Because You Have Been Faithful

When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Luke 19:15-26)

Leading up to these verses was the start of the parable where the lord left on a trip to take hold of a kingdom and left his servants with money and instructed them to do business while he was gone. For the first two servants, they did well and were put in authority over cities, but the third servant not so much. We all want to be among those who hear, “Well, done, good servant!” so let’s learn from where the third servant went wrong.

Afraid

The third servant laid away the mina his lord gave him because he was afraid of him. Fear of an authority figure isn’t the issue though, it was why he was afraid of him…he said it was “because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.” The lord sounds like a harsh man and we can almost have understanding for the third servant here, but before jumping to conclusions, was that actually true of the lord?

The reality is that the lord wasn’t those things. He makes that clear in his response as he questions what the third servant “knew” and tells him if that were true, then he should have at the very least put the money in the bank to earn some kind of interest. The rhetorical question shows us that the perception of the third servant was false and therefore his fear was unfounded.

Wicked Servant

The third servant was condemned by his own words and called wicked for it. The servant’s view of his lord caused him to act out of emotion and it wasn’t rational even if his perception had been correct.

Everything in the lord’s actions within this parable shows us that he wasn’t what the third servant made him out to be. The lord had given the servants money, and around 3 months’ worth of wages at that so not a small amount of money. With the average annual income in the United States being around $60,000, then 3 months of income today would be around $15,000. The lord was generous in giving such a large sum to each servant and directing them to engage in business while he was gone, and he was entrusting his riches to them to do as he directed.

The first two servants mentioned the gain they earned for the lord with what he had given them. But the third servant didn’t even engage in any business. He didn’t even do the bare minimum, which would have been to put the money in the bank and earn interest. The third servant let his false view of the lord disable his actions altogether, and his disobedience was wicked.

More Will Be Given

The first two servants who had obeyed their lord and made gains of varying amounts were rewarded for their obedience. There were listed amounts and variations of how much one servant had gained from the one mina and the rewards were given in proportion to it, but that’s not the focus. The focus that Jesus points us to in this parable is this: ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’

It’s not about how much, it’s about how faithful.

The first two servants had been faithful and more was given, but the third servant had no faithfulness and even that initial mina he was given was taken away. God doesn’t look at us based on the successes of the investments we make with the gifts He’s given us; God looks at the motive of our hearts and the faithfulness to obey Him.

Here’s the deal – Those servants couldn’t have gained ten or five minas if their lord hadn’t given them a mina to begin with. In and of ourselves we can’t offer God anything; but God gives us gifts and prepares good works for us to walk in for His glory and He tells us to faithfully use them and walk in them. If we do that and we reap a lot, we’ve been faithful to obey. If we do that and we reap a little, we’ve been faithful to obey. If we don’t do it at all, we’ve not been faithful to obey at all. See how the amount that’s reaped isn’t what God is focused on?

God is far more concerned with our hearts than what our actions can reap. God doesn’t need us to achieve His purposes, but He wants our hearts to be right before Him as He uses us to achieve His purposes.

Let’s close with a question: Will you purpose in your heart to grow closer to your Lord Jesus, to know Him beyond earthly perceptions, and be faithful to use the gifts He’s given you to obey His command of tending to kingdom business while we await His return?