Who Am I? The Gospel According to Matthew

The Gospel According to Matthew

Question of the Day:  What is one of your talents? 

Introduction:  Chris and I are taking a Sabbath to rest and relax.  We have had a lot going on and during the next few months won't have much time together so today is our day! Our day with God. We will miss being there with you.  

Today's lesson is another familiar parable.  A parable that all of you can probably tell without reading it, and can share with all of us what the meaning of the parable is.  So why study it?  Well, as we have learned, when trying to apply it to our lives personally, sometimes we see things in a different way.  So here we go. 

READ:  Matthew 25:14-30 

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

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,[a] 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.’

So what are the servants given? Is this just talking about money then?  Is this a parable about how to use your money and to make sure you invest it wisely and you don't bury it in a hole in the back yard or stick it under your mattress or it will be taken away?  Is that the point of this?

So what can this be talking about? What kinds of things are we given? What things could God have given us or what has He given us?

In Christ Object Lessons Ellen White has a long list of "talents" that I think are worth talking about.

Gifts of the Holy Spirit: What are these?  Look up 1 Corinthians 12: 8-11

Other Talents  

Mental Faculties

Speech

Influence

Time 

Health

Strength

Money

Kindly Impulses and Affections (only using your talents for the good of those you love... or not inviting people over for lunch if they aren't in your friend group. )

Is there anything you can think of that should be added to this list?

Ok.. let's get to the third guy, the bury it in the ground third guy.  What was his excuse for burying it in the ground?

Yea I didn't quite get what he was saying, so here is what Ellen White says about it...

Thus men excuse their neglect of God's gifts. They look upon God as severe and tyrannical, as watching to spy out their mistakes and visit them with judgments. They charge Him with demanding what He has never given, with reaping where He has not sown.

There are many who in their hearts charge God with being a hard master because He claims their possessions and their service. But we can bring to God nothing that is not already His. "All things come of Thee," said King David; "and of Thine own have we given Thee." 1 Chron. 29:14. All things are God's, not only by creation, but by redemption. All the blessings of this life and of the life to come are delivered to us stamped with the cross of Calvary. Therefore the charge that God is a hard master, reaping where He has not sown, is false.

So the servant was afraid his master would be hard on him?

So the servant is afraid he won't do it right?

Maybe thinks he is unworthy?

Doesn't have enough talents to be worth while?

Not sure he is great enough or good enough to do anything with the money given him?

Are any of these reasons we don't do what we should for God?

What are some of our reasons?

What are the excuses we give to keep us from serving Him?

Ellen White goes on to write...  "The master does not deny the charge of the wicked servant, unjust as it is; but taking him on his own ground he shows that his conduct is without excuse. Ways and means had been provided whereby the talent might have been improved to the owner's profit. Our heavenly Father requires no more nor less than He has given us ability to do."

So the master doesn't try to correct the servant, he just let's him know that even if that were true he still hadn't done what he had been asked.

What about that terrible ending?  What was Jesus trying to tell us?

Is it that the rich will get richer and the poor will have to give what they do have to the rich... (sounds like the USA..lol!)  I'm just kidding...

Seriously what about that horrible ending?

There are and will be consequences to our lack of action.  My excuses to keep me from eating right, or from walking have and will continue to reek havoc on my body and health.  No matter our excuses, if we are more familiar with excuses than results we know we have a problem... When I think of "Health" in the above list, I think of a lot of excuses.  I have a problem.

Did you get that?

When you look at the list above, can you easily see the additional 5 bags of talents the results of your labor, or do you hear or see a list of excuses?

If you know or hear the excuses then you are someone who has been burying your God given talents. If you have a hard time hearing or finding the excuses and you know what the return has been, the stories, the transformation, then.. maybe you have been using his gifts to work for Him.

Are you working or burying?

Burying brings consequences.

Working brings reward.

Who am I?  I am a child of God who has been lavished upon.  He has given me so much.  Time, health, speech, and so much more, but what am I doing with it?  I am a RICH child of God... Because of who He is, because of what He has entrusted me with... I am going to stop burying and start working!!!!