“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability.
Then he went on his journey.
The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
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!’’”
Matthew 25:14-21
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There is a short phrase in Matthew 25:21 that offers a profoundly important change to the way we see the world.
In Matthew 25, Jesus offers to his disciples the Parable of the Talents.
Three servants are given a large portion of their master’s money to care for while he is away from them.
Two servants put the money to work and double it for their master. The third servant however, out of fear, buries the money and does nothing with it during his master’s absence.
Upon the master’s return, the good and faithful servants are praised. The third is chastised.
While praising the two, the master offers a most beautiful reward. A profoundly life-changing promise when we consider its ramifications.
“Well done, my good and faithful servant,” the master declares.
But he doesn’t stop there. He continues:
“Come and share your master’s happiness.”
What an unbelievable offer! “Come and share your master’s happiness!”
The spiritual truth is life-changing:
Those who invest the gifts and talents they have received from God into the Kingdom of God, providing a return for the Master, are invited to come and share in the Lord’s happiness.
Those of us who use our gifts to expand our own kingdom or chase after the things of this world may discover a temporal, short-lived pleasure. But that does not, and cannot, compare to the everlasting happiness we find in God.
And not only is God’s happiness eternal, it includes Him! He is the source of all life and joy, the fulfiller of our heart and soul. Those who invest their lives in the Kingdom will not just receive God’s happiness, they will share it with Him!
Jesus’s parable offers us only two choices with our lives.
We can invest ourselves into collecting more of this world. Or we can invest ourselves into the Kingdom of God.
And those who choose the latter, in the end, will share in their Master’s happiness.
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Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the opportunity to live life in service to you. Help me to be good and faithful with the talents you have given me. May I pursue your happiness over the things of this world today. Amen.