What will we tell him? How will we explain our actions or lack thereof? How will we explain our collection of things? How will we explain the interest we have paid on our credit cards to obtain useless things that sit in our houses or garages collecting dust? How will we ever explain the fact that we ignored His commands for our lives and spent all of our time here on earth building castles like there was no promise from Him that he was building our castle in Heaven?
If I am not mistaken, I think Jesus was worried how we would explain these things also and that is the reason he told the parable of the talents. He wanted us to be prepared for that day.For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
(Mat 25:14-23 KJVR)
I have even heard people who have used this scripture to justify their riches, but I am wondering if we have the currency all wrong. If God entrusted us with riches of this world and we invest the riches in the things of this world, I somehow get the idea that we have gotten it all wrong.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
(Mat 6:19-21 ESV)
So we must ask ourselves about the currency of heaven, how can we invest in heaven, if we have no idea what the currency is. If we invest here on earth where everything will eventually be destroyed that seems very much like the one who burried the masters money in the ground in a useless and futile place. Remember those first words, "For the Kingdom of Heaven is as". Jesus is trying to convey a Heavenly principle not an earthly principle. So what money exchange can we go to in order to invest our money in Heaven?
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
(Mar 8:34-38 ESV)
What does that mean to "deny himself"? Could it be that God wants us to deny our earthly desires as he did. How do you explain the following pictures?
Two Kitchens, one in Honduras one in the United States. One that virtually cost nothing, (in the first picure that is a top of a 55 gallon drum placed over an open wood fire) and the second is one that cost more than $50,000.00. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we all need to live like the first one, but could we not deny ourselves a little more, invest more in His kingdom? Since it is His money and we are just the managers, the ones that He left in charge
However, we never really got to the part about investing in the Kingdom of Heaven... How do get the money changed? First of all we need to understand that Gold is not the currency of Heaven, they use Gold for pavement up there. It's really very simple, we just need do what He told us to do, in other words we just need to be obedient! In the above verses, the Bible declares to us that the most valuable thing in all the world is a soul! Souls are the currency of heaven. So the way to be a good steward of what God has entrusted to you is by investing in souls, not in houses, or lands, or big cars, or even in Gold, but in souls!
Again, I ask the question... What will you tell Him? How will you explain yourself. Invest in souls and you will have no reason to explain anything!
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