O.K. So last time we talked about the idea that everything is on loan to us. By everything I mean everything, especially the intangible stuff. For instance, your passion. Your passion has been loaned to you for a specific reason. As odd as that sounds it has been lent to you for you to use. If you want to catch up read a couple of post back…
Now Jesus knew more about this than anyone else. Which is kind of silly thing to say, because he was Jesus. Of course he knew more about life than anyone else. Anyways, He gives a parable to demonstrate this idea of everything being on loan. Its the parable of the talents. Now before we look at the parable, there is something we all have to understand.
This is about That.
Which is to say
This story Jesus is telling is about something totally different. Before this story ever gets told Jesus was walking around the temple and saying things like, “I will destroy the temple and in three days build it back up.” This was strange to those hearing it, especially the disciples. Jesus was a rabbi, and a rabbi’s existence was centered around the temple. Why would Jesus destroy his form of income? So his disciples start asking Him questions about this. He looks at them and proceeds to tell them about the Kingdom of God or Heaven.
THIS story is in the middle of a bunch of stories that is about
THAT, that being the Kingdom of God. So when reading it we must remember that THIS STORY IS ABOUT THAT KINGDOM OF GOD.
The story goes like this, if you want to read it for yourself its in Matthew 25:14-30. A business man was going away for a long time. In an effort to keep his business from getting stagnant, he gave three of his trusted servants an amount of money. To one he gave 10K, another 5K, and another 1K. He told his servants to go and invest it. After a very long time, the master came back. When he came back, the servant with 10K had made and additional 10K. The same goes for the servant who had 5K, but then came the servant who he gave 1K. The master asked the servant what he had done with the money lent. The servant said, “I knew you to be a difficult man, stealing from others, and so I buried it. Here is exactly everything you lent me.” Then the master agrees and says he is a thief, and because of his laziness the servant loses his job.
Now this story has a ton of implications, but I only want to talk about one today, and it only applies to those of us who call ourselves servants of the Most High. Here is the take away….
We are accountable for the talents and passions we have been given.
God has placed with in each of us particular gifts, abilities, and passions and they don’t belong to us. We are responsible to use them wisely. What’s funny about this parable is, it isn’t about the money.
Its about try.
It’s about initiative.
It’s about a person’s heart
The Master is angry with his servant because he didn’t even try.
What if the Father specifically gave us exactly what we need to complete His will for our lives? What if He has enough foresight to know exactly what we require help those around us? What if he cared that much?
The Jewish word for soul is Neshamah. In the thought of the Jews, God is our third parent who gives us all of our intangable aspects, character, passion, etc… What if when the Almighty gave us
this Neshamah,
this breathe,
this soul,
What if it was more than simple life… What if it was who you are…
What if it was your personality… What if it was your abilities… What if it was your passion…
Think of it like this… Have you ever seen the antacid tablets that dissolve in water. Imagine for a minute the physical parts of you is the glass of water. You are a glass of water in your mothers belly. Then God drops your unique Neshamah into your glass of water. It begins to react with everything around it. Producing something truly remarkable, YOU.
You see, God has deposited your specific Neshamah, your soul, and He just wants you to use it. He just wants His precious gift to not be waisted.
What does that look like for you…
Copper
Grace and Peace
