In Matthew 25:14 we find the parable of the bags of gold. Where a master gathers his three servants, gives them his wealth in distribution in keeping with their ability and goes on a long journey.
Yesterday we talked about the two faithful servants who went straight away and put the money to work and doubled what they were entrusted with. When the master returned from his journey he praised the servants saying, “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!”
The master came to the third servant.
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.”
This servant had a totally different approach to what he was entrusted with. It seems that if what this servant said was how he really thought and felt, he would have brought increase to what he was entrusted with, because he would have been afraid of the punishment that would have ensued for mismanagement.
I wonder if the master was so kind and loving that this servant thought he could use that to his advantage. If he acted scared and had this fear of failure, the master would have compassion on him and overlook is mismanagement. This way he wouldn’t have to work because the master was away on a journey and wasn’t there to experience anything different.
You never want to associate loving kindness and patients with weakness and foolishness. The master was no fool and saw right through the words of the third servant.
Whatever the reason the third servant had for his actions, they came from misconception. He did not have the correct perspective of who the master was and therefore he did not view himself in the same way the master did. The master gave this servant responsibility in keeping with his ability. Here’s what is amazing about that. God gives us ability and epic amounts of potential, but he is not responsible for fulfilling it. God is not going to make you do anything. He has given us everything, and it is our choice to take action or to sit on the couch. He has given us freedom, therefore you are free to be faithful or free to be wicked and lazy. Whichever we choose determines the end result.
Which means that success and failure are absolutely predictable.