Just after Jesus shared the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, He immediately addressed the expectation of FATHER for mankind to be productive. Growth and productivity are attributes of the Kingdom, not decline, decrease, and failure. What is your trend? Are you being productive or have you become stagnant?
Matthew 25:14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.”
A great quality of parables is that they are multi-faceted and express several truths. Their application depends on the facet you look at and is not restricted by nature. Men attempt to apply parables in a singular fashion to support their view or rationalize why they are in their current state. As an example, you can attempt to spiritualize a parable and miss its physical application thus justifying why you are not making a difference in your own surroundings.
The universe is constantly expanding. The plant kingdom is constantly producing seed after its own kind as a method of continual expansion. The animal kingdom is constantly reproducing, especially if you are a rabbit, rat, or mouse. The point is that there is a balance FATHER created on earth and we cannot overlook one aspect of our life and solely focus on another.
Each of us has a set of abilities and some have more than others. Simply embrace your own abilities and focus those abilities on being productive. FATHER does not expect you to achieve beyond your gifts and calling but on the other hand, HE expects you to grow and be productive. Those who embrace this fact will tap into the resources of Heaven and be blessed accordingly.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
FATHER expects us to increase, grow, improve, and mature. As we conduct business we should expect a positive result. Rather than focusing on meeting minimum requirements, we should promote excellence in our endeavors. Jesus did not constantly walk around in lack but had sufficiency throughout His ministry. The Tabernacle in the wilderness was not a dilapidated tent barely able to stand. In the Kingdom’s business, scarcity is not an issue and if it is not an issue in Heaven, it should not be an issue on earth. Those who are called to establish HIS Kingdom should expect success in what HE has called them to do. Anything less would suggest you don’t know FATHER well enough yet.
Two of the three servants pleased FATHER and entered into HIS Joy:
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
However the third servant did not know FATHER and had no fruit to show for what FATHER had given him:
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
The unproductive servant displeased FATHER and was judged accordingly. You are not going to be able to point your finger at others when your time of reconciliation is at hand. You can make all the excuses in the world but nevertheless your own fruit or lack of will be the determining factor in your assessment. Are you a janitor? Be the best janitor your company has seen. Are you a mail clerk? Be noted by your peers for doing the best job. You don’t have to be a CEO of a company to please FATHER but simply use the gifts you have and be productive. The servant with two talents received the same reward as the servant with five.
One translation of “entering into the joy” is “Come and share your master’s happiness!”. This may seem fundamental to some who know the story well but we must revisit the fundamentals from time to time in so that we don’t forget our primary mission statement to be fruitful and multiply. How else will the Kingdom spread throughout the earth? After their day of visitation, the disciples did not return to the upper room and become couch potatoes for the remainder of their lives. Neither should we.