Fuelled by Trust
In the second of my series on Things that Please God as gleaned from the parable of Jesus in Matthew 25:14-30 I'd like us to consider the role of the trust that a mentor or someone we care about has on fuelling our desire to do the right thing. The two servants that got their master's commendation, Far Out and Stand Tall (as I named them), said something while giving their report that caught my attention. "Master, YOU ENTRUSTED ME with five talents. See, I have gained five more,' enthused Far Out. His enthusiasm and delight just ooze out of the text. Master, you entrusted me. You entrusted me!
We live in a world where trust is scarce because people have trusted others and have been bitterly disappointed. There's so much cynicism around that were it edible, one could live on it for a year. People don't trust their children, friends and even spouses, as many a private investigator would attest. Advice like 'be careful who you trust' is the refrain of our times. Recently the football manager of a top national squad was duped by a reporter camouflaging as a friend to divulge damaging secrets of players under his watch. You bet he'll never trust another friend ever, you might say.
The business and financial world is even more lacking in trust. Contracts are rigged with disclaimer clauses to exlude companies and individuals from liability should deals go sour. The fine print is often much longer than the contract itself. The bank does not trust you to repay any loan that they give you. They make you sign your life away, just in case you are not able to repay.
It is therefore exciting to read in the passage under consideration that a businessman would ENTRUST funds to his servants without the mention of collaterals and legal paperwork. This business mogul trusted that his servants would excel and make profit. This says a lot about the businessman himself, but it is the servants that I wish to dwell on. Far Out and Stand Tall must have realized just how much their master cared about them and wanted them to succed. They must have sensed how much this man believed in them. He could have invested his money elsewhere. There must have been other ways that this magnate could have made money. Yet he chose to trust his servants with the job of investing his funds.
If you've ever been chosen for an important role in a play or in some sport, you will no doubt remember the euphoria of being chosen. The awareness that you could easily not have got the dream part would have propelled you to give the task your best shot. That is exactly what Far Out and Stand Tall did. They gave this investment the effort of a lifetime, and got rewarded for it.
Jesus came into the world to choose you. He says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelations 3:20) He has made his invitation broad enough to include you. He trusts you enough to leave the decision of whether to accept or reject him in your hands. Even though Jesus is worth more than all earth could afford, he leaves it up to you to want him. He has chosen you. But would you choose him? Let his love and trust in your good judgement fuell you today to say 'yes' to his invitation. At the least, find out more about what Jesus offers you and don't presume to know it all already. That was the mistake that LeftOut made. He thought he knew all about the master and his uncaring, greedy ways, only to find out too late that Compassion and Promotion came calling, and he was not at home. The master planned all along to give it all back to his servants, but LeftOut, well, he missed out. It is your turn today to be fuelled by God's great love and his trust in you.
We live in a world where trust is scarce because people have trusted others and have been bitterly disappointed. There's so much cynicism around that were it edible, one could live on it for a year. People don't trust their children, friends and even spouses, as many a private investigator would attest. Advice like 'be careful who you trust' is the refrain of our times. Recently the football manager of a top national squad was duped by a reporter camouflaging as a friend to divulge damaging secrets of players under his watch. You bet he'll never trust another friend ever, you might say.
The business and financial world is even more lacking in trust. Contracts are rigged with disclaimer clauses to exlude companies and individuals from liability should deals go sour. The fine print is often much longer than the contract itself. The bank does not trust you to repay any loan that they give you. They make you sign your life away, just in case you are not able to repay.
It is therefore exciting to read in the passage under consideration that a businessman would ENTRUST funds to his servants without the mention of collaterals and legal paperwork. This business mogul trusted that his servants would excel and make profit. This says a lot about the businessman himself, but it is the servants that I wish to dwell on. Far Out and Stand Tall must have realized just how much their master cared about them and wanted them to succed. They must have sensed how much this man believed in them. He could have invested his money elsewhere. There must have been other ways that this magnate could have made money. Yet he chose to trust his servants with the job of investing his funds.
If you've ever been chosen for an important role in a play or in some sport, you will no doubt remember the euphoria of being chosen. The awareness that you could easily not have got the dream part would have propelled you to give the task your best shot. That is exactly what Far Out and Stand Tall did. They gave this investment the effort of a lifetime, and got rewarded for it.
Jesus came into the world to choose you. He says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me" (Revelations 3:20) He has made his invitation broad enough to include you. He trusts you enough to leave the decision of whether to accept or reject him in your hands. Even though Jesus is worth more than all earth could afford, he leaves it up to you to want him. He has chosen you. But would you choose him? Let his love and trust in your good judgement fuell you today to say 'yes' to his invitation. At the least, find out more about what Jesus offers you and don't presume to know it all already. That was the mistake that LeftOut made. He thought he knew all about the master and his uncaring, greedy ways, only to find out too late that Compassion and Promotion came calling, and he was not at home. The master planned all along to give it all back to his servants, but LeftOut, well, he missed out. It is your turn today to be fuelled by God's great love and his trust in you.
posted by Shegs at 2:25 AM
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