Sunday September 17, 2023
Theme: “God wants honest stewards” Text: Matthew 25:14-30
14. It will be like a man who, going on a journey, called his servants, and gave them his goods. 15. He gave five talents to one, two to the other, and one to the third, to each according to his ability, and he departed. 16. Immediately he who had received the five talents went and put them to good use, and gained five more talents. 17. Likewise he who received the two talents gained two more. 18. He who had received only one went and made a hollow in the ground, and hid his master's money. 19. After a long time the master of these servants returned and gave them an account. 20. He who had received the five talents came and brought five talents more, and said, Lord, you have given me five talents; behold, I have gained five more. 21. His master said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will entrust you with many things; enter into the joy of your master. 22. He that had received the two talents also came near, and said, Lord, thou hast given me two talents; behold, I have won two more. 23. His master said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will entrust you with many things; enter into the joy of your master. 24. Then he who had received one talent came and said, Lord, I knew that you are a hard man, who reaps where you have not sown, and who gathers where you have not. not winnowed; 25. I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground; behold, take what is yours. 26. His master answered him, You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not winnowed; 27. So you had to hand over my money to the bankers, and when I returned, I would have withdrawn what is mine with interest. 28. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29. For to him who has, to him who has, will be given, and he will have an abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has, will be taken away. 30. And the useless servant, cast him into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Let's remember:
God wants honest stewards and not those who will bury their talents in vile things that do not honor the Lord. The idea of making a hollow would be good if he had planted a seed purchased with the talent he had received. At the harvest, he would have sold and brought a profit for his master. A silver coin buried in even the most fertile soil would not produce any money trees. A results-based management (RBM) principle teaches us that with nothing you can do a little, with a little you can do a lot and with a lot you can make exponential gains. Thierry Houllier said: “With almost nothing we can do a lot of things”. A manager must know how to plan since it is his responsibility to anticipate supply shortages and therefore stock shortages. A steward has integrity when his management is sound; when he solves problems in advance. It is true that we could never be able to anticipate everything, nevertheless the good steward has cards in his hands; he can reshuffle them to change things. He knows how to make up for lost causes by providing viable solutions. What makes a steward honest is his ability to do his job without failing because of a guilty conscience. Let us know that success does not justify integrity because the means of access to success can be reviewed to carry out an audit which would reveal the fraud or the culpable mix-up. This is why a steward must make better use of his ethics so as not to fall into corruption, indelicacy or even dishonesty. These twin words should not define us because they are the complete opposite of an honest steward. The talents received can be children, work, gifts and abilities, intelligence, salary, power, success, might, joy, good health, peace, love, parents... this are talents that we must better manage to be stewards of integrity. Excellent Sunday. Amen Alain Louz.-
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