Thursday, August 09, 2012

Talent & the Kingdom (1)

Later this month my husband and I will give a workshop Talent & the Kingdom in a church in Holland. In preparation for this service, we have been reading the parable of the talents, as found in Matthew 25, and it is amazing what we can learn from the words of Jesus about this subject. It doesn't really matter whether this parable is about money, talents or opportunities, the main point is that God entrusts his people with something for a bigger purpose.

Why do we teach on this subject? Well, many people
  • presume that natural talents cannot be used for Kingdom purposes, that only spiritual gifts matter
  • are not aware of the talents God has given them
  • do not use their talents for the Kingdom of God
Let's be honest, most of us use our God given talents in a secular job, so we can have worldly success, which enables us to buy earthly possessions. That may be a harsh truth, but it is the answer to the question: if I do not use my talents for God, for what or whom do I use them? It will be a real eye opener to take a closer look at the words of Jesus as found in Matthew 25:14-15. These two verses are the introduction to the parable: Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. I have written down several principles based on this introduction and I will share them on this blog in the next couple of weeks. I hope you will enjoy reading with me and be inspired to use your talents for His glory. (At the end of this series I will write more on how to discover your talent.)

It is clear from the context that this parable is about the Kingdom of God. When Jesus says 'it will be like', He is talking about the Kingdom. He uses this and previous parables to explain that the Kingdom of God can only grow and expand when the workers are alert and do their job. The workers are the ones who have received His message. Jesus gave the keys for this (spiritual) work to his followers: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19).

Many books and commentaries have been written about these instructions, but I want to emphasize the fact that the Kingdom cannot be separated from the assignment to bear fruit. The Kingdom (the spiritual realm where God's will prevails) is not something we live in while reclining on the couch, watching t.v., and eating popcorn. There is work to be done; God wants everyone to enter His Kingdom. In Matthew 21:43 Jesus says to the religious people: Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

1) The advancing (expanding) of the Kingdom is an assignment for the believers

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Marja. Once again, this is something I haven't seen much written about. I agree, we often focus on worldly pursuits with little thought to what God would have us do.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thanks Karen for stopping by. This is indeed not a subject we hear much about, but it intrigues me... how can we be of service to Him in our natural surroundings.

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  2. This is so interesting Marja and I have only just noticed the key words 'according to his ability'. I always felt sorry for the guys with less 'talents'. I am so looking forward to the following installments!

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    1. Yes, I will get to that part Wyn... 'according to his ability' I never saw these words before, until I started to dive into this parable. I know at least one talent God has given you, but probably more!

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  3. Ooo...this sounds very interesting! Can't wait to see what you have to say. Thanks, Marja!

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    1. Hi Lynn, this is a subject that is close to my heart. How can we use our natural abilities for His glory. I hope to inspire you :)

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  4. Interesting topic! As I read your post, I kept thinking of the verse in Matthew 7:16, "You will know them by their fruit." I think the concept of using our talents to serve God revolves around God's command to love one another. If we concentrate on loving one another, we bear the fruit necessary to help one another, as brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Thank you for these words!

    Blessings to you and yours,
    ~Janette

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    1. That is a great scripture to add to the post Janette, thanks! We will be known by our fruit, not by our words :) Well, that's bad news for us writers and bloggers... just kidding.
      I hope to inspire and expand our view of how to use our talents for God.

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  5. Hi Marja - I'm looking forward to this series. You did a great job introducing it. Blessings, Susan

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Thanks for your visit, it is my hope and prayer that this post was an encouragement to you! Feel free to leave a comment.