A Good and Faithful Servant

Matthew 25:14-30

Key Verse 25:21

21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 

Last week, we studied Mark 13, where Jesus warned his disciples about some of the things that would happen before his second coming.  In particular, Jesus warned his disciples of several external dangers, such as deceivers, false christs, and persecutions so that they would not be afraid and would not lose heart.  In today's passage, Jesus describes the same time period through a parable to help us think very personally about who we are as Jesus' disciples, what we should do until Jesus returns, and what the results will be.  In particular, this passage encourages us to be faithful to the trust we have been given as servants of God.  May God bless us as we study this passage to learn these things. 

Part I.  Trusted Servants (vs. 14-18)

Look at verses 14-15.  Let's read these verses responsively: 14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.  15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.”

In these verses, we see a man who entrusts his property to three of his servants while he is gone on a journey.  To one he gave five talents, which is worth at least $5,000 by today's standards, to another he gave two talents, and to another he gave one talent—each according to their ability.  Then he went away on his journey.  This helps us to better understand our position as disciples of Jesus.  

As Jesus' disciples, we are not just ordinary people who are waiting for his second coming.  Instead, we are servants of God who have been given a trust to fulfill until Jesus comes again.  What trust have we been given?  Just before his ascension into heaven, after rising from the dead, Jesus said to his disciples in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”  Jesus entrusted his disciples with the good news—the gospel, and just as the servants in the passage were to put their master's money to work, so Jesus' disciples have been called to put the gospel to work and increase the kingdom of God.  In John 21:15, Jesus gave a very personal trust to Simon Peter: Jesus said to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”  To Peter, Jesus entrusted his lambs, which means that Jesus entrusted many precious souls to Peter's care, and it was Peter's responsibility to teach them the word of God and pray for them just as Jesus had done for Peter.  In giving this trust to Peter, and in giving this trust to us, Jesus is regarding us as much more than mere slaves.  In John 15:15-16, Jesus said to his disciples, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.  Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I learned from my father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.”  To be entrusted with the gospel and with the flock of God is a great privilege that ultimately comes out of God's love for us and love for his lambs.  

Through this parable, Jesus wanted to help his disciples to understand that they have indeed been given a trust, and this trust is both a privilege and a responsibility.  One problem we have as Christians is that it is not always easy for us to see that we have each been given this trust personally.  Of course, in general, it is easy to say that Christians have been entrusted with the gospel, but do you see that Jesus' trust is also very personal?  Jesus looked Simon Peter in the eyes, called him by name, and said to him directly, “Feed my lambs.”  In this parable, the master called his servants one by one and entrusted each of them with this property according to their ability.  The trust that each of them was given is very personal. Do you remember how the gospel message first came into your heart and how it changed your life?  No one else in the history of the world ever experienced exactly what you experienced—Jesus' grace to you is very personal.  In the same way, do you remember how God called you to serve Him?  That also is God's personal grace to you.  Do you see what a unique personality you have?  Do you see your unique strengths and weaknesses?  Your unique life experiences?  Do you see the specific people God has placed in your life?  All of this is very personal, and this is the trust that comes from God.  No one else can fulfill that trust for you.  Realizing this is the first step for us to live as faithful servants of God.

How did the servants in this parable carry out their trust?  Look at verses 16-18.  Let's read these responsively: 16 “The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.  18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

The first two servants went at once, put their master's money to work, and doubled their investments.  How did they do this?  We don't know exactly, but we can learn several things from them in fulfilling the trust we have been given in the Lord.  In his #1 bestselling book, entitled, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey identifies 7 habits of highly effective people.  The top three habits identified by Mr. Covey are proactivity, keeping the end in mind, and putting the first things first.  The passage shows that the first two servants exercised all three of these traits in fulfilling their trust.  First, they were proactive.  As soon as their master was gone, they went at once and put his money to work. They did not wait around for the situation to be more favorable or for a good opportunity to arise.  Instead, they took control of their situation and began working right away.  They also clearly began with the end in mind.  They fixed their mind on the day that their master would return, and their greatest desire was to hear their master's words of commendation when he saw the profit they made with the money he entrusted to them. We also see that the first two servants put the first thing first.  Since their master was no longer there to watch over them, they could have easily made fulfilling their trust a lesser priority than doing something for themselves.  They might at least want to take a little vacation before starting their work.  But they kept their first priority in fulfilling the trust they had been given.  In this way, they proved that they were faithful servants.  

But what about the third servant?  He went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. Why did he do that?  The passage does not say at this point, but it is clear that this man's way of thinking was quite different from the first three servants.  Perhaps someone could use this servant as the model for a book entitled, Seven Habits of Highly Useless People.  After burying his master's money for safe-keeping, what do you think this servant did until his master returned?  He could have done one of two things: either kill time or work hard to gain something for himself.  Personally, I think that this guy just killed time.  How did he kill time?  Well, if he were living today, he could have found a thousand and one ways.  He could have stayed on his couch watching T.V. all the time, playing video games all the time, or surfing the web.  But since they didn't have these things in those days, I am sure he found some other ways, especially eating and sleeping a lot.  

Looking again at these three servants, we see two very different models of trustworthiness.  I don't think that the difference between the first two servants and the third servant was clear before the master left. As long as the master was there to watch over him, the third servant was careful to do his duty so that he would not be punished.  It was only when the master was away that it became clear who was truly faithful to the master and who was not.  

Part II. Faithful Servants (vs. 19-23)

Look at verses 19-23.  Let's read these verses responsively: 

19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

20 The man who had received five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents.  See, I have gained five more.’

21 His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master’s happiness!’

22 The man with the two talents also came.  ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

23 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!  You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share in your master's happiness!”  

The passage says, “After a long time…”  So the servants had ample opportunities and time to work.  No one can say, “Oh, I didn’t have enough time.”  To some people, this long time could refer to a whole life.  Furthermore, the very fact that the master returned is very important.  Perhaps some people thought that the master was gone for such a long time that he would never return, but the first two servants always knew that their master would return, and they showed it by working hard to increase their master's money to the day the master returned.  On that day, the first two servants were filled with joy. Finally, they had reached the completion of their task, and they were eager to show their master what they had gained.  

When the first servant came to the master, he said, I believe with a joyful smile, “Master, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.” Because he worked hard and doubled his master's property, this servant had no fear to come before his master and make his report.  When Jesus comes again, this is the kind of confession we want to be able to make: “Lord, you entrusted me with this much.  See, I have gained this much more.”  When we make this report, we will be so happy and eager to hear what the Lord will say to us. 

How did the master respond to the first servant?  He said to him, I believe with a big smile, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  The master could clearly see that this servant was both a good and faithful servant based on the profit he made.  Only a good and faithful servant who worked hard until his master's return could accomplish that.  When we think about it, these are the words we want to hear coming from Jesus' lips when he returns. We want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  Can you imagine it?  Try putting your name in the middle: “Well done, [your name], good and faithful servant!”  When we hear these words, it will be better than any joy we have experienced on earth, and it will remain with us forever.  Just to hear these words, we are motivated to give our lives fully to Jesus' world salvation purpose: “Well done, good and faithful servant!”  

The master went on to say to the first servant, “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”  From the master's point of view, the money he entrusted to his servant was just a few things.  In his eyes, the question was not the size of the fortune the servant made—to the master it was only a small amount of money. The master was not really interested in the money so much as he was interested in the faithfulness the servant demonstrated in taking care of the money.  In the same way, it is not how many great things we have done, but how faithful we have been with the few things God has entrusted us with that Jesus is concerned about. For example, you may not have preached the gospel to millions of people like Billy Graham, but God may have entrusted you with one or two specific people who need a shepherd who can pray for them and teach them the word of God on an on-going, personal basis.  In God's eyes, the ministry God has given you is just as important as Billy Graham's ministry, and what Jesus pays attention to is how faithful we have been to the mission entrusted to us.  Ultimately, Jesus is looking for those who prove that they can be trusted with many things by being faithful in a few things.  

In reality, it is not easy for us to even be faithful in a few things.  This is because the key characteristic of faithfulness is to continue to the end.  It is not so hard to be faithful to something over a short period of time.  There have been many times where I made one commitment or another, such as doing daily bread every day, or keeping a short prayer time every day, or helping to clean this Bible Center once a week.  But although I was faithful for a time, eventually I failed to remain faithful to all of these—and there are many more examples.  I found that the real difficulty is not so much what the task is, but in remaining faithful to the end.  The characteristic God is really looking for in his servants is faithfulness, but human beings are notoriously unfaithful. This is why we cannot remain faithful to the Lord's calling to the end by relying on ourselves.  We do not have the strength.  But we do have someone who can give us the strength to be faithful.  The Apostle Paul said, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”  No one is faithful except God alone, but God opened a way for us to be good and faithful through Jesus.  When we rely on Jesus, we can confess at the end of our lives what the Apostle Paul confessed: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)  

When we prove ourselves faithful in a few things, Jesus will entrust us with many things.  Thus, we can be sure that the kingdom of heaven will not be just a place where people just sit on clouds playing harps all day—it will be a kingdom, and in that kingdom God will entrust his servants with many great things according to their faithfulness to the little things here on earth.   

Finally, the master said to his servant, “Come and share in your master's happiness.”  The master was happy because his servant was so faithful to him, and the master invited his servant to share in his happiness.  What do you think it will be like to share in Jesus' happiness when he returns?  Personally, I think that Jesus' happiness is bigger and better than any human happiness, and to share in his happiness is the definition of live in the kingdom of heaven.  

What about the second servant?  The first servant earned five more talents while the master was gone, but the second servant only earned two more talents.  Did the master treat them differently?  No.  The master said the exact same thing to both servants. That is because the master was not measuring his servants by the raw amount that they had gained, but by the fact that they had both proved their faithfulness by doubling the money that was entrusted to them.  Just as each of them had been entrusted with the master's property on a personal basis, so the master took account of the work each of them had done individually.    

Part III.  A Wicked and Lazy Servant (vs. 24-30)

Look at verses 24-30.  Let's read these verses responsively: 

24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came.  'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 

25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground.  See, here is what belongs to you.'

26 His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?  

27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.  

28 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 

29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  

30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”  

When the third servant's turn came to show what he did with his master's money, I don't think that he was too happy or eager.  But he was ready with an excuse.  His excuse was that he knew that the master was a tyrannical kind of person and so he was too afraid to do anything with the money except keep it safe.  Naturally, this excuse did not make the master happy at all.  Instead of saying, “Well done,” and calling him “good and faithful,” the master called him “wicked and lazy.”  The master rejected his excuse—the reason he hid the money was not out of fear, but out of laziness.  If someone fears his master—even though that person does not want to serve the master, he will do so out of fear.  The first two servants were motivated by love and thankfulness to their master, but it is possible to be motivated by fear.   this man was motivated by neither; he was simply unmotivated—he neither loved his master nor feared his master.  Instead, he simply wanted to take it easy.  His laziness made him into a wicked servant whose view of the master was totally perverted.  

It is easy for us to underestimate the sin of laziness.  But the sin of laziness can lead us to complete destruction as the case of the third servant reveals.  Laziness is the love of rest, ease, and comfort.  A lazy person wants to avoid suffering, especially the suffering of hard work and effort.  Laziness is also a degenerative condition—the more we indulge in laziness, the more lazy we become and the more difficult it is to overcome the problem.  Even our way of thinking is affected by laziness.  The book of Proverbs has many things to say about a lazy person. Proverbs 19:24 says, “The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; he will not even bring it back to his mouth!”  As we see in this passage, a lazy person always has an excuse.  Proverbs 22:13 reads, “The sluggard says, 'There is a lion outside!' or, 'I will be murdered in the streets?'”  What is the end result of laziness?  Proverbs 20:4 says, “A sluggard does not plow in season, so at the harvest time he looks but finds nothing.”  In the same way, when the master returned, he looked for what this servant had gained, but there was nothing.  

 

What happened to this servant?  First, the talent that had been entrusted to him was taken from him and given to the one who had ten talents.  The master did this based on the principle that everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance; while he who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.  This principle means that, whether we like it or not, there is no neutral ground in living our life.  The third servant thought that because he kept his master's money safe, he would just get through without winning or losing anything.  But in doing this, he only proved that he was a worthless servant who was unworthy of any trust, and he ended up losing everything.  

The second thing that happened to this servant was that he was thrown outside.  He was thrown outside because he rejected the trust that he was given, and thus he rejected his master.  Yet after being thrown outside, the servant would finally realize what a big mistake he made, and though he would cry and gnash his teeth in regret, it would be too late.  

In conclusion, we learn from today's passage that, in Jesus, we have each received a personal trust, and our mission here on earth is to bear fruit for God's glory until the day of Jesus' return. On that day, he will call each of us to give an account of what we did with the mission he entrusted to us.  May God bless us to see Jesus' smiling face on that day and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master's happiness.”  

One word: A Good and Faithful Servant

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