Stewarding our Gifts
For Meditation
We’ve spent the last weeks in the Old Testament; in these final two weeks of our Entrusted series we’ll shift to the New Testament and what it teaches about stewardship. This parable that Jesus tells is perhaps the most famous story in the Bible on the theme of stewardship- it’s also probably the scariest story about stewardship! Jesus reveals that stewardship is not just important; it's a life or death, heaven or hell issue.
Jesus is preparing his disciples for his eventual departure, that time period between the two “advents” of Christ. This story demonstrates that Jesus expects his followers to be found faithful at his return, stewarding well what the master has entrusted to each of us. The meaning of “Talents” here has been long debated - though a talent was a literal unit of money in the time period that Jesus told this story, it is clearly also a symbol. The meaning of the talents is this story has been interpreted as money, work, abilities, spiritual gifts, experiences, time, and opportunities. Personally, I like how Dale Bruner defines talent: “it is whatever the Lord gives now and will ask about later.”
All these gifts, whether it be our abilities, time, treasures, or opportunities, are gifts are from God and are “entrusted” to us (v.34). They are given not for our own benefit and advancement, but as “investments” from the master that we would use and multiply for his gain. Jesus delights in us taking risky, bold, adventurous investments with the gifts he has entrusted to us. And most importantly, we will actually have to give an account to him for how we have stewarded what he has given. What’s important in the end is not how much we do for him, but that we are found faithful and obedient. In the end, Jesus delights in welcoming his faithful servants into the joy of his Kingdom.
Here’s a great quote from John Stott that summarizes the themes of this story well:
“Every Christian should be able to say: I am a unique person. (That is not conceit. It is a fact. If every snowflake and every blade of grass is unique, how much more is every human being?) My uniqueness is due to my genetic endowment, my inherited personality and temperament, my parentage, upbringing and education, my talents, inclinations and interests, my new birth and spiritual gifts. By the grace of God I am who I am. How then can I, as the unique person God had made me, be *stretched* in the service of Christ and of people, so that nothing he has given me is wasted, and everything he has given me is used?”
Matthew 25:14-30
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 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’