Matthew 25:14-30
Several questions were asked about the last blog I posted which ought to be shared for discussion. Here goes:
I read through the scripture. I don't get it. What does the one thrown in the darkness represent? Why is he thrown into darkness for that? Don't we all not do stuff out of fear? Seems like a harsh punishment. Why would the master give him the talent if he knew that he would throw it away? Isn't the master all knowing? And how is this really connected to hearing God?

Again, please go and read the Scripture first. The Holy Spirit is the teacher and can offer you a million times more than I ever could.

The whole purpose of a Christian life is to know the LORD. The word "know" in the Scriptures (Genesis, Philippians) is the most intimate form of having a relationship with someone. We can go no further in our studies until we grasp this concept: The King of Kings and LORD of Lords wants up to have "an intimate relationship" with Him. We will never understand His ways or His heart toward us unless we begin to relate to Him as He desires us to. If we do not understand His heart for us, then we have not overcome the barriers the our souls, life, trauma, insecurities, unbelief, etc., place between us and Him. The true foundation of being in Christ is intimacy with the LORD. In an intimate relationship (with the LORD) insecurities, unbelief, ignorance, immaturity, false beliefs, and brokenness are being healed and burnt out because trust, security, hope, and maturity (among many other things) and being built in. The sign of an intimate relationship is someone who hears the Father's voice. That is why it is so important for us as believers to develop our relationship with Him and learn His voice. If you cannot hear Him, you may need to consider this: Do you really KNOW Him?  

Now let's go back to the Scripture and try to pull some of this together.
Verse 14 - ...the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country... who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them...
First thing to note is that this parable is that the man in this parable does not represent the Father, but Jesus Christ. Many parables (like the Prodigal Son)are to teach us about the Father's character so that we ma know Him. This one (in my opinion) is more about the Son's character. A man traveling to a far country... this is what Jesus did after His death and resurrection. He went back to His Father's "country" to prepare a place for his brothers and sisters that are adopted into the family of God. Verse 19 shows him coming back "after a long time." Is this not what we see Jesus doing at the end of time? I love the Scriptures that talk about Him coming back for His own. There is tremendous security in knowing that He will not leave us here forever. But remember also the Scripture, "when I come back, will I even find faith on earth?"

So we see this is about Jesus. He calls His "servants" (disciples) and delivers His goods to them. What are the goods? This parable likens the goods to "talents." A talent was either silver or gold, the currency back in ancient times. It today's economy one silver talent would be about 33kg of pure silver. That is worth about $25,000.00. Gold is worth a whole lot more. That would have been a LOT of money to entrust your servant with. Considering that the first servant was given the equivalent of over $100,000.00, we can see this wasn't just a tiny treasure.
This is huge to me because for so long, I thought that the talent wasn't worth too much. In my mind, the man had just given his servants a few bucks at best to see what they would do with it. In that line of thought, I wasn't able to  understand a deeper meaning in that parable. You see, by just understanding the monetary value of one talent even in today's economy, (it was worth much more back then) we have to wonder what the talent represent spiritually. This is a parable about the kingdom of heaven after all.

Jesus made it clear to the disciples that when He left to go back to the Father, He would not be leaving them alone. He wasn't giving us the Holy Spirit. (John 20:22) The talents represent the Holy Spirit. The different amounts remind me of the Scripture that says that we are each given the measure of the Spirit we need for the moment. As we grow in intimacy with the Lord in the small things in front of us today, we will abound more and more in maturity and thus a greater measure of the Holy Spirit for the Father's glory. (Verse 15 says they were given according to their ability. The man did not give more than the servants could handle or care for. Just wonder than one. It is a precious promise from the Lord.) But, even one "talent" (as the smallest amount given out by the man in the parable) is worth more than any purchased servant deserves in an of himself.

Which takes us to the next insight in that parable. The servants represent those who have been purchased by the blood of Christ. Can you put a price tag on the redeeming and cleansing blood of Jesus Christ? Just as a servant or slave was purchased back then and thus belonging to the master, so are we in Christ. Yes, we have been made children of God. But even Paul, Peter, and James referred  to themselves and "bondslaves of Christ." We become the Father's children and servants of the Son. (Remember, this is a parable about Jesus.) We have been bought with a price and as servants, entrusted with a "talent" (Holy Spirit) than even in the smallest amount is more than we on our own (as those "sold into slavery by sin") could ever afford to buy or deserve. Yet this is the good will of the Father. It was His desire to send us His one and only Son and it is His desire that we be entrusted with the Holy Spirit. It was Jesus' desire to go to the cross to reconcile us to the Father and His desire to leave us with the Holy Spirit so that we were not only with the LORD, but sealed INTO the LORD.

Jesus said that He came so that we might "know that Father." His purpose was to reveal the Father to us and bring us into relationship with the the Holy Trinity. The price that He paid and then the value of the Holy Spirit entrusted with His servants is more than any of us could express. I think where most of us get hung up in the passage in Matthew is at the end of the parable. It is hard to understand the parable without digging deeper into the richness as we began to do above. The third servant not only didn't understand the value of what He had been given, but there was little regard with the price for which he had been purchased. Beyond that, this servant did not know His master. I would question this one thing then: Was He really a servant of his master? Or was it in name only? How is this any different than today where the term christian is tossed around as if it is something you can use when you need it but never go any further than a label?

Christ is different than many of us make Him out to be. He is the God of justice and grace that pours out the richest of treasures on an undeserving bunch and rejoices in doing so. But what about the sticky question of those who trample on what they are given like the "wicked and lazy servant"? This servant was given the same priceless blood of the only Son of God and the same priceless treasure of the Holy Spirit. Instead of holding it dear and doing what he was purchased for, he buried it is a hole, content to believe that his master was "hard man." That is not the Father. This is not a true servant Beloveds. The "servant" is not thrown into darkness because he did something out of fear, but rather he trusted in his own abilities and knowledge rather than his Master's. Beloveds, that is unbelief. As a child of God, at some point in your journey, unbelief must be abolished.

The LORD is all-knowing. He knows if we will trample on the blood of His Son and the treasure of the Holy Spirit. He gives because it is His nature to give and equip is with everything we need. What we do with that is our responsibility. He gave His Son and by not choosing to be in relationship with Him, we cast ourselves out into darkness. When you choose not to enter into the light, you are choosing to remain in the darkness. That is not God being a jerk or unforgiving or too harsh.

Beloveds, learn God's voice. Develop a relationship with Him by spending time with Him and moving beyond unbelief and into trust and security in Christ. When your hear Him today wherever you are, let yourself delight in Him and rejoice that "His sheep know His voice."