Dear Christian friends:
I would guess that most of us have had some experience
in investing money so that it may earn benefits for us.
Many may put their money in a pass book savings account
at the bank or saving and loan, or it might be a
certificate of deposit. Others may put their money in
a mutual fund or invest it in stocks and bonds. Those of
us who are fortunate enough to have some money to invest
are very alert to search out the best opportunities,
those that return the highest interest with the least
amount of risk.
In Jesus' day people also invested money to earn a
profit. In our text, which is the Gospel Lesson for this
Sunday, Jesus uses this ancient, common business practice
as the basis for a parable to inspire his people to serve
him more diligently. Jesus points out to us
Our Investment Opportunities
We have these tremendous opportunities to invest because
Jesus is our King, and we are his willing servants. In
the parable Jesus tells about "a man of noble birth who
went to a distant country to have himself appointed
king and then to return."
He is, of course, speaking about himself here. Jesus is
the man of noble birth. He is the very Son of God who
in time became the Son of Man. This God-Man, Jesus
Christ "went to a distant country to have himself
appointed king where he was crowned Lord of all!"
This refers to Jesus' suffering and death upon the
cross; to his resurrection from the dead and to his
glorious ascension into heaven forty days later. It is
sad and ironic that although Jesus went to these extremes
to be the Savior-King men still rejected him.
In the parable Jesus says that the subjects hated the king
and sent a delegation to say, "We don't want this man to
be our king." (verse 14) But this didn't change anything.
He was made king, however, Jesus says in the parable
with these words Jesus is in love warning the Jews who had
rejected him and who would later participate in his
crucifixion He is Lord and King, and those who reject him
do so at their own eternal peril.
It is also a warning to all who would reject Jesus as
their Savior and Lord. Peter warns, "They deny the sovereign
Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves."
(2 Peter 2:1) And in the parable Jesus has the king say these
most terrible words: "But those enemies of mine who did not
want me to be king over them - bring them here and kill them
in front of me." (verse 27)
Although it is mankind's natural inclination to be an enemy
of the Savior-King, yet he is able to overcome our enmity.
By grace Jesus makes us his servants. Those who trust him
as King are his servants.
In the parable the king instructs ten of his servants to
work for him while he is away in the country. (verse 13)
So apparently some of his subjects who hated him were
overcome by his grace and became his obedient and willing
servants.
By God's grace, we, too, have been led to faith and trust
in Jesus Christ. He is our precious Savior and King. We
whole heartedly agree with St. Paul, "He died for all,
that those who live should no longer live for themselves,
but for him who died for them and was raised again."
(2 Corinthians 5:15)
As servants of the King Jesus Christ we have eternal life.
Paul says, "But now that you have been free from sin and
have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages
of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:22-23)
He gives us all we need to take care of his business. In
our parable the king calls his servants to him, gives
each one a mina, about $100,000 in today's money, and
says to them, "Put this money to work until I come back.
(verse 13) That's a lot of capital, even in our day.
What is the capital that he has given to us? He's not
talking about money basically but about, the Word and the
Sacraments. That's the real capital. St. Paul says, "We
are stewards of the mysteries of God." (1 Corinthians 4:1)
And Peter says, "Each of you should use whatever gift you
have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of
God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they
should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If
anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God
provides, so that in all things God may be praised through
Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever
and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Jesus himself said to his disciples just before he ascended
into heaven, just before he went to the distant country:
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the
very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
As servants of the great King of heaven and earth we really
are somebody and we have the greatest investment duties and
opportunities! Certainly this ought to motivate us and
empower us to be and do just that! Even so, we still are
often reluctant to take advantage of these splendid
investment opportunities, so Jesus gives us even further
motivation.
He reminds us that we must give account of our stewardship
when he returns from the far country. Faithful servants will
receive unmerited blessings from their King. These faithful
servants use God's gifts to earn profits for God.
When the king returned from the far country, He sent for
his servants to whom he had given the money, in order to
find out what they had gained with it. The first came and
said, "Sir, your mina has earned ten more .... The second
came and said, Sir, your mina has earned five more."
Notice! The servants did not say to the king: "I have earned
ten more; I have earned five more." They said, "Your mina
has earned ten more; your mina has earned five more." The
money itself has the power to earn more money. Ben Franklin
was so right when he said: "A penny saved is a penny earned."
So it will be with us if we are faithful in administering
the Word and the Sacraments. Jesus had given us his word to
proclaim, to preach, teach and tell and the Sacraments to
administer.
And he promises that his Word is powerful and will not fail
to do what he wants it to do. He says, "As the rain and
the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not
return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11)
We never speak God's Word in vain. It earns the real, lasting
profits! In this connection we need to remember that God's
Word is a two edged sword: to those who believe it is a message
of life and salvation; to those who do not believe it is a
message of death and damnation!
Sometimes the results are positive, sadly often they are minus.
But both are in God's plan. So get out the Word! Take
advantage of your investment opportunities. Don't mind the
results; that's the King's business!
In the parable one servants mina earned ten more, but the other
servants mina earned only five. The king rewarded both! Don't
get hooked on the numbers game, like so many churches do
today! Just be faithful in using your investment opportunities.
Leave the numbers to God. Then God will bless you beyond what you
can imagine or deserve.
In the parable the king rewarded the faithful servants, so Jesus
when he returns on the Day of Judgment will graciously reward
all his faithful servants beyond our wildest dreams!
However, fearful servants, who are really unbelieving will lose
all blessings. (verses 20-24) This fearful wicked servant was
not condemned because of the lack of profit, but because he did not
invest the mina at all! He laid it away in "a piece of cloth!"
Each one of us today needs to ask: "What kind of servant am I?"
We've already confessed that in the confession haven't we? And
we have already been absolved. May it renew us to be more
faithful in the days ahead.
Amen.