Covenanter Witness Vol. 86 - Rparchives.org

Lesson Helps for the Week of March 28Sabbath SchoolLessonFor March 28,1971FAITHFUL IN ALL THINGSMatthew 25:14-30Comments by John K. GaultThis lesson presents another pictureof the kingdom of heaven and of the secondcoming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The manwho traveled into a far country and whoentrusted his affairs to his servants,represented Christ, who after 40 days in arisen state, ascended up into heaven. Theman, before he left for the far country"called his own servants and deliveredunto them his goods." Even though he"delivered unto them his goods" the goodsstill belonged to him and the "servants"were but custodians of that which had beenentrusted to them. Shortly before Jesusascended to the right hand of God, Heappeared in the group of disciples and saidto them, "All power is given unto me inheaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, andteach all nations, baptizing them in thename of the Father, and of the Son, and ofthe Holy Ghost: teaching them to observeall things whatsoever I have commandedyou." While it is true that all persons aretalented by the Almighty, the onesdepicted in this parable are called "servants,"which means that they were allprofessing Christians, who are presumedto be living in the household of God.1: The Lord Will Return to "Reckon"with His Servants, the ProfessingChristians.Reckon is a legalistic word meaning"an accounting." Jesus has gone awayinto heaven but He is coming back to earthto call to an accounting all of His professedfollowers. He has delivered unto them His"goods," which include all of the oracles ofGod, namely, the Bible, the church, andthe revelation of God in nature. It is expectedof God's servants that they will all"seek first the kingdom of God and Hisrighteousness." As the psalmist says,"The world and its dwellers belong to theLord." People, therefore, do not ownanything in this world. God owns all, andpeople are but caretakers.2: All Persons Are Not EquallyTalented.Verse 15 says, "And unto one he gavefive talents, to another two, and to anotherone; to every man according to his severalability; and straightway took his journey."There is a great difference inpeople's abilities. Some have five talentsor more and some have one. This is to benoted especially among ministers of thegospel. Some are more eloquent thanothers and some have greater ability inmaking contact with the unsaved. Butamong all the members of the churchthere are varying degrees of ability. Buteven though this is true there should be noenvy because one is more successful thananother. It is certainly evident that in thechurch, especially, God has not entrustedto His servants an equal number of talentsto each one. Talents may not be equal innumber and neither may they be equal inquality. One person may excel in one line,while another person may excel in quite adifferent line. So, God has "delivered untothem His goods, .to every man accordingto his several ability."3: All Persons Should Have EqualOpportunity.The servants probably all belonged tothe same race but they may not have. Theyall had the same opportunity to make thebest use of their talents according to theirabilities. God in His wisdom has createdpeople with different degrees of ability. Itshould be man's desire to give to all peoplethe opportunity to use their abilities in thebest possible way.4: Even Though People Do Not Havethe Same Number of Talents They Can BeEqually Faithful and thus ReceiveEqual Reward.The lesson says, "Then he that hadreceived the five talents went and tradedwith the same, and made them other fivetalents. And likewise he that had receivedtwo, he also gained other two." These twoservants had been one hundred percentfaithful. Through careful investment theyhad doubled their original trust. "After along time the lord of those servantscometh, and reckoneth with them. And sohe that had received five talents came andbrought other five talents, saying, Lord,thou deliveredst unto me five talents:behold, I have gained beside them fivetalents more. His lord said unto him, Welldone, thou good and faithful servant: thouhast been faithful over a few things; I willmake thee ruler over many things: enterthou into the joy of thy lord." The servantto whom two talents were entrusted cameand told the owner of his doubling hisnumber of talents also, and to him wasgiven the same commendation and rewardwhich the first servant had received.Reward, therefore, in the kingdom ofheaven does not depend upon the numberof talents which God has entrusted to aperson but upon the use which has beenmade of them. They should be used for thehonor and glory of God.5: Some People Have False Conceptionsof God, and Give Those asReasons for Not Using Their Talents.To the third servant one talent wasgiven. He said as his case came before thejudge, "Lord, I knew thee that thou art anhard man, reaping where thou hast notsown, and gathering where thou hast notstrawed; and I was afraid, and went andhid thy talent in the earth; lo, there thouhast that is thine. His lord answered andsaid unto him, Thou wicked and slothfulservant, thou knewest that I reap where Isowed not, and gather where I have notstrawed. Thou oughtest therefore to haveput my money to the exchangers, and thenat my coming I should have received mineown with usury, (interest) Take thereforethe talent from him, and giveit unto himwhich hath ten talents." This servantprobably thought that he had been treatedunfairly. He thought of God that He was a"hard" man; whereas, God was a God ofmercy. If he had this view of his lord heshould have been more careful to put hismoney out at interest and when the lordcame back he could have gotten back theprincipal as well as the interest. Peopleshould be careful not to have false ideas ofGod and they should realize that having afew talents, even one, is no excuse for notusing them to the best advantage.6: Talents Not Used Will Be TakenAway from One and Given to Him Who HasMARCH 3. 1971