譚家力

OFFICIALLY ON SUMMER TROLOLOLOL.

for two weeks. :(

Matthew 25: 14-30

Jk, I think this is my favorite parable right now… even though I’ve read it tons of times already haha. Three servants, each entrusted with some money. The first servant is given 5 talents, makes 5 more talents. Second one given 2, makes 2 more talents. Last one is given 1 talent, makes nothing.

Essentially, when Jesus gives you something, you better make something out of it. Steward your gifts well and honor God with your talents as best you can.

However, what blew me away this time was how identical the praises were:

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.^[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 

What’s so crazy about this? 

They’re exactly the same.

It doesn’t matter how much you achieve or how much you do for the glory of God, you just need to step that one step forward, and strain forward to the perfecter of our faith. If Jesus cared about our results He would have praised the first servant more so than the second.

But He doesn’t, because all Jesus really cares about is your faithfulness. For faith is literally a weapon, for everything is possible through faith in Him.

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

Matthew 17:20

Matthew 20: 1-16

This is by far my favorite parable, at least right now. I absolutely love, love, love how Jesus speaks to us in seemingly more confusing stories to illustrate a principle, or any teaching of Christ in general.

Basically Jesus is comparing the master of a house and a marketplace of laborers to the Kingdom of Heaven, and us, living on this very earth. God calls laborers into his vineyard, promising them each an equal reward. God then continually calls laborers throughout the day, and at the end, gives the last laborers the same reward as the first.

A little unfair it seems like right?

We seem to live in a world where if we work harder, if we work longer shifts, we deserve a higher wage, a higher reward. The moment somebody walks into our life and is granted the same reward we were given but with less effort, we get a little offended. Or as in the church context, with somebody who’s been a Christian less than you have, and that somebody being called to a higher position. It’s okay, it’s human nature to desire more. 

But this is where it should stop. We are not just humans, we’re children of God.

To believe that the gifts God has poured into our life are insufficient is sin in itself. We don’t work harder to earn a better spot in Heaven; God never intended for that to be the case. We have absolutely no right whatsoever to question what God is, what God does in our life, nor what God gives us in this life. God’s God, and He’s good, all the time.

He promises us an equal reward, one that of being in His Kingdom at the end of this life, no matter how long it takes us to get there. Our focus as Christians should not be about how somebody enters the Kingdom, nor how quickly somebody enters the Kingdom, but rather, simply getting people into the Kingdom. And let me tell you, from what I’ve read, this equal reward of being of heaven is better than any gift our humanly minds can ever imagine. Ever. 

So the last will be first, and the first last.

When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.

Matthew 12:43-45

Dang further confirmation from today’s sermon. This is just good. Pastor Townsend preached about forgiveness and how allowing yourself to become bitter, to become angry, to become unforgiving essentially opens the door to the devil. You open a little crack inside of yourself to allow the enemy within. It’s confirmed in all the scriptures.

When you allow yourself to become bitter, you essentially leave an empty void of hatred within your heart, disallowing any form of forgiveness, any form of reconciliation to exist. Where love could exist, hatred lies. Likewise, ‘when [an unclean spirit] comes, it finds the house empty’. Your house, is your heart. And when one demon enters, seven more enter. Your bitterness builds upon more bitterness. It accrues, until it consumes your entire self.

Which is why it’s so important to forgive today. Break this cycle, break this chain. Don’t allow these unclean spirits into your heart, but fill it with Christ’s glory.

(On another note, I seriously need to figure out why seven is used so much in the Bible). 

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Matthew 9:9-13

If you guys don’t know the background of Matthew, he was born in Galilee, where Jesus first began His ministry and had His infamous sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7). He grew up bilingual in Aramaic as well as Greek and was a prominent businessman; a tax collector as you could guess. The Jews got filthy rich off of this stuff, and it’s pretty obvious to see the level of selfishness and sin associated with it. 

But then one day, Jesus tells Matthew to ‘follow me’. And he goes. And his life is changed forever from there on out.

It’s not explicitly stated in any of the Gospels, but I guess it goes without saying that Jesus used the level of influence and power Matthew had being a businessman within Galilee to spread His gospel. Matthew now stands as the first book of the gospels that everybody reads.

I don’t know about you, but that’s just crazy to me. Our God is so powerful, so all knowing that He’s able to look in to every aspect of our individual lives, and pick talents, or give talents for us to utilize in order to spread the gospel. He calls US, sinners, to do His will.

On another side note, I stand here as an aspiring businessman and I know I’ve been called to this world. It goes without saying that the business world in itself is corrupt, as Jesus clearly states that ‘those who are sick [need a physician]’. That physician, is Jesus.

I’m in a season in my life where I’ve really been able to count the blessings that He’s poured into my life. My purpose could not be more clear. He’s just ridiculously good.

We’re going to reclaim this world.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5: 14-16

Let this world be yours.

uh. oh gosh.

²⁰ My son, be attentive to my words;
    incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Let them not escape from your sight;
     keep them within your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their flesh.
²³ Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴ Put away from you crooked speech,
    and put devious talk far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly forward,
    and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶ Ponder the path of your feet;
     then all your ways will be sure.
²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
    turn your foot away from evil.