Jump Start # 1710

Matthew 25:21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’”

This morning, I must write a funeral service for one of our members. I don’t “reuse” funeral sermons. Some do. They just pencil in different names. I think about the person and write something from scratch. The person who died was a sweet sister in Christ. She was a model member. Preachers would dream of having an audience full of people like this one. Always there. Always. Kind. Complimentary. Interested. Engaging. Encouraging. If we had worship services every day of the week, she would have been there. I’ve seen here every night of a Gospel meeting. I’ve seen her come to special Tuesday morning classes that I taught. She read everything that I wrote.

The hymn “A beautiful life,” comes to my mind when I think about her. Not so much the song, but the title.  She found and lived a beautiful life. Perfect? No. Could have made some different choices? Yes. Easy life? No. Trouble free life? No. A life without tears? No. But a life that was beautiful because of her Savior.

Our verse today, is one such reminder of that beautiful life. It comes from Jesus’ parable about the talents. It is a picture of the coming judgment. That thought, standing before the throne of God, giving an account to God, is enough to scare even the best among us. But here, in this brilliant lesson, we find two servants who pleased their master. They were given a task and they did it. They did it well. They did it knowing that they would have to show the master what they did with their lives. Could they have done more? Possibly. That doesn’t come up. The master, who is God, was pleased.

Three thoughts come from this:

First, the master complimented the slave. That seems backward in our way of thinking. It ought to be the slaves who compliment the master. It was the master’s money that he was given. He returned the master’s money, with more. He was simply doing what was expected. Yet, the master was pleased. He uses three expressions:

Well done: At the symphony, the audience stands at the end of the performance and some shout out, “Bravo.” The musicians stand smiling. It is possible to please God. It is possible to do what God wants. It is possible to do our job well. The applause of Heaven is given to those who do things right and do things well. Too many love to say, “we are not perfect people,” and with that they become satisfied with substandard work. They are convinced going into something, that they won’t do it well, so they don’t try very hard. This one, in Jesus’ story, did things well.

Good: He was a good servant. He was good because he got about his master’s work. He was good because he used his time and resources well. He was good  because he did good. Some think of a good plan, but they are short on the doing part. Remember, the one who is speaking these compliments is God. God is the perfect one. God is the one who never made a mistake. God is the one who never had to apologize. God is the one who never overstated things. The perfect One declares, “Good.” You are good.

Faithful: faithful to the task. You stayed with it. You were faithful to you master. You were faithful to the end. You got the job done. The master came and you were ready for him. You didn’t get sidetracked. You didn’t get your order out of order. You completed what you set out to do. Paul said, “I finished…I kept.”

Second, not only did the master compliment this servant, but he gave him more to do. I will put you in charge of many things. You were faithful in a few things. There is more. You have proven yourself. Now I can trust you. I am turning more over to you. I can count upon you. The servant wasn’t given a vacation. He wasn’t given a retirement party. He was given more to do. The master wasn’t finished with him.

Third, he was permitted to enter the joy of his master. The master was opening the door to some benefits and joy that he had not yet experienced. The master was sharing with the servant. In that world, it may have been the joy of sitting at the banquet table with the master. It may have been invited to a celebration with the master and the master’s friends. Food. Music. Fun times. And the servant, a servant, would be allowed to mingle, partake and enjoy with others. The others would have been friends and family of the master. He may have felt out of place. He probably didn’t belong there, but he was invited by the master. The master recognized  what the servant had done and he was rewarded. He was honored by the master. There was more than just kind words, there was the joy of the master. Enter in. Enter in to the joy of your master. That sounds like the master was standing at an open door and inviting the servant to come in. I want you in with me. God is inviting us in with Him.

A beautiful life. A life well lived. A life that leaves footprints and cherished memories for others. A life that touches others. A life dedicated to the master. A life, not burdened with rules and commitments, but a life of joy and happiness. A life lived with forgiveness. A life surrounded by the best people on the earth, God’s people. A life that lifts others. A life of praise. A life that made a difference. A life that many will miss. A life that pleased God. That’s what we are as Christians. It’s a choice. Sure it means sacrifices. Certainly it involves fighting Satan and putting others first. But it’s a life wrapped in grace and kindness. It’s a life of caring for others. It’s a life that is lived in the shadows of Jesus.

A beautiful life. One that was illustrated so well by our dear Betty Smith. A common name, but a not so common life. A name spoken by her Savior. A life that touched us here on earth and a life that is now experiencing the joys of her Master.

Well done, Betty. Thank you. You have made it easier for us to see what we all ought to be doing. You have illustrated this passage well for us. Your quiet manner, and your dedicated love to your Savior is noticed by us and Heaven. You have lived a “beautiful life.”

Roger