"Well done, good and faithful slave ... enter into the joy of your master"
Matthew 25:21, 23
WELL DONE
Read It: Matthew 25:20-23
Did you notice something interesting about the two faithful servants in the parable we're studying this week? Check out the personal pronouns nouns in today's verses. Each servant says the same thing. "Master, you entrusted to me ... Ihave gained" (emphasis added). This tells us something thing very important we need to know as Christians and God's stewards. I think what Jesus is illustrating here is that when God entrusts something thing to us, He doesn't sit up in heaven pulling all the strings to directly control how you handle your stewardship. I believe we have a certain freedom dom in the way we carry out the responsibility of handling God's affairs. In other words, we have the freedom either to mess up His affairs or to maximize them. These servants said to the master, "You entrusted, and we gained." The divine and human element are brought together here. These servants met their human obligation to do with their master's money what he desired and expected them to do with it.-- God must give it. I must handle it right. If I don't, God's not going to handle it right for me. That's obvious from the fate of the third servant, which we'll talk about tomorrow If s also obvious from the end of the story that these servants knew their master's expectations.
That's what being a good steward is all about. We certainly know what our Master's expectations are for us. He's put them in a Book for us. We know from God's Word that if He has given us children, we have the responsibility of training those children in His ways. If God has given us a job, we know from His Word that we are responsible sible to be honest and hard-working employees, working for our employer as if he or she were Jesus Christ. God has given us our bodies, but we are responsible to take care of them. The reason the master's commendation meant something is that the servants' work meant something. They had authentic responsibility, and they carried it out faithfully. Where do you rank on the faithfulness charts today? If you're not sure, better check yourself out. Think About It God isn't holding a beauty contest or talent show here. Stewards are measured by faithfulness, not by looks, personality, or poise!
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