Reading:
Matthew 25:14-30
'Well done, good and faithful servant.'
How we all long to hear these words! Whether it is from our boss, friends, family or whomever, we all desire to hear that we have done a good job. Getting compliments is something that makes us feel good. But are what are the good works that are being described, are these works towards salvation or something else?
Some will try to tell us that we can work ourselves to God and that there is a checklist that we have to complete. Or some will compare it to a balance sheet where there are credits and debits for our good deeds and bad deeds. We just hope at the end that our good outnumber our bad. The problem with both of these approaches to works is that they put the burden of our salvation on us. This leaves us in despair because we all know that truly we can not be good enough for God.
When you really read the story, the man going on the journey gave the talents to the servants. They did not earn them they were given them. So it is with us and our salvation. It is given to us as a gift on account of what Jesus Christ did for us on the Cross when He died and then rose again. We do not earn it, nor could we, we just receive it by faith for the gift that it is. But now that we have the gift of salvation, we are to do something with it. The Scriptures tell us that faith without works is a dead faith. (James 2:14-24) We live out the gift of the forgiveness of sins by living a life of works of mercy and witness to the life of Christ. In doing so, we help to call others out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ.
With a life of works, our Lord will return and thank you for your time in the vineyard. He will be glad to see that gift that He gave to you in Holy Baptism did not get hidden but displayed for the world to see.
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