Which One’s Worse?
There are three statements in the Bible that believers should always keep in their mind: James declaring that those who presume to teach are to be judged more strictly, “I never knew you, away from Me you doer of lawlessness” and “You wicked, lazy servant.” One has to do with controlling what we say (We addressed that yesterday), one has to do with church goers who are in it for themselves, and one has to do with someone entrusted with his master’s possession who buried it instead of putting it to work. I wonder, sometimes, which one is worse.
Jesus said, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). This should frighten us, and for good reason! If the Word that states “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits“ (Proverbs 18:21), then we should understand why Jesus says this! People will take permission for their life from what we say carelessly, and so what we say must be intended to draw people toward Christ (life), or we will utter words that encourage them toward self-love (death). Words have power, and so we are always encouraged to speak life, and should expect nothing short of judgement if our words lead toward death.
And Jesus told us that some will cry out “Lord, Lord,” listing all of their accomplishments for the Kingdom and Jesus’ name, to which He will reply that He never knew them. The word in Greek is ἔγνων, or ginóskó, which means to come to know, to have intimacy with. Jesus states to those people “I never had any intimacy with you” even though they prophesied and performed miracles, or cast out demons in His name. And why? They may have been using Jesus’ name, but they were all about themselves. Sometimes we do things in Jesus’ name that have nothing to do with knowing Jesus and making Him known, but we seek power, control, and self-gain through Christ and the Kingdom. This is a scary thought!
And what about the wicked and lazy servant, who buried his Master’s talent instead of putting it to work? God calls each of us, according to our ability, to put the portion of faith and the work of the Holy Spirit He has entrusted us to work for Him. No one is exempt! There is no “gift of evangelism,” we’re called to work out our faith with fear and trembling, and to do all for the glory of the Father. We should seek the Kingdom first in all things, not our own welfare. The man buried his talent because he was afraid, how many of us do the same?
So which one is worse? To be honest, I don’t know. I just know that when I stand before Christ, which we all will, I don’t want to hear any of it! I want to aim for “well done good and faithful servant.” I want Jesus to see that I sought Him out in my words and actions, and that I was Kingdom- and Christ-minded in everything I did. I’m not perfect at it. I fail often, but I know His grace is sufficient for me. Loved ones, the time grows shorter every day. We shouldn’t let fear rule over us, we shouldn’t be self seeking, and we should guard our tongues, and seek to advance the Gospel of the Kingdom everywhere. Let us honor Christ in all we do!
Romans 12
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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