30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 16 1-13 God's Regents 07 God’s profitable regents
📖 Luke 16:1-13
26Mar2020 - *God’s profitable regents* - _Luke 16:1-13_ - Bible reading: _Matthew 25:14-30_
_Luke 16:10-12 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. (11) Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (12) And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?_
The Lord is calling us to make friends by unrighteous mammon. We have started looking at what our Lord meant by giving us this instruction. The Lord is teaching us to give and share with those, who will not be able to repay us.
Though the love of money has serious consequences, God places money and material things into our hands to test us for our faithfulness in being His regents over His creation. We need to be tested in order to be prepared for His eternal kingdom, where we will also reign with Him.
This matter of God testing us and that we will have to give an account of the money and other material possessions that He places in our hands, can be understood from the parable that is given in _Matthew 25:14-30_
We read that a man entrusted his goods to his servants as he went on a journey _Matthew 25:14_. This tells us that we are God’s regents, into whose hands God has entrusted His creation. We see that three servants were given each a different amount of money, according to their ability. We must remember that the talent, in this parable is money. The money was given according to their abilities _Matthew 25:15_.
They were given money, for them to make the best use of, in the setting of the goods of the master. Each of us is entrusted with different amounts of money and we are to make the best use of the money, which is God’s, in alignment with the purpose of God’s creation.
_(Spending for our personal need must be in alignment to His purpose. There is nothing that we can do or spend on that is outside of the purposes of God)_
Then we see that the master returns and takes account from each servant as to how each one has put to use the money that he gave them, within the framework of his goods that he had entrusted to their care. This is how it will be for each of us at our Master’s return. The Lord will take an account from us of how we have put to use the money that he has given to each of us, in alignment to His purposes.
The third servant returns the one talent that was given him, back to the master with a very lame excuse. The response of the master is important to note, for this is the mind of God for the money that He places in each of our hands. The serious consequences of not putting God’s money to use, He placed into our hands, for the wellbeing of His creation, will incur the wrath of God.
We will be considered wicked and lazy by our Master _Matthew 25:26 Matthew 25:28-30 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. (29) 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away._
To the one who has put to use the money that God has placed into his hands, well, in accordance to the purpose of His creation, more money will be given, his abilities too will correspondingly increase and that servant will be entrusted with greater responsibility within the mandate of God’s creation.
Then comes the frightening verdict for the one, who did not put the money that was given to him, to good use. _(30) And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'_
*Thought to ponder*
```Will we take the matter of being God’s regents, seriously, for the time of taking account by the Master draws near?```