and being fearful I went and hid your talent in the ground, behold, you have what is yours!"*
The Master gave talents to three men, two earned more talents but this man did not. The parable says the master gave according to their ability, so the man with one talent had the ability. What ability did he have? How did the other two men earn more talents in such a day? It mentions the master was gone for a long time so possibly, they bought seed, planted vineyards, and reaped a harvest. The ability of the man with one talent to do so is known in his excuse, he said he knew the master was a stern hard, unscrupulous man, "reaping where you have not sown and gathered where you have scattered no seed."* It would seem he knew how to farm and it wasn't laziness as the master said if he had put the money in the bank to earn interest this would have been ok. His motivation to do nothing was fear, "being fearful I went and hid your talent in the ground."*
His master said to them, 'well done good and faithful, you exist faithful to the extent of little I've placed you, I place you to the extent of much. Enter into the joy of your master.'*
We can look at this parable in this way; the men who were faithful enter into the joy of the Lord, but the man who was fearful did not. This tells us the man's fear was an inhibitor to him being faithful. Iy was not godly fear because if he was fearful of the master, as the master said to him, he would have put it in the bank to collect interest, knowing that the master was "hard" and expected something. This tells us his fear did not come from the man's knowledge of the master but elsewhere. Jesus said when we yoke to him and learn from him he is meek and lowly at heart, he is not hard, and his burden is light. So the master is not agreeing with this man that He is hard but is pointing out the man's excuse of fear was not godly. If the Master's return speaks of Jesus's return the man never overcame fear to embrace faithfulness. This is bad news for him but good for believers who want to be faithful, and have joy but struggle with fear.
you exist faithful to the extent of little I've placed you, I place you to the extent of much.*
The word placed is καθίστημι (kathistēmi, from kata, "according to" and hístēmi, "to stand.") Is God placing me over great "things" because I was faithful in a little? Or because I had a little faith and increased it, he has caused me to stand, to have great faith? to be great in faith is to be great in the kingdom of God? It could be translated either way but I like the latter. This is the faith of Abraham, who did not judge according to unbelief in regards to the promise but was strengthened in faith until he had fully convincing, unshakable faith in God's promises.* And because God is working out, the completeness of my salvation. He chose us before he created the world and is working out all things for good according to his good pleasure, that purposed in Christ, to be conformed to the image of His Son, in whose face shines the glory of God.* "For it is God, the one working in you, also to will and to work on behalf of his good pleasure."*
well done good and faithful... Enter into the joy of your master.*
His master said to them, 'well done good and faithful, you exist faithful to the extent of little I've placed you, I place you to the extent of much. Enter into the joy of your master.'*
We can look at this parable in this way; the men who were faithful enter into the joy of the Lord, but the man who was fearful did not. This tells us the man's fear was an inhibitor to him being faithful. Iy was not godly fear because if he was fearful of the master, as the master said to him, he would have put it in the bank to collect interest, knowing that the master was "hard" and expected something. This tells us his fear did not come from the man's knowledge of the master but elsewhere. Jesus said when we yoke to him and learn from him he is meek and lowly at heart, he is not hard, and his burden is light. So the master is not agreeing with this man that He is hard but is pointing out the man's excuse of fear was not godly. If the Master's return speaks of Jesus's return the man never overcame fear to embrace faithfulness. This is bad news for him but good for believers who want to be faithful, and have joy but struggle with fear.
you exist faithful to the extent of little I've placed you, I place you to the extent of much.*
The word placed is καθίστημι (kathistēmi, from kata, "according to" and hístēmi, "to stand.") Is God placing me over great "things" because I was faithful in a little? Or because I had a little faith and increased it, he has caused me to stand, to have great faith? to be great in faith is to be great in the kingdom of God? It could be translated either way but I like the latter. This is the faith of Abraham, who did not judge according to unbelief in regards to the promise but was strengthened in faith until he had fully convincing, unshakable faith in God's promises.* And because God is working out, the completeness of my salvation. He chose us before he created the world and is working out all things for good according to his good pleasure, that purposed in Christ, to be conformed to the image of His Son, in whose face shines the glory of God.* "For it is God, the one working in you, also to will and to work on behalf of his good pleasure."*
well done good and faithful... Enter into the joy of your master.*
The scriptures tell us the devil is there like a bird to snatch away the word of God, and he also plants weeds among us to try to choke us out.* One weed that he attempts to choke us with is the cares of this world.* The phrase "cares of this world" speaks of a mindset that is focused on earthly cares, it is not sound, but anxious, worried, fearful. A double-minded person goes back and forth between faith and doubt or between faith and fear or faith and worry...
Since the children, those chosen, shared in flesh and blood Jesus became like as so that through His death he renders powerless the one holding power of death, the devil, to liberate those who all their lives were slaves, to the fear of death.* And more he reaches out to help the seed of Abraham, obligated to become like his brethren in all respects because he suffered and was tempted, he is powerful to aid those under trials, being a merciful high priest in service of God to make propitiation for sins of the people.* Jesus is a great high priest to aid the children under the spirit of fear, he understands, those then and those today, wishing to come to him boldly to receive grace and mercy in our time of need and to cast our cares and fears on him
Our participation in Christ's death not only frees us of sin's power but also from death and the fear of death itself, knowing if we have died with him we will live with him.* In Christ, we have been given a spirit of adoption, bound to him in a new covenant, and serve in newness of the Spirit, not the old letter of the Law which kills.* The Old was a ministry of death and condemnation, but the glory of the new covenant in Christ surpasses it, it is a ministry of righteousness and of the Spirit.* We are under a new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, which states we are free from the law of sin and death.*
The cares of this world will create anxious interest but investing in faith will create joyful interest.*and to liberate those who through all their lives were in slavery, to the fear of death.*
Since the children, those chosen, shared in flesh and blood Jesus became like as so that through His death he renders powerless the one holding power of death, the devil, to liberate those who all their lives were slaves, to the fear of death.* And more he reaches out to help the seed of Abraham, obligated to become like his brethren in all respects because he suffered and was tempted, he is powerful to aid those under trials, being a merciful high priest in service of God to make propitiation for sins of the people.* Jesus is a great high priest to aid the children under the spirit of fear, he understands, those then and those today, wishing to come to him boldly to receive grace and mercy in our time of need and to cast our cares and fears on him
Our participation in Christ's death not only frees us of sin's power but also from death and the fear of death itself, knowing if we have died with him we will live with him.* In Christ, we have been given a spirit of adoption, bound to him in a new covenant, and serve in newness of the Spirit, not the old letter of the Law which kills.* The Old was a ministry of death and condemnation, but the glory of the new covenant in Christ surpasses it, it is a ministry of righteousness and of the Spirit.* We are under a new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ, which states we are free from the law of sin and death.*
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and a sound mind.*
The word timid has the synonyms, fearful, weak, wavering (double-minded, judging according to doubt, unbelief), afraid, spiritless...* This type of timidity, fearfulness doesn't come from the Spirit of the Lord. A lot of spiritual war is in this area, were ungodly fear and condemnation the devil uses against God's children. Know "there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus."* And that transformation renews the mind to be sound. Know God's power and love as Paul prays, that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to the power available to all who believe and to the hope to which we have been called.* And that God would grant us His mighty power through the Spirit, that Christ dwells in our hearts through faith, being rooted and grounded in love, so that we have the strength to grasp the love of Christ so to be filled with the fullness of God.*
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he dies, lives, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?*
Do you believe in Jesus? Then believe his words, though your body may die, you will never die but have eternal life. Think of the freedom this brings, of not fearing death, and of how living a life of unshakable faith pales in comparison to that of living in fear. Believe it to be so, so when the devil tries to sow seeds of fear and anxiety, see it for what it is, a weed that wants to choke out your faith and joy. Do not give in to fear but increase the interest, knowing the interest of such faithfulness is becoming great in God's eyes, one of the faithful, and entering into the joy of the Lord.
The Breakup Song
I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he dies, lives, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?*
Do you believe in Jesus? Then believe his words, though your body may die, you will never die but have eternal life. Think of the freedom this brings, of not fearing death, and of how living a life of unshakable faith pales in comparison to that of living in fear. Believe it to be so, so when the devil tries to sow seeds of fear and anxiety, see it for what it is, a weed that wants to choke out your faith and joy. Do not give in to fear but increase the interest, knowing the interest of such faithfulness is becoming great in God's eyes, one of the faithful, and entering into the joy of the Lord.
The Breakup Song