SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/11/2024 10:29 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “The Reckoning We Face”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew
25:19-27
Message of the verses: “19 "Now after
a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
20 "The one who had received the
five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you
entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 “His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with
a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of
your master.’ 22 "Also the one who had received the two talents
came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained
two more talents.’ 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many
things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 “And the one also who had
received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man,
reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.
25 ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you
have what is yours.’ 26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked,
lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I
scattered no seed. 27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank,
and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.”
We continue looking at these verses in today’s SD,
and begin with what is said in verse 19 where we read “the
master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.” I suppose that this could sound kind of scary
if what was done for the master was not something that he wanted to hear
about. The first slave stated “‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have
gained five more talents.’” Nothing to
be frightened about from this first slave, but we must understand that the man
was not boasting but simply relating the truth of the matter. Also there is no hint of pride or
self-congratulation from this first slave.
This slave knew that everything he started with had been entrusted to
him by his master, and he had only done what he should have done with what his
master entrusted him to do. I think that
because we are talking about money here that it can tend to make us think that
it is more important that say if the master had put this slave in charge of
perhaps some animals and not there would be a very large amount of animals
because the slave was doing his job. MacArthur
writes “He exhibited the attitude Jesus said every obedient disciple should
have: “When you do all the things which
are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which
we ought to have done’” (Luke 17:10).”
I want to now quote from 2 Timothy 4:6-8, which is
the last letter that the Apostle Paul wrote that is found in the Word of God,
so this means that it was written very near the end of Paul’s life. “6 For I am already being poured out as a
drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there
is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who
have loved His appearing.” Now as we
read this we can see that Paul was not boasting but simply expressing a deep
sense of fulfillment and rejoicing. He
was confident the Lord knew the integrity of his heart and would be faithful to
reward him according to His gracious promises.
These verses in 2 Timothy are very similar to what is going on with the
first two slaves in Matthew 25.
John
MacArthur writes “When the master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful
slave,’ he was commending the slave’s attitude more than just his
accomplishment. He first of all commended
the mans excellent character, which expressed itself in excellent service.”
Now
I have mentioned that this man, the master represents the Lord Himself when He
returns in glory and power to establish His kingdom, and it is remarkable to
contemplate that the holy, just, and perfect Lord of the universe will deign to
praise His true disciples for their faithfulness, which is imperfect as it will
have been. I have to say that the word “GRACE”
fits in here. So this then is the
glorious prospect of every child of God who, like Paul, loves Christ’s
appearing (2 Tim. 4:8).
Next
we see that not only did the master bring high praises to his slave, but he
also highly rewarded him as he said, “You were faithful with a few things, I
will put you in charge of many things.”
The “Lord will entrust greater earthly tasks to
those who prove themselves faithful, but their heavenly reward will be
opportunity for greater service to Him throughout eternity” writes John
MacArthur. He goes on to write “Christ’s
faithful servants living on earth when He returns will enter into the
millennial kingdom in their same earthly bodies and will be given
responsibilities commensurate with their previous faithfulness. Believers who have died or been raptured
will come to earth with the Lord in their glorified bodies, and they, too, will
be given rulership in proportion to their faithfulness to God while they lived
on earth. Both in the millennial and
eternal manifestations of the kingdom, those who have been faithful on earth
will be put…in charge of many things much greater in significance than the few
things over which they previously were faithful stewards.” Now you may remember that a few SD’s ago I
mentioned that my former Pastor who is now with the Lord said that when he came
back to earth with the Lord that he said he wanted to be the mayor of North Olmsted,
Ohio where he lived at.
3/11/2024 11:01 AM
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