Thursday, February 14, 2019

Good servant: be trustworthy in a very small matter

Luke 19:1-27
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amountJesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Parable of the ten minas: 1)‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities', 2)your minas has earned five more. ‘You take charge of five cities.’ 3)Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.
Zacchaeus is chief collector for the area, unlike Matthew, who was simply a local collector. But both were social outcasts because of their job. Zacchaeus has made himself a fat living by adding a rake-off to the Roman taxes he was responsible for collecting - fleecing(掏空) his own people for personal advantage, But, like tax collector Matthew and unlike the 'rich ruler'. Zacchaeus does not allow his wealth to become an obstacle. The encounter with Jesus makes a new man of him.
This story is similar to the parable of the talents in Matthew, though here each is loaned the same modest sum. V11 gives the reason for the story. Jesus like the 'nobleman' is about to leave his people for a time. In his absence they must faithfully carry out the work given them to do. It is a case of 'use it or lose it'. For the nobleman returns, with authority, to call his servants to account and to execute summary judgment on his enemies.
Why?
Jesus leave us a period and will come back again, so all of his servant should be fatefully carry out the work given to do. God has mercy on us so what we can return to our master?
How much I have earn much more so I can get better. This is the rule of my Lord. Keep the gospel in myself is lazy Christan.
How?
Be a faithful servant to preach gospel.



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