Apicontent

“So the first one came before him and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And the king said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.” Then the second one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ So the king said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’” —Luke 19:16–19

These verses beg the question: Are we being good, profitable, useful servants to our Master? Indeed, trustworthiness being lived out is both virtuous and advantageous to those who consider themselves servants Jesus.

As followers of Christ we are told:

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God with your body.” —1 Corinthians 6:19–20

“You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men.” —1 Corinthians 7:23

“You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.” —1 Peter 1:18–19

“But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8

Purchased by the precious blood of Jesus from the marketplace of sin, each one of us has been redeemed from a useless, vain, and empty way of life—not only saved from it but saved for another purpose!

“For it is by grace you are saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.” —Ephesians 2:8–10

We were saved from a useless life in order to accomplish God’s good works! We have been created to do great things for Him! When He returns, His desire is to find us faithful and trustworthy in this endeavor. This holds true even in what we or the world may deem to be the smallest things He has prepared for us to do. Obedience is obedience—God considers nothing too small.

Paul tells us in Colossians:

“Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people, because you know that you will receive your inheritance from the Lord as the reward. Serve the Lord Christ.” —Colossians 3:23–24

“If [God] says ‘Well done,’ it does not matter who says otherwise.” —Matthew Henry

It can lighten our load to remember whom it is that we are serving. Knowing that we are doing God’s work infuses our labor with dignity and honor. We serve others faithfully for the sake of Christ who served us while we were yet sinners.

Become More

“If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work’ I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” —Amy Carmichael

“It is too bad that many believers minimize the place of good works in the Christian life. Matthew 5:16 ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven’. We do not perform good works to get any glory for ourselves, but we do them to glorify His blood given on our behalf. Hebrews 13:16 indicates that our good works are actually ‘spiritual sacrifices’ that we offer to God.” —Wales Goebel

Further Reflection

“Let us work as if success depended upon ourselves alone, but with heartfelt conviction that we are doing nothing, and God everything.” —St. Ignatius Loyola

“But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’ When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned these slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted to know how much they had earned by trading.” —Luke 19:14–15

The subjects presented in these verses had no desire for this man to be their king. And yet, they still had a responsibility to him. They could either do their job with a joyful heart or a reluctant spirit … but they still had to do it!

Oh, the lordship of Christ—why is it that we so often resist it? Considering all He offers in leading and guiding us with His loving eye constantly upon us; considering the multitude of faithful promises in His—why is it that we so often resist Him? Perhaps we believe that we know better than God what is best for us. Perhaps, like the subjects in our verse for today, we do not want Him as our King.

This passage reminds me of a young mother’s response to her two-year-old having a temper tantrum. The child could not have what she wanted, and the mother said: “It doesn’t really matter what you want!” If you think about it, if our desires are contrary to or apart from or less than God’s will for us, it doesn’t really matter what we want—no matter how big a fit we pitch or how hard we stomp our feet! Some things are set in stone and there is no changing them. God is God and He is in control!

Our reassurance of the King’s goodness comes in knowing that God, who makes known the end from the beginning, does not see partially or in tunnel vision. He sees the whole picture of our lives in their entirety and lovingly leads us through paths that will conform us to the image of Jesus Christ. This will bring peace to each one of us and glory and honor to Him. It is the good way. Jeremiah tells us:

“The LORD said to his people: ‘You are standing at the crossroads. So consider your path. Ask where the old, reliable paths are. Ask where the path is that leads to blessing and follow it. If you do, you will find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not follow it!’” —Jeremiah 6:16

“We judge things by their present appearance; but the Lord sees them in their consequences. If we could do the same we would be perfectly of His mind; but since we can’t, it is an unspeakable mercy that He will manage for us, whether we are pleased with His management or not; and it is regarded as one of His heaviest judgments when He gives any person up to the way of their own hearts, and to walk according to their own wisdom.” —John Newton

There is no doubt about it—rest, peace, joy, and satisfaction belong to those who submit to the Lordship of Christ. When we follow Him, we have a responsibility to do His work.

Scripture contains many precious promises for those whom the Lord leads:

“The beloved of the LORD will live safely by him; he protects him all the time, and the LORD places him on his chest.” —Deuteronomy 33:12

“The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” —Psalm 23:1

“Praise the LORD, O my soul! Do not forget all his kind deeds!” —Psalm 103:2

“You keep completely safe the people who maintain their faith, for they trust in you.” —Isaiah 26:3

How are we using what God has blessed us with? Are we serving Him and the interest of His kingdom? Expectant and ready for service is how Jesus desires to find believers upon His return. We must be not only working servants but also waiting servants. His charge is for us to be ready and eager for His return.

Become More

“My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.” —John 15:8

“Every Christian life ought to be a force among men, a witness for Jesus and an influence for blessing and good. I know that there are few people like Billy Graham, whom God calls to do great things for Him. For men like me, and perhaps you, the best thing that we can do in the small time allotted to us in this world is to live out a genuine, simple, beautiful, strong Christian life. In our little measure we can repeat the life of the Lord Himself, doing in our imperfect way a few of the wonderful things He would do if He were Himself in our place.” —Wales Goebel

Further Reflections

“God always gives His very best to those who leave the choice with Him.” —Hudson Taylor

“Knowing that we are fulfilling God’s purpose is the only thing that really gives rest to the restless human heart.” —Chuck Colson

“There must be a practical outworking of our faith here in this present world, or it will never endure in the world to come. We need fewer words and more charitable works; less palaver and more pity; less repetition of creed and more compassion.” —Billy Graham

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28-30

“While the people were listening to these things, Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. Therefore he said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. And he summoned ten of his slaves, gave them ten minas, and said to them, “Do business with these until I come back.”’” —Luke 19:11–13

In these verses, Jesus begins the Parable of the Ten Minas. Those that followed Jesus were expecting the kingdom of God to appear at once. Wanting to readjust their thinking, Jesus gives them this parable. Two principles seem to be presented here: First, whatever we have been given, whether great or small, comes from God’s hand and is entrusted to us for a season; secondly, we are going to be held accountable for the responsibilities that we have been given.

The whole of Scripture confirms both of these teachings:

“For who concedes you any superiority? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?” —1 Corinthians 4:7

On the basis of grace, God gives His children a wide variety of gifts to be used for kingdom work. These gifts are given to us individually, but they are not solely for us—they are to be used for the common good of the body of Christ, the Church.

Paul tells us:

“Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all.” —1 Corinthians 12:4–7

Peter echoes this same message, calling us each to be good stewards of the gifts we have received:

“Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” —1 Peter 4:10

Everything belongs to God!

I am reminded of God’s words in Haggai which describe His ultimate ownership and providential control of the wealth of all nations:

‘“The silver and gold will be mine,” decrees the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.” —Haggai 2:8

God also speaks through the pen of Asaph in Psalm 50 saying:

“I do not need to take a bull from your household or goats from your sheepfolds. For every wild animal in the forest belongs to me, as well as the cattle that graze on a thousand hills. I keep track of every bird in the hills, and the insects of the field are mine.” —Psalm 50:9–11

As His servants, we are to use these gifts through the Holy Spirit’s power to point others to Jesus and serve the body of Christ. This is what Jesus means when He tells us that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14), and that we will do even greater works than He (John 14:12). We can know that we are on the right track if it is Jesus who gets the glory for our actions rather than ourselves.

As John tells us:

“No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. He must become more important while I become less important.” —John 3:27–30

Ultimately, we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The Bible teaches that it matters how we live our lives:

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” —2 Corinthians 5:10

Become More

One day our lives will be evaluated by the Master. Our motivation and perseverance must flow out of our love for Jesus in order for us to accomplish all that He has for us to do. In commending the Thessalonians, Paul says:

“Because we recall in the presence of our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” —1 Thessalonians 1:3

If our work is produced by faith, our labor prompted by love, and our endurance inspired by our hope in Jesus we are certain to hear:

“And the king said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’” —Luke 19:17

Further Reflection

“The parable of the talents is our Lord’s statement with regard to the danger of leaving undone the work of the lifetime.” —Oswald Chambers

“I tell you that this man went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” —Luke 18:14

Being just before God begins with humility. True humility is a rare gem, is it not? In our verse for today, Jesus ends the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector with what I am sure was a big surprise ending for all is listeners! Righteous in his own eyes, the Pharisee fell short of righteousness in God’s eyes.

Scripture tells us:

“But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’” —James 4:6

“God opposes the proud.” The word “opposes,” or “resists,” is antitassetai, a military term meaning “to battle against.”

However, the good news is that God “gives grace to the humble.” As we humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, He will lift us up.

“Whether a believer is called to resist his human spirit which tends toward envy or to rejoice in the Holy Spirit who jealously yearns for each believer’s edification, the call is to shun pride and to submit humbly to God’s authority. The cure for conflict is a humble spirit which is rewarded by God’s unmerited favor.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary

Peter tells us:

“And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:6–7

God sees everything that happens to His children—every slight, every hurt, every misunderstanding! He knows every motive that prompts every action. He knows each heart through and through. This is why He tells us to leave revenge up to Him. He takes care of defending His own and He does it perfectly. We need not worry about our own defense.

“Man sees your actions, but God, your motives.” —Thomas a Kempis

“For the LORD takes delight in his people; he exalts the oppressed by delivering them.” —Psalm 149:4

Our troubles occur when we take measures into our own hands—making sure everyone knows how right we are! But Paul tells us:

“Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written.” —Romans 12:17–19

Become More

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.” —Matthew 11:28–30

Further Reflection

“This life therefore is not righteousness, but growth in righteousness; not health, but healing; not being but becoming; not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it. The process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end, but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory, but all is being purified.” —Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, “Defense and Explanation of All the Articles”

“The tax collector, however, stood far off and would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, be merciful to me, sinner that I am!’” —Luke 18:13

Standing at a distance, refusing to life his eyes, and striking his breast as he pleads for mercy, the tax collector presents a picture of acceptable behavior before our God.

I love what Matthew Henry has to say about this verse:

“Here is the tax collector’s address to God, which was the opposite of the Pharisee’s, as full of humility and humiliation as his was of pride and ostentation; as full of repentance for sin, and desire towards God, as his was of confidence in himself.”

I am reminded of King David and his prayer of repentance:

“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your loyal love! Because of your great compassion, wipe away my rebellious acts! Wash away my wrongdoing! Cleanse me of my sin! For I am aware of my rebellious acts; I am forever conscious of my sin. Against you – you above all – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me.” —Psalm 51:1–4

“The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and grace.” —Bible Knowledge Commentary

We are never to approach the throne of grace filled with personal confidence or boasting of our own merits, but as broken sinners, appealing to the mercy, graciousness, and compassion of our loving heavenly Father. Remember, God desires a humble:

“The sacrifices God desires are a humble spirit—O God, a humble and repentant heart you will not reject.” —Psalm 51:17

As believers we are to be repentant, plain and simple. As the Holy Spirit sheds light on our behavior and convicts us of sin, we are to be ready at all times to acknowledge our failure and confess our sin to God, asking for His mercy and forgiveness:

“But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9

God hates sin. It cost Him the life of His Son. Furthermore, He knows that if we explore our own sin, it will greatly cost us too.

“Sin is the dare of God’s justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.” —John Bunyan

“Come, let’s consider your options,” says the LORD. “Though your sins have stained you like the color red, you can become white like snow; though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet, you can become white like wool. If you have a willing attitude and obey, then you will again eat the good crops of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” —Isaiah 1:18-20

Become More

“The only ground on which God can forgive our sin and reinstate us to His favor is through the Cross of Christ. There is no other way! Forgiveness, which is so easy for us to accept, cost the agony at Calvary. We should never take the forgiveness of sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and our sanctification in simple faith, and then forget the enormous cost to God that made all of this ours. Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. The cost to God was the Cross of Christ. To forgive sin, while remaining a holy God, this price had to be paid. Never accept a view of the fatherhood of God if it blots out the atonement. The revealed truth of God is that without the atonement He cannot forgive—He would contradict His nature if He did. The only way we can be forgiven is by being brought back to God through the atonement of the Cross. God’s forgiveness is possible only in the supernatural realm … Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held as in a vise, constrained by the love of God.” —Oswald Chambers

Further Reflection

“In the gospel we discover that we are far more wicked than we ever dared believe, yet more loved than we ever dared hope.” —Timothy Keller

“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself like this: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: extortionists, unrighteous people, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.” —Luke 18:10–12

Ever thought about talking “big” before God—trying to give Him an explanation of your greatness, exclaiming that you are far better than other people? Not really a good idea! The Pharisee in today’s parable certainly had a high-minded opinion of himself. As he compared himself with those around him, he developed a distorted view of his own righteousness.

In reality, we all need a good dose of Job’s final analysis of himself after coming face to face with God:

“Therefore I despise myself, and I repent in dust and ashes!” —Job 42:6

You might be thinking how someone whom God called “blameless” could have such a low view of himself. It is because Job understood that each one of us is totally sinful before a Holy God apart from Christ. If we have an elevated opinion of our own righteousness, we must remember that it is only Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross that allows us to come into God’s presence. We can neverstand in our own right before our Holy God. Jesus is our only access to God’s heavenly throne. Jesus himself taught:

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” —John 14:6

It is not the blood of animals that gives us entry into God’s presence (as practiced by the Jews for centuries):

“But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” —Hebrews 10:3–4

It is not our acts of “righteousness” and “good works” that save us:

“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.” —Isaiah 64:6

Rather, it is Christ’s blood that cleanses us from all sin:

“You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed – not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ.” —1 Peter 1:18–19

We are redeemed from the empty way of life through the precious blood of Christ!

“For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8–9

God alone is worthy of our praise! We all fall short of His glory and righteousness.

Become More

“Our nature struggles fiercely against being saved without our works and tries to deceive us with a grand illusion of our own righteousness. So we may find ourselves attracted to a life that merely appears to be righteous. Or because we know we aren’t righteous, we may be frightened by death or sin. Therefore, we must learn that we should have nothing to do with any other way of becoming righteous, except through Christ alone.” —Martin Luther

“‘God be merciful to me a sinner,’ is a prayer easy to be said, but hard to be felt. One eye upon the perfection of God’s laws, and another upon your own heart, may bring you up to it. But the Spirit’s light is also needful, for which you must pray earnestly.” —K. H. Von Bogatzky

Further Reflection

“Humility never pulls rank, never gloats in victory, never demands its rights. Humility accepts responsibility for wrong doing.” —Chuck Swindoll

“Jesus also told this parable to some who were confident that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else.” —Luke 18:9

Luke is setting the stage at the beginning of this story. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector is a lesson in humility.

Our position in prayer before our Holy God should always be one of meekness. We are not to approach God’s throne with any confidence of our own righteousness, but with the knowledge of our own sinfulness. The creatures are to come before the Creator in humility, as the recipients of the grace we all so desperately need.

I am reminded of a verse in the book of James:

“But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says, ’God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.’” —James 4:6

This is lesson is echoed in other parts of the Bible:

“With arrogant scoffers he is scornful, yet he shows favor to the humble.” —Proverbs 3:34

“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” —Matthew 23:12

“In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand by casting all your cares on him because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:5–7

Clearly, the way up is down. The correct attire for a child of the King is humility. When God opposes the proud, He causes their actions to boomerang on them. Yet He tells us that the humble will receive His amazing grace. It is the Lord who humbles and it is the Lord who exalts.

Hannah’s prayer in the Old Testament tells us:

“No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one other than you! There is no rock like our God! Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly. Proud talk should not come out of your mouth! For the LORD is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do. The LORD impoverishes and makes wealthy; he humbles and he exalts. He lifts the weak from the dust; he raises the poor from the ash heap to seat them with princes–he bestows on them an honored position. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord–he placed the world on them.” —1 Samuel 2:2–3, 7–8

“The work of a true convert is not done. He (and she) finds a great work to do and great wants to be supplied. He (and she) still sees himself/herself to be a poor, empty, helpless creature who still stands in great and continual need of God’s help. He/she well knows that without God he/she can do nothing. After a true conversion, the soul is increasingly aware of its own impotence and emptiness. It is still aware of its universal dependence on God for everything. A true convert is aware that his grace is very imperfect and that he/she is very far from having all that he/she desires. Through conversion, new desires are produced in him/her that he/she never had before … So he/she still has plenty of business at the throne of grace: in fact, his/her business there increases rather than diminishes.” —Jonathan Edwards

Become More

Romans 12 is a wonderful chapter in the Bible for a “hands-on” tutorial on humility. It contains practical advice on how we can consider the “everybody else’s” mentioned in our verse for today:

“For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself than you ought to think, but to think with sober discernment, as God has distributed to each of you a measure of faith.” (verse 3)

“Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.” (verse 10)

“Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.” (verse 13)

“Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited.” (verse 16)

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people.” (verse18)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (verse 21)

Further Reflections

“There is no true holiness without humility.” —Thomas Fuller

“Humility is nothing else but a true knowledge and awareness of oneself as one really is.” —The Cloud of Unknowing

“And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unrighteous judge says! Won’t God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay long to help them? I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” —Luke 18:6–8

As Jesus concludes the Parable of the Persistent Widow, he makes the point that if the unrighteous judge dispenses justice, how much more will God bring about perfect justice. This promise comes from the lips of our Lord as a gift to us as His praying people! God gives justice! God’s people are told to cry out to Him both day and night. This is our privilege, this is our duty, and for this He has promised mercy. We are to wrestle persistently with God in our prayers. Furthermore, we must not become discouraged if His answer seems delayed to us.

Paul tells us in Galatians:

“So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.” —Galatians 6:9–10

God desires for us to believe that He has our best interest at heart. Our Father wants us to approach Him both humbly and boldly with our requests.

David writes:

“I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your name, because of your loyal love and faithfulness, for you have exalted your promise above the entire sky. When I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me.” —Psalm 138:2–3

While the widow’s persistence was displeasing to the unrighteous judge, our persistence in prayer is pleasing to God. We must not become weary in our waiting or in our weeping. Discouragement and fear display our lack of faith. This is perhaps why Jesus closes the parable as He does:

“I tell you, he will give them justice speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” —Luke 18:8

Become More

“I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.” —2 Peter 1:3–8

“(Why does God) bother to speak to us? The truly staggering answer that the Bible gives to this question is that God’s purpose in revelation is to make friends with us. It was to this end that he created us rational beings, bearing his image, able to think and hear and speak and love; he wanted there to be genuine personal affection and friendship, two-sided, between himself and us–a relation, not like that between a man and his dog, but like that of a father to his child, or a husband to his wife. Loving friendship between two persons has no ulterior motive; it is an end in itself. And this is God’s end in revelation. He speaks to us simply to fulfill the purpose for which we were made; that is, to bring into being a relationship in which he is a friend to us, and we to him, he finding his joy in giving us gifts and we finding ours in giving him thanks.” —J. I. Packer, God Has Spoken

Further Reflection

“The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.” —Samuel Chadwick

“Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.”’” —Luke 18:1–5

In this parable Jesus emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer. We are not to become defeated over our difficulties in life. We are not to be discouraged over our circumstances. We are to avoid anxiety in our hardships by looking to the One who can help us!

Jesus said:

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage—I have conquered the world.” —John 16:33

The writer of Hebrews adds:

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.” —Hebrews 12:1–3

Peter tell us:

“Dear friends, do not be astonished that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad.” —1 Peter 4:12–13

Whenever our spirits are burdened, we must ease them with prayer.

James tells us:

“The prayer of a righteous person has great effectiveness.” —James 5:16

We are reminded by Paul:

“Always rejoice, constantly pray, in everything give thanks. For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” —1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

“Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6–7

“Rejoice in hope, endure in suffering, persist in prayer.” —Romans 12:12

“And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” —Romans 8:28

God takes great delight in the consistency and perseverance of our prayer life. Are we praying against a certain bondage to sin that has been passed from generation to generation? Are we praying for a wayward child to find their way back to the foot of the cross and the light of home? How about all of the prayers for our lost loved ones and others that we know to find salvation through our Lord Jesus? What about our prayers for comfort by the greatest Comforter—emotionally, physically, and mentally? Jesus is telling us in this parable: “Don’t give up!”

“And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.” —1 John 5:14–15

Become More

“So, take a deep breath and recall this deeper secret of the Christian life: when you are in a difficult place, realize that the Lord either placed you there or allowed you to be there, for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself. The same God who led you in will lead you out.” —Robert J. Morgan

“‘Pray without ceasing’” … and here the word ‘pray’ does not mean to beg or to plead as if God were unwilling to give–but simply to expose by faith every situation as it arises, to the all-sufficiency of the One who indwells you by His life.” —Major W. Ian Thomas

Further Reflections

“There comes a time, in spite of our soft, modern ways, when we must be desperate in prayer, when we must wrestle, when we must be outspoken, shameless and importunate. Many of the prayers recorded in Scripture are ‘cries,’ and the Hebrew and Greek words are very strong. Despite opinions to the contrary, the Bible recognizes such a thing as storming heaven—‘praying through.’ The fervent prayer of a righteous man is mighty in its working.” —Cameron Thompson

“Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us.” —Billy Graham

“No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than His throne of grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.” —Robert J. Morgan

“Would any one of you say to your slave who comes in from the field after plowing or shepherding sheep, ‘Come at once and sit down for a meal?’ Won’t the master instead say to him, ‘Get my dinner ready, and make yourself ready to serve me while I eat and drink. Then you may eat and drink?’ He won’t thank the slave because he did what he was told, will he? So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’” —Luke 17:7–10

Here Jesus teaches His disciples about their responsibility towards service for His kingdom. We are not to expect special praise for doing those things we have been given by God to accomplish! A servant receives no added praise from his master for simply doing his work. He receives his wages for his work. Likewise, as God’s servants, we too have certain responsibilities.

“Sometime after 1950 we forgot what Jesus said to Peter and what was passed on to us. ‘Take care of my sheep’ (John 21:16). There are ferocious wolves (Matthew 7:15). ‘You are to be a witness to the ends of the Earth’ (Acts 1:8). This is a commission that still holds true today. This is a very personal command to each believer, personally, privately. The all-important question is whether you are getting out the work of God, or have you retired?” —Wales Goebel

In Matthew, Jesus makes this same point in the Parable of the Talents:

“But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” —Matthew 25:26–30

We certainly do not want to be a worthless servant thrown out into the darkness! It is God’s desire for us to bring forth fruit from the gifts and talents He has given us. We are held accountable for what we have received.

“Now what is sought in stewards is that one be found faithful.” —1 Corinthians 4:2

“So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.” —2 Corinthians 5:9–10

Paul’s goal was to hear “Well done, good and faithful servant” from the lips of the Savior upon his entrance into the heaven.

“This perspective on a day of judgment and the prospect of eternity had a salutary effect on Paul. It enabled him to persevere in the face of hardship (2 Corinthians 4:7–12). And it motivated him to be faithful in discharging his ministry (1 Corinthians 4:2–4).” — The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Take It to Heart

“We must remember that God will never drag us along the path of true-hearted discipleship. This would greatly lack the moral Excellency which characterizes all the ways of God. He does not drag, but draws us along the path which leads to ineffable blessedness in Himself; and if we do see that it is for our real advantage to break through all the barriers of nature, in order to respond to Gods’ call, we forsake our own mercies. But alas! Our hearts little enter into this. We begin to calculate about the sacrifices, the hindrances, and the difficulties, instead of bounding along the path, in eagerness of soul, as knowing and loving the One whose call has sounded in our ears.” —C. H. Macintosh, Notes on Deuteronomy

“The truth and beauty of the gospel expose our idol-myths as feeble substitutes and garish counterfeits. And the power of the gospel enables us to break free from their enslaving and destructive grasp. Indeed, as our deliverer and liberator, Jesus is freeing us for the great adventure of living as characters in and carriers of God’s archetypal Story of all stories. It’s like being taken from starring in your own self produced, 8 mm black and white home movies to playing one of the hobbits in the grand production of The Return of the King.” —Scotty Smith, Restoring Broken Things

Further Reflections

“We are all God’s servants. Our whole strength and our whole time are to be used for him.” —Matthew Henry

“None shall be called to an account for more than they have received; but for what we have, we must all account.” —Matthew Henry