Daily Devotional: Are All Christians Blessed The Same

Throughout the Bible, we see the blessings of being a Christian. God promises us that through him we will escape the corruption caused by human desires (2 Peter 1:4). God promises that through him we will find rest from earthly discomforts. (Matthew 11:28-29). God promises that he will provide for Christians needs (Phillipians 4:19). This begs the question, Are all Christians blessed the same? 

This question came to me while studying Jesus’s parable of the talents. Traditionally, we think of this parable as speaking of our God given talents. We apply this to using our talents for the greatest glory of God. That application is completely true. While studying this parable, I realized another potential application. Could our blessings from God be connected to our talents? 

Jesus tells us, the master did not give all servants the same amount. Matthew 25:15, "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.” Jesus does not tell us why one is given more then another. There are many possible reasons; one might have been more responsible, one might have been newer, etc. Why is not as important as what they did with it. 

The first servant immediately began increasing his talents. Mat 25:16 “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. We are not told how he doubled his talents. He could have sought help from more experienced investors. Importance is placed in the fact that he sought to double his talents. He did not wait. He went immediately to work with his talents. 

The second servant does the same. Mat 25:17 “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.” Just like the first servant, he immediately set out to increase his talents. He did not wait for the right time. He did not wait for opportunity to fall into his lap. He worked with what he had. 

The third servant decided to take a much different approach. Mat 25:18 “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.” This servant does not use his talents at all. He simply hides them. Immediately nothing happens to this servant. 

When the master returns, we see the difference in their outcomes. Mat 25:19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.” The first servant is happy to show the master his progress. Mat 25:20 “The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'” The master reacts lovingly to this servant. Mat 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.'” 

The second servant shows the master his results. Mat 25:22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.'” This servant is met with the same reaction as the first. Mat 25:23 “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.'”  

The third servant approaches the master in a much different way. He begins by giving the master an excuse. Mat 25:24-25, "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25  'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'” 

The master agrees with the servant’s fear. Mat 25:26  "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.” Just because his fear did have a basis does not absolve the servant. The master still calls him wicked and lazy. He reminds the servant that he did not even do the bear minimum. Mat 25:27, 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.”  

The master punishes the slave by stripping him of his talents. Mat 25:28, 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'” Stripping the servant of his talents was only the beginning. The master also has him thrown out of his house. Mat 25:30, "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

The tense of verse 29 is what caught my eye. Mat 25:29, "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.” Jesus states that whoever has more shall be given. He does not talk about this increase being given sometime in the future. Is Jesus simply talking about our heavenly reward? Could he also be speaking of rewards we receive from God on Earth? 

Jesus finishes this parable by speaking about the judgement to come. Mat 25:31, "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32  "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33  and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34  "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”  

In Jesus’s parable, the master judges each slave based on how he used their talents. Servants then received a reward based on their usage. Those who used their talents properly received more. The one who did not had everything taken away from them.

There is no doubt that God is active in our lives. Jesus tells us to trust that God will provide for us. Mat 6:25  "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Jesus reminds us that God takes care of all of his creation. He also reminds us that we are first among his creation. Mat 6:30  "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” 

Why do we restrict God’s blessings to the after life? Jesus has shown us that God moves in our lives. When we consider the parable of the talents, in this light, then we see a deeper application. Jesus is telling us that God will bless those that increase their talents. As we actively use our talents, for the glory of God, then God will reward us with more talents. 

This would explain the disparity among those who claim Christianity. Some claim that all we have do to is “bring Jesus into our hearts”. They promise that this will bring God’s blessings. Others, downplay the importance of repentance. They teach that we can do whatever we want (i.e. fornication, living with someone outside of marriage, etc.). The only thing God requires is that we confess our sins to another man and we will be forgiven. We can go right back and do the same sin again. Others, teach that show up on Sunday, listen to a rock concert, get a great emotional high then go about your lives.  

I do not question the sincerity of these different types of worshippers. I do question the outcome of these different approaches. How much does just showing up on Sunday require us to use our talents? How much effort does it take to do whatever we want as long as we confess it to another man? Wouldn’t this be equal to burying our talents in the ground?  

In Jesus’s parable, the master required each servant to actively, immediately begin doubling his talents. Do you think this expectation ended when he rewarded them with more talents? Isn’t it logical that this is simply the beginning of a cycle? The more we use our talents, the more talents we are given, and the more we are required to use those talents. This cycle requires us to focus completely and entirely on God. It requires us to use everyday to best use our talents, for the glory of God. 

It is not my job to judge the motives of another. Judgment is restricted for God himself. My job is to share the gospel with as many people as possible. Part of sharing the gospel is showing people how to apply it to their lives. I mentioned several different kinds of worship. I implore you to compare your life to the standard set out in Jesus’s parable. Are you continually and immediately using your talents to glorify God? Or are you actively living in sin expecting continual forgiveness from God? 

Just as the servants did, we will each stand before our Lord and give account of our lives. We will have to answer for why we did what we did. I ask you are your actions glorifying God? Are you working continually to use your talents for God? Do  you focus continually on God? Or, are you a Sunday Christian? Do you spend the rest of your week just moving through your life? Please take a few moments to ponder these questions. I want each and every one of you to hear, '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.'”