The Daily Word of Righteousness

Two Parables, #10

Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. (Matthew 25:28,29—NIV)

We tend to think only of Heaven and Hell. There are other punishments. One of them is to have your gift taken from you and given to another.

Notice that it was given to the individual with the most talents, the person with ten talents. This is God's way. He is looking for rulers, for people of responsibility who will govern His Kingdom well, bringing forth the fruit He is looking for.

God knows if He gives a person five talents, and he doubles that, and then gives him another talent, he will take the eleven talents he now has and double that. God wants the increase.

The person of little ability who had been given one talent now has nothing—no ability by which to build the Kingdom of God. He is destitute, having nothing to show for his life. How tragic! If he had wisely and faithfully used the little he had been given he would have received the blessing from the Lord and been given more responsibility. Now he has nothing—absolutely nothing!

But this is not all!

And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30—NIV)

These are hard words! "Worthless servant"! How would you like to be considered a worthless servant? I wouldn't!

"Into the darkness." This may or may not be Hell. I do not know. But it seems to me from the Scripture that only the Lord's servants are thrown into outer darkness. Do you know any exception to this?

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth because of our realization of what could have been true. Here we sit in a cave in the outer darkness, being able to see in the distance the kingdom of light where Jesus, the saints, and the little children are rejoicing in the Glory of God. We do not know how long we will be denied the Presence of God—perhaps forever! And all because we wasted that which the Holy Spirit had given us when we became a Christian.

Conclusion

To have the door shut in one's face, to lose one's gifts, to be driven into the outer darkness, are terrible, terrible fates. Yet they are assigned to people for no reason other than being careless with their salvation.

"How shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?"

At the time of the coming of the Lord we will not be able suddenly to be filled with the Life of Christ or to begin to use our talents. We must live the Christ-filled life now—today. We must discover and use our talents faithfully today. Tomorrow will be too late for some of us.

To be continued.