The Master Returned and Settled Accounts
(Matthew 25:14-21)

In retrospect all things of the year have been the grace of the Lord. At this point when we wrap up the year, I’d like all of us to think whether we lived a faithful life as servants of God. Today’s passage is the parable of ‘talents’, which reminds us that someday God will return to settle accounts with our lives. Thinking of that day helps us to do our best in front of God at this moment.

1. The master and his servants
Matthew chapter 25, verse 14 says, “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” Here the master refers to Jesus and the servants to us. Before believing in Jesus, we used to live in sin, disease, and despair, having the devil as our master. However after we believe in Jesus, we are doing the work of God, having Jesus as our master. We should give thanks to God for this great grace and become servants who move forward with absolute obedience to the mission given by God.

2. The commitment of the servant
Matthew chapter 25, verses 16-17 say, “The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.” The servants of this parable respectively made twice the amount of money through working hard with the money the master entrusted them with. As in this case, we should do our best for the work the Lord has entrusted us with. Regardless of different tasks for each person, we should be faithful to whatever work it is. We should become faithful servants of the Lord for the church, the body of the Lord.

3. Praise and judgment of the master
Matthew chapter 25, verse 21 says “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!’” Jesus said that the master would return to settle accounts regarding the commitment of servants. On that day praise will be given to faithful servants and judgment to lazy ones. When God settles accounts with our lives, we all ought to be praised as loyal servants by God.

Around this season when we settle accounts with the year, I want us to make a new resolution for the life in the future through look backing our past life. As servants of the Lord, we should live a faithful life of absolute obedience. Then on that day when our Lord will return and settle accounts with our entire lives, we should be able to be praised by the Lord, like “Well done, good and faithful servant!”