Weekly Bible Study
Jesus, in teaching
on life and living, used two parables or examples to describe
… the reality and indeed the necessity of us using our
talents,
… the talent or talents which God has given us,
as is so graphically depicted for us in Matthew 25 …
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.
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.
--- Matt.
25:14-29
God has blessed us
(Gen. 1:28) and has given to all of us
… an ability, a potential or talent(s).
God did not give us all the same talent,
… but the same potential,
and, depending on how we use that, God can and
will increase it …
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.
--- Matt.
25:21
God is not partial
(Acts 10:34)… and though it may look as if He
does,
… God does not reward us according to what He gave us,
… but according to what we do with what He gave us!
In other words,
… God rewards our efforts!
And if our efforts are (with) in Him, the reward is also in Him!
… as He so clearly says,
But
without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.
--- Heb. 11:6
God has indeed
given us all that we need,
… He has given us the blessing, ability and a measure of
faith (Rom. 10:23)
… He has given us a helper, the Holy Spirit, (John 14 , John 15 , John 16)
… He gives us increase, (1 Cor. 3:7)
and He even supplies all our need! (Phil. 4:19)
Yet … so often, we just don’t seem to profit
from life!
In continuing to
teach on life and profiting from life, in the parable in Luke 16,
… Jesus dealt with the negative side of life,
… and the negative result of using our talents in a
negative or selfish way.
Jesus told the story of an unjust steward,
… who had misused his position for his own gain,
… and was caught out and judged for his deeds!
And quite rightly so!
Yet, although this steward was unjust and judged for his deeds,
Jesus used this man or his deeds both as an example,
… and at the same time as a warning to us!
And He made this seemingly controversial statement …
So the
lord commended the unjust steward
because he had dealt shrewdly.
For the sons of this world are in their
generation wiser
than the sons of light.
--- Luke
16:1-8
The unjust steward
was commended for his actions,
… although they were totally selfish and dishonest!
Yet there obviously is a lesson to be learnt here!
So…
… what is it that the steward did that was wise?
Was it
stealing from his master before he got caught out?
… having wasted his master’s goods?
Or …
Was it stealing from his master after he got caught out?
… having cooked his master’s books to gain favour
with others?
Interesting …
yes!
But the answer is … neither!
God
does not want us to steal from someone who has more,
… so that we will be “blessed”
… That is no blessing.
God does not want us to use someone else’s
property to their loss,
… so that we will benefit from it!
… That is being dishonest.
What then is the
principle that Jesus was teaching us?
What was it the unjust steward did,
… that Jesus obviously intimated that we should do?
| Living life …
is profitable! |
The unjust
steward, instead of begging for mercy,
… crying out to his lord to bless him
… or begging for help from others!...
... used the opportunity that presented itself,
… and did what was necessary to benefit through that
opportunity!
And …
Jesus was telling us and also showing us through this example,
… that in every situation in life,
… there are always opportunities to benefit from
life,
even in those times when it looks like everything is lost!
You may well ask…
'but is that not what the unjust steward did?'
Well it very much depends on your intention,
and on the application of the principle!
In other words,
… who or what is behind your actions?
… and what will the result of your actions be?
Jesus made this well known and powerful statement …
The
thief does not come except
to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more
abundantly.
--- John 10:10
Jesus said, there
are two standards,
… the world’s standard – the
thief!
Like the unjust steward, who used the opportunity to steal…
… thinking only of himself and taking from others!
But there is another standard,
… God’s standard – love!
In every situation, there is always a God given opportunity
… which we should be looking for.
Those are the opportunities we should take,
opportunities from which not only we ourselves, but also others
will benefit!
As Jesus answered when asked what the greatest commandment is
…
And you
shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your
strength.'
This is the first commandment
And the second, like it, is this:
'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no other commandment greater than these.
--- Mark
12:30-31
If your intention
is to do something that will benefit ...
… your neighbour as yourself,
that is the kind of opportunity that God gets involved with!
Those are the opportunities that we should look for and
use,
… opportunities that are presented in life to benefit from
life!
There
are opportunities in this world to benefit
from the world,
… without getting involved in the world or its standard,
but where the opportunity presents itself, be wise,
… ask God for direction, and with His instruction, use
the opportunity.
Don’t wait
for God to do something for your benefit,
… even the sons of this world know God does not do that.
Therefore, as sons of light, let us be wise,
…let us look to, listen to and hear God, in
every situation,
else we will not profit from life, as we so often see the world
does!
