A Parable of Talent

There once were three men. Each of them born into the world at different times and places. One was born into a home of wealth. A home with a family and upbringing that lacked for no thing. A family that was educated, worked hard, went to church and believed in God. This man as a boy went to all the classes at school and church. Was cared for and loved by his family. He learned about Jesus, got baptized and testified of his need for and belief in the salvation he received because of the sacrifice that Jesus had made for him.

The second man was born into a middle class home. His father was no longer married to his mother. The man that remarried his mom loved God and took him as a son and loved him. The new husband took the family to church and raised the boy to work hard in school to get an education. The boy did well in school and in church. He too learned about Jesus, got baptized and testified of his need for and belief in the salvation he received because of the sacrifice that Jesus had made for him.

The third man was born out of wedlock to a drug addicted prostitute. His life was hard. He was mistreated by the long string of men who came in and out of his life. His mother went to jail when he was 9. He was put into the foster care system where a family was assigned to care for him while his mother got her self together. When he was 12, his mother died of an overdose after she had been released from jail. The boy was bounced around from family to family until he aged out of the system as a young man at age 18. He picked up a job after graduating from high school. One of his coworkers befriended him and began to tell him about Jesus. The two became good friends and eventually the young man wanted to know Jesus better. He began to go to church with his friend, learned about the Jesus his friend was telling him about and testified of his faith in Jesus at his baptism.

All three of these men had grown up and learned of Jesus. Each of them were baptized and testified of saving faith in the sacrifice that Jesus had made for them.

The first man went on in life to inherit the wealth of his family. He married a beautiful wife who was of his same social status and they had three children. His wife did not share his faith in Jesus and did not allow him to lead his family in regards to his belief. He was content to go to church and lived a good life. His children grew up with education but never understanding the faith of their father. His wife eventually left him for a “stronger” man and he died of a heart attack at 58 years old. His funeral was a small gathering of friends and family. His children fought over his estate for years and were permanently divided from one another because of it.

The second man went on in life to be a business man. He graduated from college with a degree. He was very successful due to his ethic and belief in God as he was taught in his youth. He continued to go to church and met his  future wife there. They married and had many children. He and his wife dedicated each of the children and modeled a life of love in Christ. The children all grew up in the love of God and going to church with their parents. One became a pastor, one a doctor and a couple were teachers. The other children were not as fortunate, but all of them eventually had successful lives. The man and his bride of 57 years died within 3 weeks of each other. Their lives had been full and happy. Their funeral was a great affair. All their children, grand-children and great grand-children were there to celebrate their passing on into the Kingdom of their Savior and went on to be generations of pastors, teacher, doctors, business people and workers who all lived their lives in families of the love of Christ.

The last man went on in life to be a missionary. His love for Jesus Christ had so massively changed his life that he could not imagine anyone not knowing the love and mercy of his Savior. He moved to the inner city where he had been born and started a mission for the lost and lonely people of the street. After many years of prayer, hard work and tears, his mission became a lighthouse of hope in the dark world of poverty, drugs, abuse and violence. He grew his mission into a national ministry and thousands of lives were claimed by Christ. Missionaries and pastors were trained up and went all over the world to tell about Jesus. At 47 years old, the man was killed downtown by a robber as he was inviting the homeless to his mission so that they could be warm and hear about Jesus. His funeral was a massive gathering. Churches, people and ministries from all over the world came to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of this man. The killer was caught and sentenced to life in prison. One of the ministries that the man had started came to the prisoner and eventually brought him to know the love of Christ.

The three men met together at the throne of God to present their lives for Judgement.

God turned to the last man first. He said with love, “My Son, you have served Me well. I put you into the world in the lowliest of places and in the hardest of situations, but you looked into yourself and My Image in you. You have recognized the great gifts I had given you and parlayed them into great riches for Me. The greatest of them the gift of My Son Jesus. Which you have regifted so many times. I know your days were hard, but full of great contentment. Enter into My Kingdom good and faithful servant.”

To the second man God said, “My Son, you have served Me well. I put you into the world with love and favor. You received My greatest gift of My Son Jesus and you placed Him front and center in all you did. In business, in your marriage and in your children. Your faith brought you many happy years of the glory of My Holy Covenant of marriage. It still stands as a monument to your children and your children’s children. Many who saw it have believed and found life through your loving relationship to your wife and to Me. Your children go on this very day in My glory because of your faith and the activity of My Son in you. You had good and bad days, but in all of them you trusted Me. Enter into My Kingdom good and faithful servant.”

To the first man God said, “I gifted you with a life where nothing was held back. I placed you in a God-Fearing family of wealth and position. You never wanted for anything. You even received the knowledge of the gift of My Son Jesus. But you squandered that gift and buried it deep in your mind. Neither your wife nor your children ever understood your faith and never had a chance to meet My Son Jesus through you. You died at a young age and your fortune was divided up by your children at the expense of their relationship to one another. I desired that you would come to Me with great evidence of the investments you made of the gifts I gave you, but you have nothing. I have asked My Son about you, and He says that He never knew you. Be gone from Me you unfaithful servant.”

In case you don’t know it, this Parable is a direct lift from the gospel of Matthew in chapter 25. The Parable of the Talents that Jesus spoke to the disciples just outside of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. During this private discourse, (Matt 24 & 25), Jesus uses many different parables to explain to them how to live a life of faith, the events of coming in the next days and in the future. In chapter 26, He tells them plainly of His coming death by crucifixion.

The reason I parable a parable first of all because of personal experience and conviction. Also it is to take a closer look into the lives and fruit of professing Christians. You can read it and place yourself as you understand yourself to be. My hope is that everyone who reads this little paper will be pushed  to a life and sacrifice for the glory of God and the salvation of His people.

Many years ago, (like maybe 20?), We were having a prayer service at church. I was praying for and about things, I’m not remembering what they were, but I do remember the word that came to me.....Matthew 6:33 ”Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” Then was a revelation that I will never forget. It is till changing my life today. What does a person seek? That which is lost! The Lost!! I am called to seek The Lost!! This is the Kingdom of God. The Lost found!! Everything and anything I would or could possibly pray for (see Matt 25-32) is not a focus, but a default of a life that obediently seeks The Lost. My life is not mine. I was lost, but now I am found. I am a servant of The Kingdom of God and have a place in His Kingdom in Heaven. But there are those who do not, and as a faithful servant serving my King, I am to spend my whole life to seek, find and show as many people as possible The Way of restoration by The Truth of The Process of Christ and The Life of Christ alive and living in and through me so that they too can be reunited into the Kingdom of God.

That brings us to present day. I tell you that I am probably more like the first man than the others. That is a scary thought for me. However, I am not done yet. God is still extending mercy and grace toward me. That He is not finished is evident by the fact that I am still alive :)

I have not settled the “once saved always saved” message in my mind and feel that it is not wise to embrace it fully. I do not doubt that The Process of Christ by His Sacrifice is a complete work and that it was for the sins of the whole world and that there is nothing I could possibly do to negate that work. But, to kick back and ride that great gift without trying to stay obedient seems risky to me. Better to strive and struggle to attain a testimony that can withstand the Righteous and Holy Judgement of the Love of God.

All that to say, I do not believe that God is finished with me. I believe that God has people He sees through my eyes and is calling them though my mouth by the Risen Christ and Holy Spirit alive in me. And I also believe that same to be true for you. Let us all seek The Lost and populate His Kingdom. In that, the testimony of our lives will be “My faithful servant, you have served me well. The talent I have given you, you have multiplied greatly. Now take your reward and enter into My Home and Kingdom of Heaven. Live with me forever.”

Amen