Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of the Talents
Returning after a long absence, the master asks his servants for an accounting. The first two servants explain that they have each put their money to work and doubled the value of the property they were entrusted with, and so they are each rewarded:
The master said to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”
The third servant, however, has merely hidden his talent in a hole in the ground, and he said to his master: “I WAS AFRAID “. But his lord answered him:, “You wicked and slothful, lazy servant. You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own, with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
For to everyone who has, will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.
Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Nothing is born into perfection overnight. Abraham did not become a father of faith instantly. It was through the journey of walking in faith and trust in God in the midst of faults and failures, that he grew to be called a father of many nations and a friend of God.
As we go through life, we grow through a process of transformation in our God-designed journey.
A METAMORPHOSIS
A seed is transformed into a plant. Then it is transformed into a tree and a tree produces fruits.
Similarly, a child is transformed into a matured adult over a length of time. So is a caterpillar which is transformed into a beautiful butterfly.
So also is an idea which is transformed into a reality. Everything goes through a process of transformation. Even a sinner for that matter is transformed into a righteous person.
Life goes through a continuous process of transformation.
On the other hand it is an undeniable fact that the life we have currently is nothing but “a gift of God”. We will be treading on dangerous grounds by replacing God in this area and taking the credit to ourselves.
God expects this gift He has given you to be maximized to the full for His glory. Therefore, you will be rebuked by God, if you don’t transform what God has placed in your hands into something better than what has been initially given to you by Him.
” A Christian ought to undergo a complete change, under the power of God, and that transformation is expressed in your character and conduct “as you go through this journey. ….Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear (Phil.4:12)
2 Cor.5:17 says:
We are changed into another form, we become a new creation in Christ Jesus.
The problem with many of us is that:
WE LIMIT OUR POTENTIAL THAT GOD HAS DEPOSITED IN OUR LIFE because of our wrong thinking and our small mindedness.
Have you ever realized many times we underestimate ourselves? We think that our well-being and our prosperity is connected to some human being that we come across in life instead of focusing on God as our ultimate sustainer.
May I say to you, that kind of “low self-esteem” is not from God at all!
We are the highest form of God’s creation, made in His image and likeness. We are a unique creation of God.
There is something that God has given to each one of us and if you bury your talent (gifting) into the earth and bring no change to it, no transformation to it,then you will be held accountable before God.
We need to be reminded repeatedly again and again that we are stewards of God’s possession and we are required to give an account of how we handle the gifts that God has placed in our hands.
Listen to this: in Matt.25
But to the one who brought no transformation to what God has put under his influence and power because he buried it and brought no transformation to it, He said, you wicked slothful lazy servant, In other words the master was saying: “How dare you give back what I have given to you without any increase!”
You see the one talent servant refused to take risk. He feared and apparently fear kept him deceived and paralyzed from moving forward and multiplying his gift.
There are a lot of church-going Christians who fall into this category. They know the word of God, they know Biblical principles but they are crippled with fear to move forward. Here is what we need to understand, you can have all the information in your head but until you are able to apply “believing faith”, you are not getting anywhere. You see faith is not the absence of fear! Faith is despite the fear I am believing and moving forward because I know who I am moving forward with!
So at the end of the day we see many defeated lives with lack surrounding them. They complain and wonder why their lives are like that without victory. You know what? Fear will “enforce lack “in you.
Fear will bring you to “a poverty mentality.” Fear will limit your potential.” Fear is a “place of curse”. Fear will destroy you. “I can’t make it” mentality is a mentality of curse and poverty. It is a mentality of excuses which refuses to face challenges in your life.
Note: Rev Dr Jai Kumar is an ordained & licensed minister of Covenant Ministries International N.J. USA. He is a mission minded pastor who carries an apostolic anointing who preaches and teaches an uncompromising gospel with boldness. A member of ECCM (Malaysia) Spiritual Adviser & overseer to various ministries and churches. An itinerant speaker. He is also the author of a book entitled, ‘God’s Time Clock.’ Currently he worships at C3 Subang.
|Share The Good News|
– Rev Dr Jai Kumar
We wrote about this in our book “Navigating the Highway to Holiness”.