Matthew 25 tells the story of three servants
and a master who goes away on a journey. Before he leaves, the master entrusts
each servant with differing, yet enormous amounts of money. The amounts are
measured in talents, which equaled roughly 15 years’ wages of labor.
The first
servant is asked to steward five talents. So if one years’ wage equaled $30,000 in
today’s economy, that man would have been entrusted with $2,250,000 of the
master’s money. The second servant is blessed with two talents, and the last with
one.
When the
master comes back from his journey, he asks the servants to show him what
they’ve done with his money. The first and the second both double what they
were given. To both of these servants, the master says, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few
things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your
master.”
The third
servant, however, has a different report to bring his master. He says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man,
reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away
and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.”
Ask
yourself, was the master a hard man who reaps what he doesn’t sow? I have a
hard time believing that like a man who joyfully empowers others and make them
millionaires is a hardened, selfish person. Yet, the third servant possesses
that opinion of his master.
How would one develop such a warped
view of the world and others?
Irenaeus
wrote about this subject and gives tremendous insight into the matter:
The vessel
of His goodness, and the instrument of His glorification, is the man who is
grateful to Him that made him; and again, the vessel of His just judgment is
the ungrateful man, who both despises his Maker and is not subject to His Word.
He has promised that He will give very much to those always bringing forth
fruit. … “Well done,” He says, “good and faithful servant: because you have
been faithful in little, I will appoint you over many things; enter into the
joy of your Lord.” The Lord Himself … has promised to give very much to those
who bring forth fruit, according to the gift of His grace. – Irenaeus 180CE,
Volume 1, p. 791-792 [CD-ROM]
Irenaeus shows us a root sin issue within
the third servant. Ingratitude.
This man
was blessed to serve an incredibly generous and empowering master amongst good
and faithful fellow coworkers. What an amazing environment to show up to
everyday! Yet, a filter of ingratitude framed his reality, and in the end cost
him everything.
Do you
frame your past, present and future with a filter of gratitude? I realize that
can be a difficult discipline to develop, but doing so can completely set the
tone for how your day, week, month or year turns out.
Today I go
in for my second ACL and third meniscus surgery on my right knee. It’s the
fourth time the knee has been operated on, all because of basketball. The
difference is that this time I’m married, have two kids and countless more
responsibilities.
When
disappointments like this take place, there’s always a temptation to feel
victimized, shake your fist at the heavens and angrily shout, “Why did this
have to happen to me, God?” In those times, it’s important that we remember the
truth of Romans 11:35-36, “Or who has first given to Him that it might
be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all
things. To Him be the glory
forever.”
Paul tells us
in Romans 11 that God doesn’t owe us
anything good. Everything we love, everything we have is because of God’s
goodness. Our lives are gifts, and we should be thankful.
But while a
grateful attitude will bring many blessings to one’s life here on earth, what
is more important is the potential affect it has on one’s relationship with God
and eternal destiny.
I'm grateful that He's given me the opportunity to serve Him!
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