28 March | Youth
«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.» Matthew 25:21
In the parables of the two servants, the ten virgins and the talents, Jesus speaks of the need to be faithful, vigilant and productive servants. In the parable of the two servants, He gives praise because the faithful and sensible servant was waiting for his master to return. In the parable of the ten virgins, those who were prepared received the reward for their patient waiting. And in the parable of the talents, the two servants are rewarded for being productive. In these three stories, the waiting time defines the faithful.
In the parable of the talents, a rich man travels and leaves three servants to take care of his business. He distributes his wealth in different proportions. Each one should take care of a part of his assets. Probably, each one received talents in proportion to their abilities. One received five; another, two; and the third, just one.
A talent was not a currency, but a measure of weight. The tabernacle's lampstand, for example, weighed one talent, equivalent to 35 kilos (Exod 25:39). Some Bible scholars claim that one talent was equivalent to 6,000 days of work for a common worker. Therefore, it was a remarkably high amount!
The first two servants, recognizing the privilege of the trust received, immediately began to work with dedication and managed to double the amount entrusted to them. However, the third servant took the talent he received and hid it until his master returned. When the moment of reckoning arrived, the two servants were praised and promoted. But the third only had excuses.
I have heard sometimes people saying that they will have eternity to rest. They misunderstood this issue. The Lord will say to His faithful servants: “You were faithful over little, and I will give you much more!” I call this divine promotion. When we fulfill our duty faithfully, in addition to the joy of the task accomplished, we receive from the Lord the task of doing more in eternity. Faithful servants will be honored with more work.
If you are the servant of the five talents, do your work well. Use the talents you have been given and multiply them for the glory of the Lord. But if you are the servant who only received one talent, do not bury it. Be a good and faithful servant, first and foremost. Make this your reward.