Well done, good and faithful servant!
Matthew 25:21 - God will reward you when you use what He has given you to fulfill His mission on Earth!
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
““His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
Matthew 25:21 NIV
Today’s verse comes from the Parable of the Bags of Gold in the Gospel of Matthew. This parable of Jesus wasn’t part of the parables in the Gospel of Luke that Barb studied back in 2022; it’s unique to Matthew.
If you’re new to studying the Word of God, you might not know what a parable is. From the dictionary: a parable is “a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.” Jesus used parables for exactly this purpose, although they sometimes confused both the crowds He was teaching and His disciples! I’ve often thought that He did this for one very good reason — if you hear a story and don’t understand the nuances of what is being said, you may turn it over in your mind again and again until you grasp its meaning.
In the parable, a wealthy man is going on a trip and calls his three servants. He gives one servant five bags of gold, another two bags, and the third servant a single bag.
The man with five bags of gold “put his money to work and gained five bags more”, “the one with two bags of gold gained two more”, but the man with one bag “dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money”. “After a long time” the master returns and “settled accounts with them”. The man who had the five bags of gold is the one who is cheerfully thanked in today’s verse. The one with two bags of gold is also thanked and told “You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” But the guy who hid the one bag of gold in a hole in the ground? He not only made his master upset by not “growing” the money entrusted to him, but has the gall to insult his master!
At the end of the parable, the master says “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Here’s the Parable of the Bags of Gold (Matthew 25:14-30) in a nutshell: It teaches that God entrusts people with differing resources and expects them to use what they are given faithfully. Those who do so are rewarded, while the one who wastes the opportunity is rebuked.
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model.
God has given each of us a gift — sometimes much more than a single gift — through the Holy Spirit. There are three major types of spiritual gifts.
The first type consists of motivational gifts, which inspire individuals to act on God’s behalf. These include speaking God’s message, serving (helping others), educating others about the Bible, encouraging and comforting others, giving of your time, treasure and talent, leadership, and mercy (showing compassion to others in need).
The Holy Spirit also endows believers with ministry gifts. These are related to roles within the church, and include leading and establishing new ministries, delivering messages from God (prophecy), instructing others in faith, performing acts of divine power (otherwise known as miracles), healing the sick, helping others in their ministries, organizing or managing church activities, and speaking in languages unknown to the speaker (the gift of tongues).
Lastly, God provides gifts to some that demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit - these are called manifestation gifts. These include the ability to speak words of wisdom to others (insight and guidance), speak words of knowledge (the understanding of deep truths) to others, the power of faith (belief in God’s promises), discerning of spirits (recognizing spiritual truths), and the aforementioned gifts of healing, miracles, and speaking or interpreting tongues.
What gifts have you been blessed with? For the two of us, I know that we have a mixture of these different types of spiritual gifts. From motivational gifts, we educate others about the Bible, encourage and comfort others through intercessory prayer, and give money and offer prayer to a number of other ministries. In the ministry gifts area, our talent is in instructing others in faith and helping others in their ministries. Finally, our manifestation gifts include speaking words of wisdom (we hope!) and knowledge, and our deep faith in God.
Understanding which spiritual gifts you have been blessed with can help you grow in your faith as well as contribute to both your church and community. Remember the Parable of the Bags of Gold — God will reward you when you use what He has given you to fulfill His mission on Earth!
Perhaps you already know what gifts you have been entrusted with through the power of the Holy Spirit. If so, are you putting them to good use? If you’re unsure what God wants you to do in this life, it’s time to prayerfully ask Him what He has in mind for you, then do it!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to be a faithful servant in all that I do. May I use the gifts and opportunities You have given me wisely, so that one day I may hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” AMEN!