Do You Know Me?
“Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ —Matt. 25:24–25 (NLT)
If you don’t know a person well it’s hard to gauge how they will respond in certain situations.
The more you get to know the person the more likely you can foresee what he or she will do in certain circumstances.
You make these assumptions based on the experience you have gained from being in relationship with them.
The deeper the relationship, the greater likelihood of being able to accurately predict their response.
This is probably best illustrated in a marriage. The longer people have been married, the more likely they will know their partner’s likes and dislikes and how they will respond in certain situations.
Parable of the talents
Jesus told a parable about a master, who was going away. Before leaving he entrusted his wealth to his servants to manage in his absence.
To one he gave a large amount, five bags of money, to another two bags, and to the last the smaller amount of one bag. Jesus said each was given according to their ability.
This means even the servant who received the smallest amount had the ability to double what was entrusted to them.
The servant given the most immediately began trading and doubled the money; likewise, the servant who was given two bags of money doubled what had been given them. The servant entrusted with the least amount of money buried it in the ground (25:25).
When the master returned, he applauded the first two servants for putting to work what had been entrusted to them. But he rebuked the third servant who ‘played it safe’, so the investment could be returned intact to the master.
The reason given was because “I knew you were a harsh man” (25:24). The translation literally means ‘hard and unyielding’ and can imply ‘hard-heartedness’. The servant didn’t really know his master or understand who he was.
Jesus’ words about the servant are stern; He said the master regarded him as ‘wicked and lazy’ (25:26).
Why was the servant wicked? Because the servant didn’t trust the master’s judgement. The servant was fearful of losing the money and thought the master’s expectation was harsh and therefore made no effort to make a profit on the funds given.
God requires a return on His investment.
The investment was given to trade with, not to cling to.
Ironically, the servant did lose the little given, but it was not because of a bad investment, rather it was because the servant failed to put his master’s money to work.
Why was the servant lazy? Jesus said the servant knew this about his master “I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate” (25:26).
The servant knew the master received a return even from the places he had not invested.
Thus, the money, if it had been invested, would certainly have brought a return because whatever belongs to the master prospers.
Knowing about someone is different to knowing them.
When you know someone, you have a relationship with them, and you understand their ways.
The last servant did not know God at all. God is not hardhearted; He will not ask us to do something that He does not intend to prosper.
How many of us think, I have nothing to offer, so I will not do anything? Everyone has received something from the hand of God. As God’s servants, He has entrusted us with money, resources, gifts, abilities, and talents.
Do you know your Master?
Do you trust Him? He will expect you to trade big because He is confident of a return. What has God endowed you with? What’s in your hand? Plant it – it will prosper.
Read the full parable here.
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Blessings,
Deb and the ti-dingz team