Download Zion—Gainesville

Zion—Gainesville
Stewardship I
11/6/2011
Matthew 25:14-30
“You are a Gifted Servant”
I. Blessed with a generous master
II. Joyful in using his gifts
Hymns: 469:1-5, 481, 309 & 491, 469:6
Rev. Roger Rockhoff
Sermon # 1081
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The poet John Greenleaf Whittier once wrote, “Of all sad words of tongue or pen, the
saddest are these, ‘What might have been.’ We may not know what the exact circumstances
were that led him to write these words. Something made him lament the fact that an opportunity
had been missed. Sometimes those times are unavoidable, but other times opportunities are
missed because of a lack of effort or wasted resources.
In the text that we have today, Jesus spoke to his disciples 3 days before he died. He told
them how he would soon be leaving them. He wanted them to be ready for that time, so he
spoke to them about the opportunities that they would have. He encouraged them to be ready to
take advantage of the opportunities that they would have. Over the past 3 years he had prepared
them to serve him and was eager to see how they would respond.
To illustrate his point to them, Jesus told the parable that we often call “The Parable of
the Talents.” The point of Jesus’ message was that, because of their training and the blessing of
the Holy Spirit, the disciples were gifted servants of the Lord. When we consider that through
his Word and sacraments, we have also been blessed by the Holy Spirit, then we realize that we
are also gifted servants. Let’s consider that thought today as we hear Jesus tell each of us
“You are a Gifted Servant”
I. Blessed with a generous master
II. Joyful in using his gifts
In the parable that Jesus told, there was a wealthy man who was planning to go on an
extended trip. While he was gone, he was going to give his servants an opportunity. Jesus said
that he “entrusted his property to them.” He knew that these men had the abilities to use his
property wisely and allotted to them different amounts to use while he was gone.
The amount that he entrusted to them was actually quite large. Some estimate that in
today’s terms it would have been 5, 10, and 25 thousand dollars. His generous gifts, given in
increments that he believed they could manage, set them up for success. When he returned, he
was equally generous with the praises that he gave to those servants who used his property
wisely. “Well done, good and faithful servant!” he said to one of them. “You have been
faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Came and share your
master’s happiness!”
If we were to compare the master in the parable to our master in heaven, we would see
the direct parallel. God has been extremely generous in the blessings that he has shared with us.
He has entrusted us with many things, according to our ability to manage them. And he has set
us up to succeed.
When we think about the gifts we’ve received from God, we might first think of the
material blessings that we have. But there are spiritual blessings that we have been given by our
generous Lord that are more valuable than anything physical that we possess. Our Lord chose to
give to each of us a gift that is priceless, unable to be purchased at any price. He gave us a ticket
to heaven, the ticket that we call “faith.” Through his Holy Spirit he has called us into his
family, making us heirs of his heavenly kingdom. Our generous Lord has entrusted us with a gift
that entitles us to a life of eternal joy and happiness.
Until we take full possession of the eternal life that God has given us through his Son, we
have blessings that he gave us to use here on earth. In the parable, the master gave his servants
the talents to use until he returned from his journey. We have also been given blessings from
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God to use until he returns again. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Now to each one the
manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (I Cor. 12:7) Peter would then
add, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (I Pt. 4:10)
The point of Jesus’ parable was never about how much each servant returned to the
master. It was about how faithfully they used the gifts that they had been given. That is what
our Lord was going to look for from his disciples. He knew that they each had different talents
and abilities. He wasn’t going to look for each of them to do exactly the same thing. He was
going to watch to see if they used the gifts that he had given to them.
And that is was we want to do for our Lord too. We want to use the blessings, talents,
and abilities that he has generously given to us to serve him. We want him to be happy about
what he sees when he observes how we are using what he has given to us. We want him to
respond the way that the master in the parable responded to the 2 servants who had been faithful.
What a joy it will be to hear our Lord say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” As
we look forward to the day when he returns, we will continue to be…
II. Joyful in using his gifts.
In the parable, there were two very different responses to the master. 2 of the servants
took their talents and used them faithfully. Jesus said, “The man who received the five talents
went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the
two talents gained two more.” Neither of these men delayed ion going to work for his master.
They both began “at once.” Combining the talents that the master had given them with the
abilities that they had to use them produced a benefit for both the master and the servants
themselves.
The third servant in the story didn’t respond this way, though, and received both different
results and a different review. He “went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s
money.” If you think about it, it wasn’t a lack of ability that kept him from using his talents
faithfully. Digging the hole in the back yard took more effort than putting the money in a bank
would have. It wasn’t a lack of ability that did him in. It was a lack of faithfulness--not using
the abilities that he had.
When God chose Moses to lead his people out of Israel, he hesitated. He wondered if he
had the ability, if the people would listen to him. He had committed a murder and had lived
away from the people for 40 years. He claimed that he didn’t speak well and just wasn’t “leader
material.” He objected, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out
of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11) With a similar lack of confidence in their abilities, Saul tried to hide
when he was elected as Israel’s first king, and Jonah tried to run away when God told him to go
and preach to the people of Nineveh.
If God had accepted their objections, nothing would have been accomplished! But God
assured each of them that he would give them what they needed to do their jobs, and he did.
When they applied their abilities faithfully, each became a valuable tool in the hands of the Lord.
No doubt we all have some questions about our abilities to do what God has called us to
do. When the disciples met with Jesus shortly before he left the earth to return to heaven, they
may have felt a bit inadequate when he told them what he wanted them to do. But he gave them
a promise that lifted their spirits, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.” (Mt. 28:20)
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That is the promise that God has given to us as well. With his unlimited power,
knowledge, and love he has taken away the fear that might paralyze us and prevent us from
serving him. Knowing that he will be with us to lead and guide us in serving him, we can be
joyful in using eh gifts that he has given to us. We can go out “at once” to do our part in serving
our Lord. It isn’t important whether we are the 5 talent guy or the 2 talent guy or just the 1 talent
guy. Each of us has a role, like the parts of the human body, that God has given us to fill as we
serve him and one another. Instead of focusing on what we can’t do, God wants us to be faithful
in what we can do.
And that is where we will find joy in serving the Lord. That is what will bring his “Well
done, good and faithful servant.” When we use our time, our talents, and our treasures
faithfully, we will know the joy of serving the Lord. Paul encouraged the Corinthian Christians
to be faithful, saying, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
(I Cor. 12:1)
Let’s remember one thing. Our Lord doesn’t need our service. He could do a better job
if he did things himself. But he allows us to serve and chose to spread his kingdom using our
abilities and the gifts he has given to us. We do need each other. Your church needs you, and so
do others. Jesus told his disciples that the “fields” were “ripe,” and then he sent them out to
bring in the harvest. Today he is sending us. May the love of God bring from us the response of
the prophet Isaiah, who, hearing the call of the Lord answered, “Her am I. Send me.” (Is. 6:8)
And when we have joyfully used our talents given generously to us by our loving God, we will
hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.
The peace of God…