I am often amazed by the depth of insights in God's Word in passages familiar to me. It is similar to sitting down to assemble a challenging jigsaw puzzle and find myself unable to find the piece I am looking for. How many times have I walked away from the puzzle to make a tea or grab a snack and seconds after returning find many pieces which fit! The internal consistency and accuracy of the Bible provides exceptionally strong evidence of its divine origin.
Take the parable Jesus told of the master who gave one mina (worth about 3 month's salary according to the Bible Knowledge Commentary) to ten of his servants and told them, "Do business until I return." Luke 19:15-16 says, "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'" The first servant who reported to his master had been most productive. Undoubtedly he threw himself into his master's business and came away with a sizable profit. In the hands of this faithful servant the mina had multiplied into ten.
Now had I been this servant who reported on the results of trading almost every sentence I can think of would start with "I": "I invested the money in gold" or "I earned ten minas." What would you say of your accomplishment, happy to report concerning your success? The servant simply said, "Master, your mina has earned ten minas." This servant completely downplayed his role in investing, trading, working long hours to achieve this good result. Listening to him it seems the exponential increase had nothing to do with him: without the money provided by his master he would have nothing. He remained a servant despite his success, for all he had (and himself besides!) belonged to his master. More than a savvy businessman, this servant was truly humble. That's what came through to me.
Luke 19:17 says, "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'" Is it any surprise the master commended his faithful and humble servant? The good servant demonstrated rule over management of time and resources, and he who is faithful over little will be faithful over much. What great virtues are honesty, integrity, and humility, and these God will reward such who walk in obedience to Him. Proverbs 16:32 says, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." The servant demonstrated himself faithful with the master's money so the master gave him cities to oversee. Wise business and wealth management has many benefits, but the humility of the servant is what I covet to see reflected in my life by God's grace. We cannot blame God for our failure but ought to always honour Him in our success.
Should humility ever be perceived within me, like the good servant I cannot rightly lay claim to it being my doing though it involves effort and sacrifices. Humility is not my natural inclination or desire. What Jesus taught in Luke 17:7-10 illustrates this well: "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'" We couldn't even be slaves except God had purchased us by His grace. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Take the parable Jesus told of the master who gave one mina (worth about 3 month's salary according to the Bible Knowledge Commentary) to ten of his servants and told them, "Do business until I return." Luke 19:15-16 says, "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. 16 Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'" The first servant who reported to his master had been most productive. Undoubtedly he threw himself into his master's business and came away with a sizable profit. In the hands of this faithful servant the mina had multiplied into ten.
Now had I been this servant who reported on the results of trading almost every sentence I can think of would start with "I": "I invested the money in gold" or "I earned ten minas." What would you say of your accomplishment, happy to report concerning your success? The servant simply said, "Master, your mina has earned ten minas." This servant completely downplayed his role in investing, trading, working long hours to achieve this good result. Listening to him it seems the exponential increase had nothing to do with him: without the money provided by his master he would have nothing. He remained a servant despite his success, for all he had (and himself besides!) belonged to his master. More than a savvy businessman, this servant was truly humble. That's what came through to me.
Luke 19:17 says, "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'" Is it any surprise the master commended his faithful and humble servant? The good servant demonstrated rule over management of time and resources, and he who is faithful over little will be faithful over much. What great virtues are honesty, integrity, and humility, and these God will reward such who walk in obedience to Him. Proverbs 16:32 says, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." The servant demonstrated himself faithful with the master's money so the master gave him cities to oversee. Wise business and wealth management has many benefits, but the humility of the servant is what I covet to see reflected in my life by God's grace. We cannot blame God for our failure but ought to always honour Him in our success.
Should humility ever be perceived within me, like the good servant I cannot rightly lay claim to it being my doing though it involves effort and sacrifices. Humility is not my natural inclination or desire. What Jesus taught in Luke 17:7-10 illustrates this well: "And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and sit down to eat'? 8 But will he not rather say to him, 'Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'" We couldn't even be slaves except God had purchased us by His grace. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
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