Gifts that are given...

"For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'" - Matthew 25:14-30

When Christ left after completing His work here on earth, He left His people with His gifts. They are not our property. They are not things we lay claim to, but are given us by the Savior and for the Savior. Faith and love. One which redeems, the other which preserves. One which lays our trust in the King and what He has done for us, and the other being an outgrowth of that which has been done for us through Him. Some are given more than others. Some have deeper relationships and a stronger walk or discipleship experience, but each is given these gifts for the purpose of life in His Kingdom.

Most of us will take and use what He has given according to the strength He provides. We will take this faith in Him and love our neighbor to the best of our ability. We shall go about the business of His Kingdom while He is away in order that when He returns He shall find us faithful. That is, full of faith. Being one who has taken the faith, the belief, the trust He has given to us in Him to love those around us. To show mercy and forgiveness where they are needed, and to have compassion on those who need it.

Others however choose to be like the servant whose talent has been wasted. He was given a gift, not deserved of anything he has done, but given to him according to what the King knew could be used by the servant. It may have been small, less than the others, but it still existed. Instead of going about the business of the Kingdom, it was hidden in the ground. Rather than to trust in the Giver and know that He has been merciful by giving this gift, the servant squanders it. He hides it from the world.

He chooses to fear the King, thinking that He is a certain type of taskmaster, harsh and unrelenting. Yet when judging by the gift given, He is loving and gracious. He went away for awhile and left this servant even a mustard seed faith. A faith that could do anything. Could even just show love and mercy to those in his family, but he chooses to reject it. He becomes lazy, and his laziness leads to a worse evil than could ever be imagined. Cast into the outer darkness, outside the love of God and His presence. Where he will forever gnash his teeth in anger at himself for lacking the faith to trust even a little in the gift given to him.

We likewise must beware. We have been given a gift. The gift of faith in the Son of God. We must not squander it. We do not need to preach on street corners or move mountains, but we must nourish it and grow it through God's Word and the company of the bankers (fellow believers?) where it may earn interest (service?). A faith that sits idle and never is thought of apart from a social identity is one hidden in the ground. A faith that at least is important enough because of the greatness of the gift given by God through Christ and the cross will automatically see fruit just based on the desire to honor the One who has honored us by this gift.

TW