Jesus taught often about money. In one parable* he told about a wealthy man who entrusted three different sums of money to three servants and left on a journey. Two invested and received profitable gains but one hid his trust in a hole in the ground.
The master returned to praise and promote the first two but to the third said, "You wicked, lazy servant! You knew I harvest where I have not sown and I gather where I have not scattered seed. You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest." (Matthew 25:29.) He then reallocated the money to the one who did the most profit and removed the servant from service. (Literally threw him out, see the link below for the entire passage).
ACCOUNTING
The master trusted his servants with the money and later he had each give an account. He rewarded the industrious and faithful, but he condemned one who abused or neglected the trust. So money was the test for the servants.
PRAISE OR SHAME
God has given us gifts and blessings he has endowed us with talents and abilities. The day will come when we stand before him and give an answer for their use. This accounting is not to determine our salvation, since salvation is already given as a gift based on the death of Jesus who paid for all of our sins and if we receive the gift of eternal life we will never face judgment. The accounting seems to be a serious one though and appears to relate to eternal blessings and rewards, or for those who have a poor account it seems to be a point of shame.
WORD TO THE WISE
As we receive God's blessing in money or temporal goods let's consider how to best invest for the kingdom of God and the good of others. Let's beware of squandering blessings when instead we can increase them for others. Let's strive for the day when we shall say, "Look you gave me five talents, see I have made you five more!"
Jesus spoke elsewhere of our having to give an account such as that we will "give account for every word idly spoken," Matthew 12:36.
*Matthew 25:14-30
The master returned to praise and promote the first two but to the third said, "You wicked, lazy servant! You knew I harvest where I have not sown and I gather where I have not scattered seed. You should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest." (Matthew 25:29.) He then reallocated the money to the one who did the most profit and removed the servant from service. (Literally threw him out, see the link below for the entire passage).
ACCOUNTING
The master trusted his servants with the money and later he had each give an account. He rewarded the industrious and faithful, but he condemned one who abused or neglected the trust. So money was the test for the servants.
PRAISE OR SHAME
God has given us gifts and blessings he has endowed us with talents and abilities. The day will come when we stand before him and give an answer for their use. This accounting is not to determine our salvation, since salvation is already given as a gift based on the death of Jesus who paid for all of our sins and if we receive the gift of eternal life we will never face judgment. The accounting seems to be a serious one though and appears to relate to eternal blessings and rewards, or for those who have a poor account it seems to be a point of shame.
WORD TO THE WISE
As we receive God's blessing in money or temporal goods let's consider how to best invest for the kingdom of God and the good of others. Let's beware of squandering blessings when instead we can increase them for others. Let's strive for the day when we shall say, "Look you gave me five talents, see I have made you five more!"
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Jesus spoke elsewhere of our having to give an account such as that we will "give account for every word idly spoken," Matthew 12:36.
*Matthew 25:14-30
