Matthew 25:14 “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
Jesus related the parables of the end times in these chapters. The 10 virgins remind us that our profession as a Christian will be tested; our genuineness will be tested. It is now more than ever. Here is a landowner who went on a journey and gave three servants charge over his wealth. He issued responsibility according to their ability. He expected them to use it for his gain. What they did with it was their responsibility. There came a time of reckoning for the servants. Their lord returned from his journey after being away for a long time. They had to give account. This is a sober but encouraging message we’re being given. Jesus has been away for a long time. Many say he’s not coming back or that he won’t come for a long time. They have departed from the faith. But we can be encouraged by the fact that he IS coming back.
The lord gave the first servant five talents and the second two talents. When he saw what they had done, he said the same to both of them. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Things. Few and many are the comparison here. They were accountable for their service. The Lord gives us things—responsibilities. Each of us has different things. We serve in different ways. The talents in this story are not about an ability to do something such as sing. A talent is a weight or measure of gold. The wealth was measured by the weight. The lord knew the servant could handle five talents. He knew the other could handle two. The other could also handle one talent. They were given them in proportion to their ability to do what was asked.
The Lord also knows our limitations. The question is, are we doing it faithfully and the best we can? Our things may seem like a lot. The devil would have us think so. After all, look how much we gave up becoming a Christian. Hasn’t he said that to you? We now know they were nothing. The many things we gained far outweigh whatever things we may have given up. We look at the blessings of being a Christian, but along with them come responsibility. The devil wants us to feel overwhelmed. He says it’s more than we can bear. Many have listened and walked away from God. You may not feel you can handle it; you may not feel you understand it all enough. You may think your efforts aren’t as good as someone else’s. You do more than you realize. Our little things seem small. Be faithful in what the Lord has given you, and you’ll be rewarded. God rewards the witnessing, the worship, and the support of his church. He rewards all things we do for him.
Then we come upon the servant who was given one talent. He was afraid. He said “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.” Don’t be afraid to make yourself count for the Lord. It may be hard to pray and study. It may be hard to witness. It may be tough to put our labor to usury. Do it anyway. This servant was not given much, but he did nothing with it. As we can see by the others, the reward outweighed the responsibility. Responsibility? Yes. Requirement? Yes. But it was not, and is not for us, above what we can do. We all can faithfully handle it. The devil flees when he sees us on our knees. Take a stab at it. Stick with it no matter what. God doesn’t expect you to know it all or do it all. He expects only what he’s given you. How faithful are you?
Two servants had faith in their master. They served him to the best of their ability. They knew he would return. They knew he did right in giving them the responsibility he did. They had to make something happen. It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we say “I can do this through the help of Jesus.” Remember our faithfulness with what we’re given is what counts. Don’t let the devil make you think what you do is too small to matter. Go on anyway. That’s being faithful. The responsibility of making gain for their master weighed heavy upon the servants, but it was nothing compared to their reward. Our responsibility may seem great, but what’s just around the corner is worth it.
You may not be like others or do it how others would. You’re not others. You are you. God has given all of us a stewardship. It takes effort to take care of it. Two did all they could and were rewarded. One did nothing and was put away.
How good a servant are you at serving? How faithful are you with the responsibility you’ve been given? This master told the servants they were faithful over a few things and they would be ruler over many things. He opened the door to them and said “enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The time of enjoyment was worth whatever heaviness the talents brought to them. It’s worth serving the Lord. When he calls us in and shows us the other side of the door, we too will see what is behind it will greatly outweigh the few things here.
It should never be a headache or heartache to serve. There is joy even now. There is peace in faithfully serving our Master. Are you faithful? Is it a struggle? Are you swimming against the current? Ask for grace to serve. We all want to hear “well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” The only way is to be faithful over the few things. They bring many things.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 