judging from the results of this verse alone, there is no doubt that he is an impeccable and faithful worker. Nevertheless, the Lord said, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." What is the cause? They were ignoring God's order in the course of their work. In other words, they did not work according to God's will. That is why he rebuked them as “those who practice lawlessness.”
2. Let's look at the compensation that follows the settlement.
In the text, the three types of people presented the results of their work in front of their masters. The talents entrusted to each person were different, and the amount of profit left was different. The two men who worked diligently and faithfully were rewarded with equal rewards, and those who were lazy and disloyal who did not use their talents were also rewarded with due rewards.
Here, listen to the story reconstructed using the meaning of the parable of the talents.
When the master left for a distant country, he entrusted the talents to three servants. They were given five talents, two talents, and one talent respectively. The servants worked diligently with the talents they each received. The servant who received five talents had three more talents left, and the servant who received two talents also had two more. The servant who received one talent was a little disappointed that his master entrusted him with fewer talents compared to the other servants, but he knew well that his ability was enough, so he worked hard on his own and left one more talent.
And after many years, the owner has returned. The master called the servants and settled the accounts. The servant who had been given five talents proudly said, “I have worked zealously, and I have gained eight talents.” The man who received the two talents put out the four talents in combination with what he had received and what he had left. The person who received one talent was ashamed that his talents were relatively small compared to other people, but he gave up two talents by adding the principal and what he left behind.
asked the owner. “Is this all?” Not all three servants had their first talent in mind. My thoughts remained only on the many or few talents that were set before the present master. So the servant who received the one-talent was embarrassed and could not lift his head, and the servant who received the five talents was proud because he thought that he had the most talents he had given before his master. At this time, the master asked the servant who had received five talents again. “Is this all for you too?” Then the servant still exclaimed, “Yes, that is all. Look how much I have left. Isn’t that twice as many as the other species?” was to do. Then the master said, “You wicked servant, you have forgotten that you have especially given you so much! Don't you know that what you left behind was your own strength?" He took everything he had collected and took it out of the house and loved it.
Look at Luke 12:48. “To everyone who has been given much, much will be requested, and from him who has been entrusted with much, much will be asked.”
God's reward is not in the many and few that people think. We consider and weigh the amount and the small amount in the result that appears as in the story above. But God sees the results of the measure entrusted to him. Even if I have received one talent, if I work faithfully and faithfully and leave one more talent, I will also be rewarded for sharing in the glory of God.
Therefore, the saints should not judge the importance or smallness of the talents entrusted to them from the perspective of people, or judge the nobles. The evaluation of the settlement is made by God, and God's will and the talents entrusted to each person will be the standard for judgment.
Those who present results that are in line with God's will are rewarded equally. Therefore, we, who are entrusted with God's work, only need to use our talents to the fullest and use them faithfully and faithfully. If we do that, God's work and providence will be fully revealed in the process and results of our work, and His will will be fulfilled.
Look at Genesis 28:15. “I am with you, and I will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done all that I have promised you.”
See Isaiah 55:11. “The word that goes out of my mouth will not return to me in vain, but it will accomplish my will, and it will prosper in the work for which I sent it.”
Do you believe in the providence of God at work in your life? If so, work diligently and faithfully in the given circumstances and environment with the given talents. Leave everything else to the Lord. God will lead all situations and work together for good.
I pray in the name of the Lord that God's work will be revealed through your faithful lives and that you will be able to achieve a beautiful life.