Matthew 25:14-29 (Today’s New International Version) *taken from biblegateway.com
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 ” ‘Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For those who have will be given more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
This passage hit me today while I was sitting in church. Today, God has put a new meaning into it. The story is where a man gathers his servants and gives each of them a certain amount of money before he goes on a trip. Some had more than others but each was left to do with what he had been given. This hit me. God gave me gifts, I may not be the most gifted, I may be the least. My challenge is to do for my Master with what He has entrusted to me.
When the master of the servants return, he calls them to see what they have done. Two of them doubled what they’d been given. One held on to what he’d been given, didn’t use or increase it. The two that used what they were given wisely were aptly rewarded. The one who had done nothing lost what he had been given and was cast out in shame.
Do I want to be rewarded by doing good with what I’ve been given? Will I be cast out for idly standing by and doing nothing?
I want to hear my Master say, “Well done good and faithful servant”!
