Be Trustworthy

Jesus Is Lord
Exalting Christ
Stand Firm

Matthew 25:14-21

The Message

The Story About Investment

^14-18 “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.

^19-21 “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’

^24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
^26-27 “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
^28-30 “‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’

For Reflection

Whom do you trust?  Why?

The man trusted these three servants to be stewards of the money and responsibilities he gave them .  However, understanding their abilities, he trusted each servant according to his expectations for them.

The man was testing his servants.  He wanted to know how much risk each servant was willing to take.  The servants trusted the man. But, the one who the man trusted least was more fearful than the others.  He also trusted the man least.  He was not confident enough in the man's trust to risk the consequences if he failed.

Trust is a two way street.  What did the man do that undermined the confidence of the third servant?   Why did the servant think investing the man's money carried far more risk than keeping it safe?

What can you do to improve the trust that others place in you?

Pray

that you will encourage trust.  Pray that all those who seek to help guide others into a right relationship with God warrant the trust of others.