Robby Robins was an Air Force pilot during the first Iraq war. After his 300th mission, he was surprised to be given permission to immediately pull his crew together and fly his plane home. They flew across the ocean to Massachusetts and then had a long drive to western Pennsylvania. They drove all night, and when his buddies dropped him off at his driveway just after sun-up, there was a big banner across the garage—"Welcome Home Dad!" How did they know? No one had called, and the crew themselves hadn't expected to leave so quickly. Robins relates, "When I walked into the house, the kids, about half dressed for school, screamed, 'Daddy!' Susan came running down the hall—she looked terrific—hair fixed, make-up on, and a crisp yellow dress. 'How did you know?' I asked. She cried with joy and said 'I didn't,' 'Once we knew the war was over, we knew you'd be home one of these days. We knew you'd try to surprise us, so we were ready every day.'"
As Christians, we are told in scripture to be ready for Christ’s return. However, it seems we ask the pesky question, “What do I do in the meantime?” To help answer that question, here is what we do. We live like His first coming mattered. Paul’s letter to the people of Philipi tells us “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” With or without our permission, Christ is returning. While we wait, In Christ’s physical absence, we, his servants, are given a tremendous task to not only be obedient servants, but to perform the duty as Christ’s risk takers.
In our journey today, we will look at Gospel of Matthew chapter 25, and here is another parable Jesus talks about how our work for God is not just about results, but the risks in obedience. It warns followers of Jesus Christ to diligently take everything God has given and invest it for His glory as we wait for His second return. As a result, we are greatly rewarded. So let us start at verse 14, “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.”
Lets stop here for a moment. First off, the word talent used here in Greek (talanton) is in association with coinage that came to be associated with a unit of weight in the financial world of the time. Next, his servants are entrusted with his possession, meaning they will take good care of them and use them accordingly. Whatever was given to the servants, the man has faith in his servants to do the work needed. Then, a very important point is written “each according to his own ability.” If I didn’t go any further than here, these three items spells out God trusts and equips us to do His work. You see friends, the one who gave the talents to the servants, God himself gives us talents, which includes responsibilities, gifts and even our time. It shines brightly to the point that each of us, according to our own ability, has great value and worth and we have to respond to it. How many times have we felt like we are not worth anything, insignificant or valueless? This is one major highlight of this parable, that no matter who you are, you are valuable and expected to make good use of what God has given you—not to sit on your hands. This is tough for some people, especially when we have our hands in other pots such as other organizations, other clubs, or associations that keeps us busy. Are we using our talents wisely for God? Listen to Peters first epistle chapter 4, “Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.” Everything we do, we do for God. Amen.
In continuing with the parable of the talents, I’ll paraphrase some, each servant received their talents to go out and invest, take a risk. Starting at verse 16, the one who received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents—the same happened for the one with two talents. What was given to the servants, they honorably made an investment and gained more in favor. So now, let us go to verse 18, But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. By worldly standards, this servant was intelligent. What little the servant had, they did not want stolen, wasted or invested—mainly because the lonely talent they were entrusted with, could be easily lost even by an unfavorable risk. Also, they feared the master who gave the talents in the first place would be upset in losing it. In servanthood terms, they feared for not having, while not trusting in God’s ability to equip, sustain and grow with what was entrusted to the servant in the first place. The worldly motto is expecting results, not risks. God is saying “Make use of what I gave you, which involves risks!”
As we continue with the parable, there is a length of time given that the master traveled away, and there was an expectation the master would settle the accounts once returned—meaning there was and going to be a time where everything we invested for Gods sake, will be settled at one point.
In verse 20, we see the reward for both the servant with five talents and two talents when the master said ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’ Both servants were not only obedient, but through the risk outside of getting a result from the work, they gained great value and favor to God, let alone being a willing servant of the lord.
So let me ask you this morning, what work, talents, time and skills has God given you that you should be more obedient with? What takes precedence amongst your many other duties in life to where we put being obedient and a Godly servant not near the top of our list, unless it’s convenient for us? Are we more favorable in just getting results from our work, instead of taking the risks needed to do God’s work in the first place? Do we think the talents and gifts are ours and ours alone?
How many of you have heard of the J.R.R. Tolkien's (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings)? From Mr. Tolkien, there is a lesser-known short story called "Smith of Wootton Major," which Tolkien gave a profound insight on spiritual gifts and God-given talents. As a young boy, Smith Smithson receives a rare gift at his small village's celebration—piece of cake that contains a silver star. As Smith wears the star on his forehead, it shines with light, and it allows him to travel to magical lands and possess special powers and privileges. But one day as he travels home from one of his fantastic journeys, Alf, the Master Cook and baker of the cake starts walking beside Smith. Unbeknownst to Smith, Alf is actually the king of all the land, and the one who chose to give Smith the silver star. As they near Smith's home, Alf (or the King) says, "Do you not think, Master Smith, that it is time for you to give this thing [the magic silver star] up?" Smith replies, "What is that to you, Master Cook? And why should I do so? Isn't it mine? It came to me, and may a man not keep things that come to him so, at least as a remembrance?" The master cook, also the King says, "Some things. Those that are free gifts and given for remembrance. But others are not so given. They cannot belong to a man forever, nor be treasured as heirlooms. They are lent. You have not thought, perhaps, that someone else might need this thing. But it is so. Time is pressing."
I cannot help but to think who will be missing one of God’s blessings if we, his trusted and faithful servants, are not fully obedient? What if we decided not to feed the homeless, disregard prayer for the lost, ignore the widows and orphans, be rude to strangers who come to our church to worship, disregard the ill or afflicted as if it wasn’t our problem in the first place! What a disaster! You know what God would say? The same thing he told the servant whom was entrusted with one talent but failed to be obedient. “You worthless, lazy servant! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed? 27 Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
This parable teaches us, His obedient servants, that the followers of Jesus the Risen Christ are duty-bound to work to expand His kingdom in His physical absence, no matter how long the wait is. It all starts with loving God first, and everything else is second. Did not Jesus tells us in Gospel of Matthew, “For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me… ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’
Friends, always remember, regardless of talents, gifts and abilities, we are indeed our brothers keeper. Do not think for one minute, the talents God has given us is valueless, not significant and less purposeful! Everything God gives, created and delivers has great and tremendous value and purpose, and He has asked YOU and ME, to be the bearer of that great cause. Not by results, but by risks. Amen.