Bigger or Better?

Last Friday (7/13/07) we started off with a great activity called Bigger or Better. It's great because it gets the youth out of the church and into the neighborhood. However, it does get them out of their comfort zone because you have to approach people, most likely strangers, and ask them to trade. By far, the best item we probably received that night was a TaterTwister. It was a lot of fun and a couple of the youth stepped up really well to do the activity.

After we returned to the church, we went into a study of two very similar parables, but each with distinct lessons- the Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Mina. The first, found in Matthew 25:14-30 has a master that leaves for awhile and entrusts different amounts of money to three servants. The first two double the money they were entrusted with and receive the praise of their master. The third hides his money and returns the original amount to the master when he returns. This angers the master, and he gives the one talent to the first servant and throws the third servant out.

The latter is found in Luke 19:11-27. Not as well known as the Parable of the Talents but starts off in a similar way. This time it's a king giving a mina (significantly larger than a talent) each to ten servants this time. But it still only focuses on the actions of three of the servants. As you can see, the same amount is given to each servant (unlike the former) with different results (like the former).

Both the talents and the mina can be seen as financial resources. However, the talents can also be seen as gifts/abilities. We each have different skills and need to be faithful with the ones God has blessed us with. The mina can also be seen as resources to expand the kingdom of God. As Christians, we all have gifts like God's Word, prayer, and the help of the Holy Spirit to further His kingdom. It is what we do with these different gifts that produces the different results, just as in both parables.

Another big difference in Luke is the situation with the king. In their time, it was familiar for a King, not Jewish, to leave on a trip to claim his inheritance in another city (Rome) and then return as their ruler. Obviously this upset the Jews and verse 14 shows their negative response to this. However, Jesus is referring to Himself, being sent from another place (heaven) to rule over the Jews and unfortunately, will receive the same response.

In both parables, the reward for being faithful is praise from the Master and more responsibility in the future. That future being in heaven. It's like God saying, "Ha! You thought that was a lot? That was nothing compared to what you will do in heaven." In Luke, the servants who multiplied their mina are put in charge of as many CITIES as they multiplied their mina by.

In conclusion, we all have varying gifts abilities but the same amount of resources I talked about before (God's Word, prayer, etc.) to be faithful with in order to expand His kingdom. If we are faithful with what may seem like a lot, or what is difficult, here on earth, it directly affects our reward and what we are given in heaven. It is my prayer that we all become "10 mina" servants.

blessings

p.s. Bruce Wilkinson teaches a lot about these topics and parables, which were very influential to me. The book that relates most to this blog is A Life God Rewards.