(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
When we encounter someone whose ability is out of the ordinary, an obvious cut above the rest, we readily acknowledge it.
As part of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus tells six parables about the coming messianic king, each one to make a slightly different point.1 The first three parables, in Matt 24, are brief.
* XXI The Foremost Commendation
...which is hearing at last...
While everyone on the road to life will arrive at the same destination, their status there will depend on their service here.
These, however, are extreme cases at the lower end of the spiritual spectrum, people who do the least to nurture their relationship with God. The majority who enter heaven are probably at various points in the middle of the spiritual spectrum. They will have demonstrated some dedication to God and will receive some compensation from God. The people in Matt 25, praised for their exemplary service, are those at the upper end of the spiritual spectrum, those whose devotion is outstanding. Jesus describes what they will achieve for the kingdom and what their achievement will produce for them. There is no limit to the number of people in this group,4 so this is the one you should strive to join. If you do, Jesus says you can expect to receive three things from him, one declaration and two actions. The declaration is that...
The master follows this commendation with two actions that prove his appreciation. The first action is that...
It is important to remember that there are two servants in this parable who receive the master's commendation and that both get the same appreciation ("well done"), the same authorization ("charge of many things"), and the same association ("share your master's happiness"). Their praise is the same because their productivity is the same: a 100% increase in what the master entrusted to them.14 The point is that you do not have to meet someone else's quota. There will always be people smarter, more capable, or more charming than you are. That does not matter to God, and it should not matter to you. God does not hold you to someone else's standard, only to the standard He has set for you, a standard He matches precisely to your ability, and it is a standard you can meet.
There is often a temptation to make comparisons between one servant and another, a temptation that can be frustrating as well as disappointing. The church in which I grew up once had a minister who said he modeled his preaching on that of Billy Graham, a claim I found peculiar. Billy Graham is an evangelist and fashions his sermons for those who need God (the majority of those outside the local church) not for those who know God (the majority of those inside the local church). The minister was probably referring to style rather than substance, because his sermons were not evangelistic, and properly so. I wondered, though, if the comparison might have raised some difficulty for him. Billy Graham is a gifted speaker whom God has used to reach millions; this minister...was not so gifted.15 Whether for the minister or for the congregation, such a comparison fosters an unrealistic expectation that can be frustrating as well as disappointing.
God does not hold you to someone else's standard, only to the standard He has set for you, and it is a standard He matches precisely to your ability, and it is a standard you can meet. In the end, God is the judge of any servant's performance, and, as Paul says, "To his own master [that servant] stands or falls" (Rom 4:14b).
What determines an individual's reward is not what most people might think.16 The person who gets more is not the one who is smarter or richer or has more opportunities. In fact, what many people regard as advantages, perhaps even unfair advantages, may actually be obstacles to great reward. Jesus says...
God places greater value on qualities that are accessible to all people and that come with their own rewards. Jesus identifies four such qualities elsewhere in Matthew. The first quality Jesus identifies is...
One day, you will stand before the savior to receive his evaluation of your service. Paul says...
Having considered The Foremost Commendation, we will look next at The Foremost Commutation, which is receiving the pardon of God, in Col 2:13.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
A mother cornered the concert violinist in his dressing room and insisted that he listen to a recording of her talented son playing the violin. The man agreed, and the woman switched on the player. "What music!" the violinist thought. It was a difficult piece, but played with such genius that it brought tears to his eyes. He listened spellbound to the entire recording. "Madam," he whispered, "is that your son?" "No," she replied. "That's Itzhak Perlman....But my son sounds just like him."When we encounter someone whose ability is out of the ordinary, an obvious cut above the rest, we readily acknowledge it. That is what God will do for believers who distinguish themselves, when He bestows on them The Foremost Commendation.
As part of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus tells six parables about the coming messianic king, each one to make a slightly different point.1 The first three parables, in Matt 24, are brief.
- The parable of "Fig Tree" (Matt 24:32-35) teaches that people can know the general time of the king's return.
- The parable of "The Alert Homeowner" (Matt 24:43-44) teaches that people cannot know the precise time of the king's return.
- The parable of "The Wicked Servant" (Matt 24:45-51) teaches that people must be about the king's business when he returns.
- The parable of "The Ten Virgins" (Matt 25:1-13) teaches that people must be ready when the king returns.
- The parable of "The Ventured Capital" (a.k.a. "The Talents"; Matt 25:14-30) teaches that people will be recompensed when the king returns.
- The parable of "The Sheep and Goats" (Matt 25:31-46) teaches that people will be judged when the king returns.
* XXI The Foremost Commendation
...which is hearing at last...
- The praise from God (Matt 25:21 = v. 23)
Matt 25:14 "[The kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 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. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.Look back at...
19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 "Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 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. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Matt 25:21 [= v. 23] "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!Most people have no interest in God and choose a path in life that takes them away from Him. For some, this is a deliberate decision.2 Paul writes in...
Rom 1:21 ...although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.Whether intentional or not, their decision joins them with the mass of humanity that is not only heading in the wrong direction but is bound for a particularly unpleasant destination.
Matt 7:13b For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.It will be far better for those who choose the other path, the one relatively few take, the "narrow...road that leads to life" (v. 14b). Even then, however, the outcome is not identical for all.
While everyone on the road to life will arrive at the same destination, their status there will depend on their service here.
- Luke tells about a thief who turns to God late in life but who receives the savior's assurance of redemption.
Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
That man, who squandered what opportunities he had in selfish pursuits, entered heaven, yet only by the skin of his teeth.3
- Similarly, Paul tells about a person who turns to God early in life but who spends the rest of his time and energy amassing physical wealth. Upon death...
1 Cor 3:13b ...fire will test the quality of each man's work.... 15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
That man, who also squandered what opportunities he had in selfish pursuits, entered heaven, yet only with the clothes on his back.Both cases illustrate how some people will gain the certainty of eternal redemption from sin but will lose the possibility of eternal reward for service.
These, however, are extreme cases at the lower end of the spiritual spectrum, people who do the least to nurture their relationship with God. The majority who enter heaven are probably at various points in the middle of the spiritual spectrum. They will have demonstrated some dedication to God and will receive some compensation from God. The people in Matt 25, praised for their exemplary service, are those at the upper end of the spiritual spectrum, those whose devotion is outstanding. Jesus describes what they will achieve for the kingdom and what their achievement will produce for them. There is no limit to the number of people in this group,4 so this is the one you should strive to join. If you do, Jesus says you can expect to receive three things from him, one declaration and two actions. The declaration is that...
1. Your reward includes his appreciation: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"The master commends his servant5 for exhibiting two qualities (morality and loyalty). In an earlier parable about a master and servant, Jesus also highlights two qualities (loyalty and sagacity).
Matt 24:45 Who...is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge...?The attribute common to both pairs is one that is essential for a servant: faithfulness...reliability. The master, while he is away, wants to be able to trust the servant to fulfill his assigned task. The apostle Paul recognized this, writing...
1 Cor 4:2 ...it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.In the end, because you know the savior, you will not be condemned for your sinfulness, but you will be critiqued for your faithfulness, and if you have been faithful, your reward will include his appreciation, his affirmation that you are a valuable asset to the kingdom.
The master follows this commendation with two actions that prove his appreciation. The first action is that...
2. Your reward includes his authorization: "I will put you in charge of many things."6You may think that, as part of a little country church, you do not have much of a role in the Kingdom of God...and you may be right. In fact, Jesus would probably agree. In the grand scheme of God's plan, your part is small, so small that few are even aware of it.... But...what determines his evaluation is not the size of your responsibility but the steadiness of your reliability. He says, "Because 'you have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things." Your reward will include his authorization, his allocation to you of additional responsibilities in the kingdom.7 The second action is that...
3. Your reward includes his association: "Share your master's happiness!"One of the attractions of heaven you can anticipate is seeing other saints there, those you knew here and those you never knew.
- You maybe part of that "great crowd of witnesses" (Heb 12:1), the audience cheering on those who have yet to finish the race.
- You will be part of that "great multitude" (Rev 7:9), the assembly worshipping before the Father's throne in heaven.
Rev 19:9a Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!You are on that guest list, because your reward will include his association, along with honored attendees at a special banquet in the kingdom.
It is important to remember that there are two servants in this parable who receive the master's commendation and that both get the same appreciation ("well done"), the same authorization ("charge of many things"), and the same association ("share your master's happiness"). Their praise is the same because their productivity is the same: a 100% increase in what the master entrusted to them.14 The point is that you do not have to meet someone else's quota. There will always be people smarter, more capable, or more charming than you are. That does not matter to God, and it should not matter to you. God does not hold you to someone else's standard, only to the standard He has set for you, a standard He matches precisely to your ability, and it is a standard you can meet.
There is often a temptation to make comparisons between one servant and another, a temptation that can be frustrating as well as disappointing. The church in which I grew up once had a minister who said he modeled his preaching on that of Billy Graham, a claim I found peculiar. Billy Graham is an evangelist and fashions his sermons for those who need God (the majority of those outside the local church) not for those who know God (the majority of those inside the local church). The minister was probably referring to style rather than substance, because his sermons were not evangelistic, and properly so. I wondered, though, if the comparison might have raised some difficulty for him. Billy Graham is a gifted speaker whom God has used to reach millions; this minister...was not so gifted.15 Whether for the minister or for the congregation, such a comparison fosters an unrealistic expectation that can be frustrating as well as disappointing.
God does not hold you to someone else's standard, only to the standard He has set for you, and it is a standard He matches precisely to your ability, and it is a standard you can meet. In the end, God is the judge of any servant's performance, and, as Paul says, "To his own master [that servant] stands or falls" (Rom 4:14b).
What determines an individual's reward is not what most people might think.16 The person who gets more is not the one who is smarter or richer or has more opportunities. In fact, what many people regard as advantages, perhaps even unfair advantages, may actually be obstacles to great reward. Jesus says...
Luke 12:48b From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.It is not your abilities or advantages that are most important but your application of them, how you use—that you use—what God has given you.17
God places greater value on qualities that are accessible to all people and that come with their own rewards. Jesus identifies four such qualities elsewhere in Matthew. The first quality Jesus identifies is...
- Endurance
The second quality Jesus identifies is...Matt 5:11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven....
- Obedience
The third quality Jesus identifies is...Matt 5:19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- Hospitality
The fourth quality Jesus identifies is...Matt 10:41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward.
- Humility
These are illustrative of qualities God values that are accessible to all people and that come with their own rewards. They also confirm: God determines reward by factors that have more to do with a person's character than with his capability, that demonstrate a person's availability not just his ability.Matt 18:4 ...whoever humbles himself like [a] child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
One day, you will stand before the savior to receive his evaluation of your service. Paul says...
2 Cor 5:10 ...we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.You can let that evaluation be a surprise, or you can decide now what the assessment will be. We have assurance that...
Rom 8:1 ...there is...no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,Beyond that, though, there is the possibility of great reward and, for those who distinguish themselves by their faithfulness, there is The Foremost Commendation, which is hearing at last: "Well done."
Having considered The Foremost Commendation, we will look next at The Foremost Commutation, which is receiving the pardon of God, in Col 2:13.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
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Jim Skaggs