23 JUL 23 Sunday: A Closer Walk Devotional
“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least it could have gotten some interest on it.’ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 25: 26-27, 30
One of the more shocking stories in the New Testament is the Parable of the three servants. Jesus uses these parables, hard sayings, and sonship teachings to filter out those who are not His and a wake-up call. God had given the Jews a task they were responsible for, but they did not do it. The expectation that God has is that we are faithful to what he has given us and obey all that he has commanded.
Sometimes we believe we think that we are responsible for the fruit and the quantity. We see two of the servants double their investment and see the numbers. We also read that Jesus commands us to be fruitful and bear much fruit. We think we need to keep track of those numbers so we can show Jesus his return on investment. The actual numbers and fruitfulness are not within our control. That is not what Jesus looks at.
Jesus looks at our faithfulness and our heart. If we are faithful, we will be fruitful. The problem in the passage is with the person that decides to bury the gift that was entrusted to him rather than use it for what it was intended. This person did not bear fruit. He was unfaithful and useless to the Master. This is an issue with people in the church today. We are disobedient and refuse to use the gift of life purchased for us to live for God. We still live for ourselves and our desires. In reality, we have wasted our life! Let this passage make you reflect on your life.
When Jesus returns, will he find you faithful and fruitful or useless?
Reading Plan: Psalm 63:1-8, 98; 1 Sam. 23:7-18; Rom. 11:33-12:2; Matt. 25:14-30
No comments:
Post a Comment