Read Matthew 25:14-30
When knights of old were baptized, legend has it they would hold their swords out of the water. This gesture stated, “I surrender all to God, except this sword. I reserve this sword to do things that may not please God.â€
We are all tempted to hold something back from God, but that’s because we forget that everything belongs to God. Everything we have and all that we are comes from God, and goes to God, and is for God (Romans 11:36). A hackneyed but still useful catchphrase defines “everything†for us: Time, Talents, AND Treasure (3Ts). Sometimes you’ll hear people replace the AND with OR: Time, Talents, OR Treasure. For example, someone might say, “I serve in children’s ministry. That’s my way of giving to the church.†In other words, “I give my Time and Talents, so I do not need to give my Treasure.†This is akin to holding your wallet or purse out of the water. Others “buyâ€out†of serving through large donations. This is like holding your watch above the water.
God wants ALL of you.
The heart of the matter is revealed in Jesus’ parable of the talents. This parable isn’t about talents, or how we invest our 3Ts. This story centers on the telling statement of the wicked servant: “Master, I knew you to be a hard man…†(Matthew 25:24). The way we live— and give—demonstrates how we view the Master—how we see Jesus. Do we see a “hard man†trying to wring everything He can out of us? Or do we see the Godâ€man, wanting everything good for us?
We know the right answer, but we need to be reminded. Not only do we forget everything belongs to God, but we need reminders that God wants ALL for our good. God’s call to weekly worship isn’t meant to put a crimp on our weekends. God’s insistence on sex in marriage alone isn’t intended to make us prudes. God’s desire for us to give generously from our 3Ts isn’t about robbing us. ALL God’s commands are about what God wants for us not from us.
When knights of old were baptized, legend has it they would hold their swords out of the water. This gesture stated, “I surrender all to God, except this sword. I reserve this sword to do things that may not please God.â€
We are all tempted to hold something back from God, but that’s because we forget that everything belongs to God. Everything we have and all that we are comes from God, and goes to God, and is for God (Romans 11:36). A hackneyed but still useful catchphrase defines “everything†for us: Time, Talents, AND Treasure (3Ts). Sometimes you’ll hear people replace the AND with OR: Time, Talents, OR Treasure. For example, someone might say, “I serve in children’s ministry. That’s my way of giving to the church.†In other words, “I give my Time and Talents, so I do not need to give my Treasure.†This is akin to holding your wallet or purse out of the water. Others “buyâ€out†of serving through large donations. This is like holding your watch above the water.
God wants ALL of you.
The heart of the matter is revealed in Jesus’ parable of the talents. This parable isn’t about talents, or how we invest our 3Ts. This story centers on the telling statement of the wicked servant: “Master, I knew you to be a hard man…†(Matthew 25:24). The way we live— and give—demonstrates how we view the Master—how we see Jesus. Do we see a “hard man†trying to wring everything He can out of us? Or do we see the Godâ€man, wanting everything good for us?
We know the right answer, but we need to be reminded. Not only do we forget everything belongs to God, but we need reminders that God wants ALL for our good. God’s call to weekly worship isn’t meant to put a crimp on our weekends. God’s insistence on sex in marriage alone isn’t intended to make us prudes. God’s desire for us to give generously from our 3Ts isn’t about robbing us. ALL God’s commands are about what God wants for us not from us.