Word to the Wise
Saturday, September 1, 2007 - Twenty-first Saturday in Ordinary Time
[1 Thessalonians 4:9-11 and Matthew 25:14-30]Well done, my good and faithful servant! Come and share your master's joy.
All of us hope to hear those words spoken to us by the Lord in the day of Judgment. Why are they spoken in the parable of the Talents? And why is the servant who buried the talent excluded? The answer to the last question is the point of the parable. He was afraid. Discipleship may require us to disregard our security to carry out the commands of Christ. The two servants who are commended took the risk of losing everything . The other guy was too afraid. He was more concerned for himself than for the master. With that in mind, I wonder how any of us would answer a question like, "What risk do you run by being a Christian?" Or, as an old poster put it, "If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" When being consistent with religious faith means possible embarrassment or even dismissal from a job, do we cave in and act against our convictions? This is a common "dilemma" for most believers. Disicpleship means hard choices and some initiative. The Lord will help us walk across the water. We know what happens when we get afraid. Fear is a big enemy of faith and Christian living. The most frequent statement of God to humans in the Bible is "Do not be afraid." Praying for courage may be the first step toward earning those wonderful words: "Well done, my good and faithful servant!" AMEN
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