God-Approved Investing
It is Holy Week, Jesus' last week before his crucifixion, and he knows it. What would we share with those we care about if we knew we would have just a few days to live? I'm reasonably sure most of us would not waste time saying anything other than what mattered most, and neither did Jesus. What he said in the last days before his death is essential.
The day after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus returns to the Temple. He is confronted by the Pharisees, Sadducees, and the Scribes, who question his authority and do their best to discredit him. Coming out of the Temple, one of his disciples points out the stones and buildings that make up the temple area, to which Jesus responds, "…not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matthew 24:2 NKJV)
After returning to the Mount of Olives, Jesus warns his disciples of the coming destruction of the Temple, the signs of the end times, and the Great Tribulation and the coming of the Son of Man. In response to their question, "When will these things be?" he tells them that no one knows the day or the hour of his return except the Father but that it will be sudden and unexpected. Like in the days of Noah, before the flood, when people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, so will it be before He comes. "Therefore," he warns them, "you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44 NKJV)
We know Jesus is lamenting over Jerusalem, the spiritual leaders, and the Jewish nation because they had chosen to reject him. We also know that he knew one of his disciples would betray him and that all of them would soon abandon him. We often forget that Jesus was fully human, able to feel pain, hurt, and disappointment. Rejection and betrayal are often more painful than any physical pain one has to endure. That's what Jesus is dealing with here, and because he would soon leave them, he wanted to ensure the disciples understood what they would soon be facing and how they must live.
It is no surprise that the Parable of the Talents is included in this passage of Scripture. In fact, all three parables, The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant (Matthew 24:45-51), The Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), are stories that Jesus uses to communicate two important themes that must be present in every disciple of Jesus.
1. A disciple of Jesus must be prepared for His return.
2. A disciple of Jesus must continue to serve Him by faithfully stewarding their responsibility while He is away.
Preparedness
In each of the three parables, including the scene at the end of Matthew 25 where Jesus is judging the nations, there's a distinction and separation between two people. Those who are prepared for the return of their master and faithfully serving while he is away, and those who are not.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins focuses primarily on being prepared for the arrival of the bridegroom (Jesus). The difference between the wise and the foolish is that the foolish do not have the oil necessary to keep their lamps burning. Though not mentioned in the text, many commentators see the oil as representing the Holy Spirit and His work in salvation. Those who do not have oil represent the spiritually unprepared for Jesus' return.
The other two parables, The Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant, and the Parable of the Talents, also emphasize the servants' preparedness for the master's return, but in a much more straightforward way, describe what they are doing during the waiting period and the significance of their actions.
In the Parable of the Faithful Servant and the Evil Servant, when the master returns, the faithful steward is blessed and made ruler over all the master's goods. The evil servant, thinking the master won't return for a while, behaves abusively toward his fellow servants and indulges in eating and drinking accessibly, acting in dishonorable ways. When he least expects it, the master arrives, and he is punished severely and cast out.
Faithfulness
I'm so glad Jesus didn't stop there, that he shared the following parable, the Parable of the Talents, because he touches on the importance of wealth and money and how a faithful steward must manage it. Had he not done so, I have no doubt most of us would justify the poor management of money as unimportant to Jesus and irrelevant to our spiritual condition.
The story is of a master who entrusts each of the servants with a specific amount of money (silver). Two of them were faithful to invest and double the money they were given and were rewarded with additional responsibilities and sharing in the master's joy. The third hid the talent in the ground, reasoning that the master may not come back at all, and if he did, he would simply return the talent. If he didn't come back, he would keep it for himself. By this, he proved that he was wicked and lazy, causing him to lose what he had and be cast out.
Through this parable, Jesus clearly shows us that investing, taking the things we've been entrusted with, and gaining more for the master is the very thing we're to do while waiting for his return. The next obvious question is, "What does investing, and more specifically 'gain' that God approves and rewards, look like for us today? Fortunately, Jesus is equally clear on this as he finishes his discourse to the disciples in Matthew 25:31-46.
Jesus describes a scene at the end of time when he's sitting on his throne judging the nations. He separates everyone, some on his left and some on his right. Those on the right are blessed and given the kingdom as an inheritance prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Those on his left He casts into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
What reasons does Jesus give between those who are blessed and rewarded from those cursed and rejected?
He doesn't say it is because they believed in him. He doesn't say it is because they went to church regularly or tithed regularly. He doesn't say it is because they served in full-time ministry or led a small group. None of the religious things we Christians tend to believe are important to God are mentioned here.
The division of those on the left and the right is based on whether they cared for people in need; the hungry and thirsty, the stranger, the poor, the sick, and the incarcerated. Those who did will be rewarded. Those who ignored or oppressed these same people would be cast out and suffer for eternity.
When we invest the resources we have, our precious time, our unique abilities, and yes, the money God provides us, and use it to love and take care of people, we will experience the "gain" that pleases God. That's the kind of investment Jesus approves of and will reward.
For Further Reading:
Overcoming the Emotional Impulse to Spend
Giving Tuesday: An Opportunity to Experience the Blessing of Giving
Financial Success in the Kingdom of God
Seeking and Receiving Wise Counsel
Why the Church is the Best Place for Financial Education
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