"THE WORDS WE LONG TO HEAR"

His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.'

Matthew 25:21

Today's verse is a vivid example of how God entrusts ministries to the ones He calls. This is a section of the Olivet Discourse, a sermon delivered by the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Olives, where He gave a message about the end times. While the same message is found in the other Synoptics (Mark and Luke), Matthew's record is the most comprehensive one.

The Parable of the Talents (vv. 14-30) is one of the stories Jesus used to teach a lesson about the end times. In this parable, a master is going away for a long time and leaving three of his servants with responsibilities to carry out. He entrusts them with considerable amounts of money, according to their abilities. The man with great ability receives five talents (a talent was worth about 20 years' wages); the man with ordinary ability receives two talents; the man with very little ability receives a talent.

Eventually, the master came back and called the three servants to account. The first two servants were found faithful, doubling their talents upon the master's return. On the other hand, the servant with very little ability preferred security instead of service, leaving him terrified at his master’s return. He might have thought that the master was not coming back at all, so he did nothing. In case the master returns in the future, he could simply give back the talent.

The master commended the first two servants who increased their talents twofold. They were given additional wealth, responsibilities, and sharing in the master's joy. However, their lord was very disappointed at the third servant, who, out of fear, hid the talent.

The third servant was consumed by fear of failure that he didn't even try. He feared life and the responsibilities that came with it. As a result, he lived in constant anxiety and stress, so he buried the talent to avoid further worries. The master decided to take the one talent he entrusted to him and gave it to the servant who now has ten talents. What's more, he also ordered his soldiers to cast the unfaithful servant into the outer darkness.

This story shows how God entrusts every believer with spiritual gift/s, resources, and the Word of God. These things are intended to be used to serve the church and glorify the Lord. We are responsible for using them so that they will be profitable. We must know the Lord's character and nature to serve Him well.

Letting go of opportunities to serve God is not an insignificant matter. Time is of great importance. We don't have an eternity to spend in procrastination and slothfulness. We can never get back the lost time and chances, but we sure can get things right from this point on. It's never too late to start serving God and making His Name known among unbelievers. Life is best spent serving the Lord faithfully.

The Lord means business. He will return one day and hold us accountable for the things we did and did not do. If we are found faithful, we will share in His glory and hear the words we long to hear. If that were to happen today, would you be ready to face your Master?

Pursue the Saviour today!