Use It Or Lose It Series

6: A Life of Meaning Series

February 8th, 2008

Use it or Lose it

I have a problem. I am really not very good with subtlety. When my wife started working for the news she was a reporter. Then there was an opening for a weekend anchor position. She was the newest reporter to the station so she was the least likely to get the job. Of course my wife is awesome so when she applied they liked her best and gave her the job. We found out about it before it was officially announced, and it wasnt 100% certain. She had been tipped off by a friend and wasnt even supposed to know. So logically we knew we were not supposed to say anything. Well that week we were having dinner with one of her friends who was a reporter at the station as well and had been there longer than she had. He also had a reputation for blabbing everything he knew so it was really important he didnt find out. Knowing all of this for some reason in the conversation my mind blanked and I asked Erica about the promotion right in front of this other reporter. In an effort to discretely instruct me to shut my mouth Erica began to kick me under the table. Now a normal person would respond here by stopping, thinking, and closing their mouth. I for some reason responded by saying: Ouch¦Ouch why are you kicking me under the table? in a very loud tone of voice. Why on earth did I do that? Its not like a kick under the table is that subtle of a hint I mean a monkey with a mental handicap could figure that out. I knew why she was kicking me and I knew I should keep my mouth shut but for some reason I didnt. Now you may not be as socially challenged as I am, but I am pretty sure you have all done something like that. We have all said something or did something we knew we shouldnt without realizing it. At the same time we have all known there are things we should do that we havent done for no apparent reason.

Thats what we are going see in our text today as we look at Matthew 25 starting in verse 14 where Jesus tells us the parable of the talents. Now in this story we meet a master and three of his servants. The master is preparing to go away for a time and so he entrusts each of his servants with a large sum of money. One of the servants gets 5 talents. One servant gets 2 talents. The last servant gets 1 talent. When the master leaves the first two get to work trying to make more money for their master. This is obviously the reason the master left them his money. The third servant doesnt. He just buries the money. Why if the other two servants got straight to work does this third servant act differently? Why doesnt this servant use what the master gave him? The other two servants worked. So why does this third servant do nothing? Lets look at the text:

Mt 25:14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. Mt 25:15 To 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. Mt 25:16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. Mt 25:17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. Mt 25:18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money. Mt 25:19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. Mt 25:20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ˜Master, he said, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more. Mt 25:21 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 masters happiness! Mt 25:22 The man with the two talents also came.˜Master, he said, you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.Mt 25:23 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 your masters happiness! Mt 25:24 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. Mt 25:25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.Mt 25:26 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? Mt 25:27 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. Mt 25:28 Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. Mt 25:29 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. Mt 25:30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.