For God's sake, take a risk! - Rev Allister Lane
READING: MATTHEW 25: 14-30
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
You’ve probably heard this saying. It comes from the Bible; from this parable told by Jesus.
It’s one that is often used at funerals, acknowledging the life of a person who has lived with a love of God and willingness to serve as an expression of their faith. You and I can probably bring to mind people who epitomise this saying.
In this parable Jesus told, who is being congratulated with these words? And what for? It is the first two slaves who each took a risk. The master commends them for their risk-taking.
Let’s consider risk-taking a bit.
We live with risk every day. I used to work in the insurance industry, which is all about risk predication and protection. If you have any managed fund investments, you’d be asked what your ‘risk profile’ is (to decide whether your money should be invested conservatively or aggressively)
This year, we have been VERY aware of risk. A global pandemic has caused us to change our behaviour in significant ways, in order to minimise the risk of viral infection.
What about God?
in the Bible we see that God takes a lot of risks. God trusts human beings, and gives us the freedom to trust God right back – that’s the whole pattern of ‘covenant love’ that God is into. God gives us the senior management position of this precious planet. That’s a massive risk!
Matching what we see in the big story of the Bible, is this parable Jesus tells. The master took the big risk and allowed the slaves to make their own decisions. And the Master expected them to also be risk-takers.
Today, Mattias and Nicholas have taken a step of faith. And we encourage that and celebrate with them. Part of what we articulated this morning is that, although faith is personal, it is never private.
Jesus teaches us that we are to take risks in living out our faith.
We are to share the words of life given to us.
What we have is treasure/taonga – to enrich others.
Throughout history we see Christians with varying ‘risk profiles’. Some want to play it safe, and some are prepared to take a risk (trusting in their Master). We either hoard or share the Gospel with the world.
We can see those who opt for exclusive religion (e.g. closed Brethren and Gloriavale). They seek ‘holiness’ in an exclusive huddle, turning in on themselves, maintaining a tight knit fellowship, using their talents for each other, never risking them in the ‘evil world’.
The first problem with this risk-averse approach, is that we won’t find holiness looking inward – we take our own baggage in with us!
Secondly, although the world can be scary, Jesus wants us in the world – reaching out to others, being response-able.
Jesus says to us
For God’s sake, take a risk!
This is exactly what Jesus did. Research shows that when it comes to physical and mental health, you use it or lose it!
Recently we had the book launch of Jocelyn Martin’s autobiography ‘Remembering’. At 104 years old, Jocelyn has kept her mind sharp by her prolific reading and writing her lifetime of memories. Use it or lose it.
God has given us gifts to be used… shared… grown.
Jesus’ parable reaches the climax when it comes to the third slave – like the tension in a good joke, we are listening to hear what is going to happen with the third and final person. Bible commentators recognise that the third slave represents the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. The Scribes and the Pharisees – who believed that their whole duty was to preserve intact what God had entrusted them with – the unique revelation of God as set down in the law and the prophets.
They certainly contributed a great deal to the preservation of the faith history of the Jewish people – but it was God’s gifts of love and justice and righteousness that was expected to be invested in the world. These were gifts of God to be lived and experienced, not hoarded away as knowledge about God.
In summary, this parable tells us today that we need to ‘use it or lose it’.
‘God is love’, and God is a risk-taker. We are called to be like him.
For loving is always a risk. Following Jesus, we live dangerously.
So… take a risk, for God’s sake!
Empowered by the Spirit – we can use, share and grow God’s gifts. Doing so, we find ourselves joining in the building of the kingdom of God, and transforming the world!
A journalist once asked Mother Theresa how she kept going, knowing that she could never meet the needs of all the dying people in the streets of Calcutta. She replied
I’m not called to be successful; I’m called to be faithful.
Think of the joy of hearing these words of Jesus:
Well done, good and faithful servant, come in and share my happiness.
Pray that it might be so. Amen.