Talent

There is a parable about an unused talent which was money of the day. We all have talent or the ability to do something.

Many say there nothing we can do until Jesus comes and sets things right. But that does not seem to match what He said about what we should do. He told us to seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God. Seeking the righteousness of God certainly has to do with what we do. He also told us to that all the law depended on two laws:

• Love God and
• Love our neighbor as ourselves.

That love certainly creates an obligation of service to our neighbors.

Since Christ came to serve and told us to feed His sheep and gave us examples of the Good Samaritan then if we are not equally concerned about serving others then it would be reasonable to expect that the fruit of true faith in Christ is not in us.

Christ's emphases on serving, loving and caring for others' Like forgiving others in order to be forgiven seems to be a requirement to be blessed by God.

Luke 12:37 "Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them."

That word watching is from the Greek word gregoreuo which means more than just sitting and waiting or watching but is a metaphor that expresses the idea of "give strict attention to, be cautious, active".

Notice also that Jesus is not talking about just anyone but "servants". The word "servant" is from the Greek word doulos which means "one who gives himself up to another’s will, those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men". It is those who he finds serving that Jesus will bless not those who just say Lord Lord.

How can you be giving strict attention and active in your service to others if you do not come to gather to watch for the welfare of one another sacrificing yourself for that welfare of others like Christ.

We are to be actively seeking to be there in service for others if we want to find Christ and His kingdom because God's righteousness is a narrow path and few will find it.

We are evidently expected to lay down our life for others in that service.

We are also charged to keep the commandments which would include coveting any thing that is our neighbors.

While some religious ideologies which claim to be Christian suggest and even preach that we are suppose to be waiting until Jesus comes back and make things right and straightens out the world and they assume a role of a less than active servant and even put off the coming together as we see the early Church doing on a local and an even international level in order to care for one another.

"Doing nothing" is succumbing to Satan's subterfuge. The early church was doing a daily ministration rightly dividing the bread from house to house. They continued to do that for centuries depending on the Corbanus of the people and brought much peace for generation after generation.

No king could rise up during that time. In fact those who would be tyrants fell time and time again.

That church was almost wiped out after the first thousand years because people stopped thinking kingdom and limited their thinking to their local town or village or even local congregation. This opened the door to the kings of the earth to take one valley at a time.

Seeking the Kingdom of God is not about just being a good guy. It is about loving our neighbor as ourselves. That means sacrifice of our selves for the well being of others.

We can see that the systems of the world are corrupting and going to fail. With that failure of the unrighteous mammon, thousands, even millions will suffer and maybe die.

We do not want to be like the man with one talent.

Christ gave us a job.

We can do it better if we work together.

Doing nothing is a sin against what Christ said.

Matthew 25:14 ¶ For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man travelling into a far country, [who] called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

Jesus was trying to give us picture of how the kingdom operates. God bestowed on Adam dominion on this planet to dress it and keep it.

Matthew 25:15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

Each of us are given some personal talent or resources, skills, time and energy. What we do with what God gives us will be taken into account because Jesus is looking for doers of the word.

Matthew 25: 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

Some people may walk a more selfish or even just a slothful path and do little or nothing with what they are given by God.

Matthew 25:20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

They were rewarded by their master because they produced fruit with what their master gave them. Capitalism is a system of private ownership of what you produce and this parable seems to advocate the virtues of capitalism.

Matthew 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

This slothful and fruitless approach displeased the master so much that he not only took from him what had been given but punished him.

Matthew 25:26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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