01/16/2022
Hello everyone,
Since we are not meeting together to worship today, I have written a devotional for family and personal worship.
I hope the this helps you worship and reflect on God's Word as you hunker down and stay safe.
I'm praying for you and looking forward to worshiping with you next week.
Grace & Peace,
Ethan
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Family & Personal Worship: Matthew 25:14–30
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Opening Prayer
Before beginning, pray that the Lord would send His Holy Spirit to help you understand this passage. Ask that you, along those with you, would clearly see how to best apply this passage in your life for God’s glory.
Scripture Passage
Matthew 25, “14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 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.’ 21 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.’
22 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.’ 23 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.’
24 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 scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’
26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 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. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Introduction:
Richmond’s own Arthur Ashe was a gifted tennis player and a pioneer who crossed racial barriers in the world of sports. He also gave good advice to anyone who found themselves faced with a challenge:
“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.”
This advice is useful for the Christian life as well.
Understanding the Passage:
In Matthew 25:14–29, Jesus tells a parable about a man who goes on a journey and leaves various amounts of money with his servants according to their ability. The master did not treat every servant equally, but they were all treated fairly.
The actions of the first two servants line up well with Ashe’s advice.
First, they started where they were. They do not complain about being servants, but instead, they went at once, got to work, and began to multiply their master’s money.
Second, they used what they had. Neither of these servants grumble about how much money their master entrusted them with. The first servant does not act pridefully about having more than the other two servants. The second servant does not envy the first. Both are content to be about their master’s business.
Finally, they did what they could. Rather than focusing on their status as servants, or complaining about the amount of money they received, they both managed to double their master’s money through hard work and smart trades.
However, the third servant let his fear of his master drive him to idleness. He squandered the opportunity his master gave him. The master calls this servant’s inaction wickedness. Returning the entrusted money was not enough. Every servant was expected to put the resources he was given to work and return a profit.
Verse 30 is a stark reminder of why every Christian must be an active and productive member of the body of Christ. An idle Christian is like an amputated limb. The detached member shows no signs of life because it is cut off from the body. Inactive Christians who bury their talents and refuse to serve Christ prove that their faith not genuine.
Applying the Passage:
Jesus’ parables are not simply moral stories. Rather, they are challenges given by Jesus in order that the listener will give a positive response to the Kingdom of God.
Every Christian is useful in the Kingdom of God. In fact, God equips all Christians with gifts that are beneficial to others—especially other Christians.
Many of us feel as though our gifts are nonexistent, insignificant, or unhelpful to others. But God gives useful gifts to every Christian. We must not bury our talents! Instead, we are to be productive for the Kingdom of God.
Reflection/Discussion Questions"
1. Which of these servants are you most like? Are you quick to put God’s gifts to work, or have you lazily buried talents that are unhelpful when hidden away?
2. What are some gifts and talents that the Lord has blessed you with? How can you use these talents to bless God’s people?
3. How do wrong views about God shape our thinking about how we use our gifts? How does ignoring God’s grace cause us to be fearful when using our gifts?
4. Do you or someone you know have one of the following talents? How can these gifts benefit the entire body of Christ?
a. Teaching, hospitality, prayer, home repair, cooking, organization, event planning, ability to work outside, financially well-off, good with kids, green thumb, construction, good with the elderly, parenting experience, able to babysit, musical, financial wisdom, age/experience, encouragement, artistic, evangelism/outreach
5. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to how you can be a useful instrument in His hands. Request that the Lord who you how to use your gifts in the season of life you are in.
6. Give the Lord all praise honor and glory for any gift He has given you. Also, ask that God would keep you from becoming proud with regards to your talents.
7. Pray for those who are struggling find a way to serve in the church. Ask that the Lord would guide and direct our entire church in how to best use the resources and gifts He has given us.
Reflection:
“Money is like manure (so my Lord Bacon used to say,) good for nothing in the heap, but it must be spread; yet it is an evil which we have often seen under the sun, treasure heaped together, which does good to nobody; and so it is in spiritual gifts; many have them, and make no use of them for the end for which they were given them. Those that have estates, and do not lay them out in works of piety and charity; that have power and interest, and do not with it promote religion in the places where they live; ministers that have capacities and opportunities of doing good, but do not stir up the gift that is in them, are those slothful servants that seek their own things more than Christ’s.”
~ Matthew Henry
