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There’s a scene from the old movie, Superman, where Clark Kent is feeling upset after a football game in which he’s been demoted to team manager. Even though he has incredible powers that could easily make him shine as the star player, he has to hide his powers, so no one realizes his full potential. His father encourages him with these words:
“Son, you’re here for a special reason. I don’t know what that reason is, but I know one thing – it’s not to score touchdowns.”
His father’s intent isn’t to knock football, but to challenge his son to live in light of what he’s been created to do. I think Christians can often lose sight of that focus. Somewhere along the line, we get the impression that God’s goal is to just keep us from sinning. As long as we don’t do anything terrible, He’s not too concerned about what we do. But that’s not the Christian message at all.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells the story of a wealthy landowner who, before leaving for a long trip, entrusts his riches to his three servants (Matthew 25:14). He gives bags of coins to each of them “according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15). The first person is given five, the second two, and the third one. Each one of these bags would have been worth the equivalent of 20 years’ wages for a standard labourer, so they’ve been entrusted with hundreds of thousands of dollars each. The first servant makes some wise trades with his money and doubles it (Matthew 25:16). The second servant does the same (Matthew 25:17). They’re both commended for their faithfulness by the landowner when he returns (Matthew 25:19-23). The third servant did nothing with the money he received and instead buried it in the ground (Matthew 25:18). He gets a harsh rebuke, and everything he has is taken away from him (Matthew 25:26-28).
The message is comforting on one hand. So much of what we do in this life is judged in comparison to others. Competition makes labour a burden. But Jesus dispels all of that. In Jesus’ eyes, there’s no shame in admitting that different people have different capacities. He doesn’t compare us to others. The message is challenging on a number of fronts, though.
1. God has entrusted each of us with incredible resources
First, it’s clear that God has entrusted each of us with incredible resources. Even the ‘least’ servant in Jesus’ parable was given a fortune, and the high-capacity servant was given many times more than that. We all need to come to terms with just how much God has entrusted to us, both in resources and responsibility.
2. We’re capable of a great return on God’s investment
The second thing that stands out is the return that we’re capable of. Both the five-bag and two-bag servants earned a 100% return. They made plans. They took risks. They tried to treat everything they’d been given as wisely and diligently as their boss would.
3. How we invest what God has entrusted to us reveals what we actually think about God
The final thing we learn is that how we invest what God has entrusted to us reveals what we actually think about God. In the story’s plot twist, the one-bag servant says that the reason that he buried what he had been given was that he felt his boss was “a hard man” and he “was afraid” of him (Matthew 25:24-25). Those descriptions seem to be given as expressions of a person without faith because, in the end, he is cast out “into the outer darkness” to a place of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30).
How much thought and energy do you give to thinking on how to make the most return on the investment that God has made in your life? Recreation and entertainment have their place, but how much of how you spend your time would Clark Kent’s father say, “You’re here for a special reason. I’m not sure what that is, but I know it’s not that”?
With the Bible, we’re never left guessing as to God’s purpose for our life. Jesus said, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8). We prove that we’re disciples by bearing MUCH fruit. Similarly, Paul said that we’re to “sow bountifully” and “reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6), and “abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). In fact, he said that we’re God’s workmanship, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Put ‘make a return on God’s investment’ in your agenda for today. Put good works in the schedule for your week. Make bearing fruit a priority. But don’t look over your shoulder at the person who bears more fruit than you do. God just wants your faithfulness. And He’s shown Himself worthy of it.
In awe of Him,
Paul
