Come Share in the Joy

~~~ 1 Cor 1: 26-31 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Matthew 25: 14-30 ~~~

 

We have taken a couple long journeys recently.

We have entrusted the care of our cat to friends.

Our neighbors kindly collect our mail for us.

We have not given up control of our finances.

We do not broadcast to very many people

that we are going to be gone.

 

In the gospel of Matthew verse thirteen

is the reminder to stay awake because we do not know the day or the hour.

The man who is leaving on a journey distributes his possessions

for safe keeping among his trusted servants.

 

As we know the first two took responsibility

for what they were given and invested wisely.

When the master returned he was very pleased with the decisions

made on his behalf by the first two servants.

 

'Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Since you were faithful in small matters,
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.'

 

Because these two servants made good decisions

they were promised even greater responsibilities.

They were promised to share in the master's joy.

They were going to be invited to the festivities.

The message here for us is to examine how we are using

what has been given to us.

How are we increasing the gifts we have?

All that we have has been as a result of the generosity of God.

Are we taking them seriously?

Are we taking them for granted?

Are we acknowledging the the source of our gifts and talents.

 

Some think that they alone are responsible for creating the good in their lives.

While it is true that we must do the work to develop and increase our talents;

we did not make ourselves capable.

 

The opposite is also true as we see with the third servant in today's gospel.

This servant made excuses to the master for his lack of action.

His fears, real or not, paralyzed him.

Our talents must be identified, and developed.

It is not alright to put them under the bed and save them for later.

The master's response was harsh; he took all of the talents away.

The servant feared loosing the talents so took no action

 only to have the master return and take them back.

 

We would not think that inaction would be considered squandering,

but that is exactly what the master says.

"...For to everyone who has,
more will be given and he will grow rich;
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away."

 

The master rewarded the servants who were willing to take action.

The master rewarded the servants who were willing to risk.

Even if the first two servants had lost some of what they invested I wonder

if the master would still have rewarded them.

 

Is it better to take action and fail or is it better to be fearful and take no action?

I am not sure there is only one answer here.

It may depend on each situation.

 

In the beginning the three servants were in the same place.

They were equals...peers.

All three were trusted servants of the master.

The master could have chosen others,

but they were each chosen to be given some talents.

 

 

 

Paul says to the Corinthians...

"Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord."

 

Whatever talents you have been given

use them wisely,

develop them

and return them to the Lord hundredfold.

More will be given to those who act wisely.

How do you feel about this concept?

Was the third servant treated unfairly?

Isn't it a good quality to be cautious?

How does this apply to your life?

Restored...Adorned...Rejected

~~~ Ez 16:1-15, 60,63 ~~~ Psalm(Is 12) ~~~Matthew 19: 3-12~~~

Most likely the shorter version from the prophet Ezekiel

will be heard today, but I would encourage you to get the Bible

and read Chapter 16. It is a beautiful poetic writing

reflecting honesty and great love. It describes how the daughter,

Jerusalem, was born.

What is most evident is that the usual birth rituals

were not performed.

The navel cord was not cut,

the ritual washing and anointing were not done.

The child was not even swaddled, but instead

thrown out on the ground.

This child was passed by and told to live in its blood and

grow like a plant in the field.

The child grew and developed, but was stark naked.

In old age God came and used his cloak to cover the child's nakedness.

At this point God entered into a covenant with the child, Jerusalem,

claiming her for his own.

Once God extended his care and his covenant

everything changed.

Jerusalem was transformed into a beautiful princess.

Dressed in the finest of textiles and adorned with fine jewelry.

This transformation by God to an entity of beauty was squandered.

Jerusalem was

"...captivated by your own beauty,
you used your renown to make yourself a harlot..."

Everything that had been gifted by God was misused and wasted.

The beauty evolved into a source of corruption.

God gives us gifts free to use.

God gives us gifts with no strings attached.

God gives us gifts to use wisely.

God gives us gifts; it should follow that we want to return

praise back to him in thanksgiving.

Once we break relationship with God he is not required to repair it,

but if we let him he will.

Repairing a broken relationship does not mean that the consequences

of your actions are also erased.

God did just that with Jerusalem...

he restored the relationship, but it was not the same as before.

"I will re-establish my covenant with you,
that you may know that I am the LORD,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD."

Sometimes restoration requires accepting the associated loss too.

All things can be restored by God, but the harm done is just that

harm done.

If a drunk driver accidentally kills someone while driving

nothing will bring that person back to life,

but the driver can be restored

to living a life of sobriety.

"Sing praise to the LORD for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth."

Give appropriate credit to the One who is deserving of it, God.

God chose Jerusalem to be his and then God was ignored.

It is not a good practice to ignore God.