Matthew: How should we live? (25:14-30)

This sermon was preached to Grace Church Guildford on 10 November 2024. The audio recording of the sermon can be found below along with the transcript.

‘A long life well lived. Much loved, always remembered. A faithful wife, dear mother. A loving husband, devoted father.’ Those are all common inscriptions on tombstones. We have all read such lines as we have walked past, or through, graveyards. And I am sure that some of you at some point have had to pick what to put on a tombstone for a loved one. You’ve had to figure out a fitting phrase to sum up their life and legacy. I know it can seem a morbid question, but I wonder, have you thought about what you will want on your tombstone? How you would want your loved ones to sum up your life? What kind of legacy you will eventually leave behind when your time on earth comes to an end?

Over the last few weeks, we have been working through the Olivet Discourse, this sermon that Jesus preaches here in Matthew 24-25 together. And last week, from the start of Matthew 25, we were reminded of the future coming of Christ. That one day, Jesus will return and that we must be ready for him. And yet, we were also reminded that the timing of this return is unknown. Indeed, in the story the bridegroom was delayed, took much longer than they first expected. And that should have left all of us with a question. For if Jesus takes longer to return than expected, what should we do in the meantime? If he is delayed for another few years, decades, or even for the rest of our lives, how should we spend that time waiting for him? If we end up making it to heaven, before Jesus makes it to earth, what kind of life should we have led? If we are in the grave, before he is in the sky, what words would we want written on our tombstone?

That is the question we are left asking after the parable of the ten bridesmaids. As we wait and watch for Jesus, what should we do? And so, unsurprisingly, that’s the question Jesus immediately goes on to answer in this next section of his sermon, this parable of the talents. In this parable, Jesus tells us how we should live as we watch and wait for him. This story shows us what kind of life we should be aiming to have. Friends, if you need inspiration for what to put on your tombstone, then you need look no further than right here in Matthew 25. How should we live? Well, Jesus tells us here that we should have: (1) A Faithful Life; (2) A Faith-filled Life.

1.     A FAITHFUL LIFE

I think this is the overall emphasis in our story, and that we learn it from those first two servants Jesus mentions. I am sure the parable is familiar to many of you. But if it isn’t, you can see the basic plot there in 25:14. A wealthy man goes off on a journey, and because there was no such thing as internet banking in those days, he has to ask three servants to look after his money when he is away. He entrusts a different amount to each servant. One was given five bags of gold, another two, and the last one. In the original Greek, we read that’s these bags of called are called talents. Which was a common measurement of weight in the first century (around 60kg), often used to weigh gold or silver. A talent’s weight of either gold or silver was worth a huge amount! Probably the best way to calculate it is to equate it to 20 years of wages. Which means the servant who gets 5 talents, 5 bags of gold, is handed about 100 years’ of wages. We are talking about millions of pounds! A lot of money! And it is all given here into the hands of these three servants, entrusted to their wise stewardship, left in their care.

And I think the basic point Jesus means to make from this is plain. For as he goes away for an extended period, heads off on his journey to heaven and back, he too gives gifts, places many things to the hands of his servants, entrusts much to our care. Whatever measure of money you have in your bank account, whether it is great or small, is given to you by God. Similarly, you too have been given talents, not meaning amounts of money, as in the story, but abilities and skills. If you have a skill for business, or an eye for art, if you have the mind for maths, or the tongue for languages. If you have hands that can craft and build, or just a work ethic that allows you to keep plugging away day after day. Then you need to realise that those are all natural gifts given to you by God. The same is true for spiritual gifts as well, for we see in Ephesians 4, that spiritual abilities are given by the risen Christ to his servants on earth. And so, if you have a gift to teach God’s Word, administer God’s church, encourage God’s people, give to God’s work, then that too is a gift from God, entrusted to your care. Indeed, we are told in James 1:17, every good gift we have is from above. Which means that every good thing you have in your live, comes down from the hand of your heavenly master. Whatever family you have, whether your spouse, children, parents, grandchildren, are all good gifts given into your hands. Similarly, your relationships at work, or in the community here in Guildford, your job and house, are all things that have been entrusted to you by God. As Paul puts it in 2 Cor, what do you have that you have not received?

However, I wonder if you realise that that not only applies to the good things that you want in your life, but also to the other things that you don’t want in your life. It is just like at Christmas, when you get some gifts that you want (e.g. an iPad), but you also get some gifts that you don’t really want (e.g. that bright pair of socks or strange smelling candle). And that is true in life too. God not only sends good things into our life, he also brings hard things into our life. That personal health crisis, that family heartbreak, that unmet longing, unfulfilled dream, those are all things that God has given, granted just to you.

Friend, your whole life is a bundle of gifts from God, some of them you want, some of them you won’t. And yet all of them come from the hand of your heavenly master. Been entrusted to your care for this time on earth. Brother or sister, I wonder what God has given you? What wealth of opportunities and abilities, mix of hardships and blessings, have been placed into your hands, entrusted by God into your care, left for you to look after during your lifetime?

What should we do with these gifts from God? Well, what did the first two servants do with what they were given? We read there in 25:16-17: [READ]. What are we do while we wait for Jesus? Watch for his return? Well, to sum it up in a single word, we are to work. As we wait for Jesus, we should work for Jesus.

In the parable, we see this in the fact these two servants immediately start to trade with their talents, they use their bags of gold to start a business, increasing what they initially had, earning some interest for their generous investor. We are told here that they do this ‘at once’, that is they are not passive, but that are instead proactive. They are go-getters, show initiative, work hard to make the most of this new opportunity. In short, these two servants show the kind of characteristics that you would expect to see on an episode of The Apprentice. They are driven, dedicated, diligent. Wisely work away, doing all they can to bring about the best result for their investor. And this is what Jesus wants from us too. He wants us to show the same drive, dedication and diligence, to do all we can to double his investment, earn him interest. That is what a faithful life looks like. Wisely stewarding all that God gives us for the increase of his glory.

From this, I think we see Christians should pursue a level of excellence in life, exhibit drive and diligence in all they do, even elements of entrepreneurship as they seek to make the most of whatever God gives them. Brothers and sisters, we are the ones who should be having new ideas, trying new approaches. The Christian life isn’t supposed to be static, but it should be dynamic, always moving forward, improving and getting better, making the most of every new opportunity that God sends our way. That is true in every area of life, whether in the workplace or the home. But it is also true, perhaps especially true, here in church, where we serve our master most directly, managing the affairs of his kingdom together as a congregation. We are called to steward all the gifts and abilities, resources and opportunities, we have here as a church, we must devote ourselves to think carefully about how to best build up his kingdom together.

Brothers and sisters, serving Jesus, whether at church or elsewhere, whether in a full-time role, or as a lay member, it is not some kind of causal hobby or side project. No, whether it is teaching at explorers, leading at Tuesday Club, caring for someone in your fellowship group, serving as an elder or a deacon, you should be giving your best to it. For serving Jesus is a serious business. Indeed, we see here that it is as serious as a business. That we should show the same sort of thoughtful care and total commitment when we serve Christ, as a top employee would show at a leading company. […]For after all, why would we give our heavenly master, something less than we give our earthly masters? Why would you give less of yourself to God at church on a Sunday, than you give for your boss at work on a Monday? No, Christian service, is not a hobby. Oh yes, we don’t want it to become too professional, but equally our efforts must not be amateur. For we serve someone who deserves our best, desires a level of excellence, calls us to love him with all our heart, soul, mind, strength. As Ecclesiastes 9:10 puts it, whatever you are doing, do it with all your might.

These servants devoted themselves to diligently working for their master, and so they were rewarded on his return. There in 25:21, we read that, when they hand back to their master, double what he first gave to them, he declares, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ What should we do as we wait for Jesus? These first two servants call us to live a faithful life. Take all that Christ has given us, while he is away, and use it wisely and well for him.

Christian, I wonder if you are doing that this evening. This parable tells us that as we wait, we are to get to work. Take whatever God gives us, and work out a way to somehow give it back to him. You can build that business, or pursue that lucrative career, so you can care well for family, and finance God’s work in this world. You can use that season of retirement you have been given, to build relationships with non-Christians, or help out a young family who have been struggling at church. You can use the home you have to be hospitable to neighbours. You can take the children you have, and use this current season to raise them well, invest in their lives, bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. You can use those spiritual gifts that God has given you, and put them to work here in the church: preaching and teaching, helping and serving, listening and encouraging here at Grace Church. Friend, whatever God has given you, you need to work out some way to give it back with excellence to him. To double his investment in your life. Make the most of the opportunities.

And you know that is not only true for good gifts, but it is also true for the gifts you didn’t want in the first place. We are not only to be faithful stewards of the good things in our life, but also faithful with the hard things as well. Oh yes, in his mysterious providence, God has seen fit to give you health challenges. How will you give that back to him? Will you let it teach you humility? Will you use it to grow in prayerfulness? In his wisdom, God has let your heart be broken by a family member. How will you give it back to him? Will you use your experience to comfort others? Perhaps God has recently redirected your path, disrupted your well laid plans. How will you respond to that? Friend, you do not get to decide what cards you are dealt in life. However, you do get to decide how to play the hand that is dealt to you. Are you making the most of what has been sent your way? Stewarding both your blessings and hardships? Seeking to be faithful with everything God is entrusting to your care? To make wise decisions within the confines of his perfect providence? To paraphrase CH Spurgeon when he spoke on this parable, here we see it is not the number of our talents, nor even the nature of our talents that really matters. Rather, it is how we use our talents that is the most important thing.

2.     A FAITH-FILLED LIFE

If we learn to be faithful from the first two servants, then we learn to be faith-filled from this last servant. There in 25:18, we read that this third servant acts differently. For he takes his talent and puts it in the ground. Instead of going to the marketplace, he went to his back garden. Rather than doing business with his bag of gold it, he buries it. And after the master returns, we learn he behaves this way because he believes a certain way. For in 25:24, he explains: [READ].

Putting his money in the ground may sound strange to us, there is a rationale. In those days, there weren’t many places that would keep your money safe. Even banks were vulnerable, and so the safest place was a hole in the ground. Which is why we are still digging up collections of coins from this time-period! This servant goes for the safest, most secure option. The 1st century version of putting money under your mattress. And he took this path of maximum safety, because of what he believed about his master. There in 25:24, he called his master a ‘hard’ man, that is harsh or strict, cruel or merciless. The kind of man who took advantage of others, made a profit at other people’s expense. And in this, this servant saw a great risk. For if he traded the gold, as the other servants did, and made a profit, then his master would seize it, and this servant would be no better off. However, on the other hand, if he risked the talent by trading it, and instead ended up losing some of his master’s money, then his master would blame him, and there would be severe consequences. As this servant saw it, because of who his master was, he had nothing to gain, and everything to lose. And so, he put it in the ground, returned exactly what he was first given. 

There are other issues here. For example, in 25:26, the master describes him as a lazy servant. But I think the primary problem is lack of faith. Rather than trusting his master, he fears him. And do you see how sad that is? Because as we see with the other servants, there really wasn’t anything to fear. Yes, this servant says that he knows his master, but the picture he paints doesn’t match what we see in the passage. This master seems generous and gracious, he happily entrusts his wealth to others, and rewards faithful service. And so the story closes with a note of ironic tragedy. For the two servants who took risks for their master, were rewarded. But this servant, who took the path of maximum safety, ended up suffering. In 25:30, he is cast out into the darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. This servant who was so scared of losing the little that he had in this life, ended up losing a lot more in the next. […]

And you know, that is still a great danger for us as God’s servants today. For like this last servant, we too can be driven more by fear than we are by faith. We too can take the path of maximum safety, all because we doubt the master we are supposed to serve. Brothers and sisters, if we see God as a hard master, one just waiting for us to make mistakes, then we will act like this servant did. We will seek to protect ourselves, rather than serve him. Try to limit our losses, instead of taking risks to win a reward. We will bury our talent: sit on our skills, hold onto our stuff, close our hearts, allow opportunities to pass us by. Here we see that, if we see God as a harsh master, then we will be slow to serve him.

However, if we truly get to know our master, understand his good character and gracious ways, then that can alternatively fuel our service. Rather than being driven by fear, of what could happen, we will instead be drawn by faith in the one who can make all things happen.

What does this mean in daily life? It means we will reach out to that individual, even though it is an awkward conversation. We will draw alongside that struggling brother or sister, even though it may take up lots of our time. We will seek to love that difficult couple, even though it may make us vulnerable. We will get involved in a new, even though we were badly hurt in a church before. We will take that new opportunity at work, even though we still have some questions. I think it means that in our physical hardships and emotional trials, we will keep going, even when we can’t see what God is doing. We will push on deeper into the labyrinth of our life, trusting that the Lord knows the path he is sending us down, has a purpose in all that we are experiencing. That he will direct our life to go how he desires, where he desires, when he desires.

Friends, earlier we heard that God entrusts much to us. However, here we learn that we must also be willing to entrust much to him. Yes, he puts things in our hands, but we must also be willing to leave things in his hands. To risk what he gives us, because of what we believe about him. God is not a hard master. If we increase his investment, he will reward us handsomely. God is not a hard master. And so, if we suffer a loss in his name, if we take a hit because we try to serve him, then he will not berate or blame us for that. No, Psalm 25:3, tells us that those who wait on the Lord, work for the Lord, will never be put to shame. His abundant goodness is more than enough to cover all of our losses, his grace is more than enough to heal all of our hurts. This last servant thought, that because he had a hard master, he had nothing to gain, and everything to lose in life. But he got it the wrong way round, for the truth is, because we have a good master, we really have everything to gain, and nothing to lose in life.

CONCLUSION

Well I wonder what is going to be put on your tombstone? If Jesus is delayed, if Christ tarries, and you do live a long life, I wonder what kind of legacy you will leave behind? ‘Much loved, always remembered. A faithful wife and dear mother. A loving husband and devoted father.’ Those are all good short summaries. And yet, surely it would be hard to beat those words from 25:24, ‘Well done good and faithful servant, you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ Or if you want something shorter, if you are paying by the letter and want to keep funeral costs down, then why not this short summary of our parable: ‘A Faithful faith-filled life.’

You know, sometimes we act as if there are two different kinds of Christians: Faithful Christian and Faith-filled Christians. There are those who steadily and wisely work away for the Lord, and others who really step out of the boat and live by faith. There are those who are responsible and there are those who risk. There are those who plan and there are those who pray. However, I think we see here in this parable, that it should not be an either/or, that God’s servants should be both faithful and faithfilled. That we should be responsible, but also take risks. That we should plan as much as we can, and then pray as hard as we can. That we should live wise lives, and yet also live lives that are worthy of the good and gracious master that we serve. Work as both faithful stewards, and also faithfilled servants, as we watch and wait for our Lord to finally return.