“It is a passage that troubles me every time I read it,” admitted Pastor Lawrence Chua, Senior Pastor of Living Sanctuary Brethren Church. “Because of the unequal outcomes produced by the two profitable servants.”

Speaking on the last day of the LoveSingapore Pastors’ Summit 2021, Pastor Lawrence rounded up the conference with a sermon on the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

He continued: “I can understand the poor outcome from the unprofitable servant. But what about the outcomes of the two conscientious servants?”

“Why couldn’t God help both profitable servants to turn a similar profit margin?” He further pressed on. “Isn’t God unfair?”

FAITHFUL EVEN WHEN WE SEE INEQUALITY

Going on to share what he has learnt, Pastor Lawrence acknowledged that everyone is endowed differently in terms of abilities and resources.

Some people have more capacity and mental acuity. Others have resources that give them privileges like citizenship, education and social network.

But we’ve got to appreciate one another, he believed.

“What appreciating means is not envy,” Pastor Lawrence stressed. “It’s simply pointing out reality.”

“Personally, I accept inequality, and am comfortable with that inequality,” said Pastor Lawrence. “The inequality is attributable to the sovereign grace of God.”

We need to recognise that we have been entrusted with different talents by God, but more importantly, we need to recognise the value of faithfulness.

“If we have an unequal intellectual capacity, there’s nothing we can do,” he explained. “But do you know there is no such thing as unequal faithfulness outside your control?

“We often overvalue our abilities and resources. At the same time, we overlook the character value of faithfulness.”

“Faithfulness is the willingness and readiness to obey instructions, accept assignments and to remain obedient in the performance to the end.”

At the end of the day, the master in the Parable of the Talents wasn’t looking for a quantum of profit – otherwise, the commendation would be different for the two profitable servants.

The master was looking principally for the character quality of faithfulness.

Quick to address the hurts that some may feel by the unequal allocation, Pastor Lawrence added that perhaps God has given some of us difficult and heartbreaking assignments because His desire is to help us grow the character quality of faithfulness, which in turn would lead us to greater responsibilities.

“Faithfulness is the willingness and readiness to obey instructions, accept assignments and to remain obedient in the performance to the end,” he elaborated. “The master had greater future plans for the servants, but those were dependent on the servant’s faithfulness.

“The question is, have we been faithful in our servanthood, and are we intending to serve God faithfully going forward?”

INVESTING EVEN WHEN WE DON’T SEE RETURNS

What about those who have been faithful, but have not been able to reap any results? 

It is natural to have doubts – Apostle Peter had them too, Pastor Lawrence pointed out (Matthew 19:27-30).

“Some of us have committed a lot of resources into the kingdom business and yet see our present circumstances as somewhat challenging,” Pastor Lawrence noted.

“We may be tempted to doubt whether God would keep that which we have committed to Him.”

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But instead of jumping ship, he reassured the audience that our investment in God is kept safe.

“Paul did not doubt God would keep all that he had committed to Him,” Pastor Lawrence emphasised, describing how Apostle Paul had committed his whole life to his ministry and even suffered for it, but was still able to trust in God (2 Timothy 1:8-12).

“Different people can do the same things in life but with different investment perspectives,” he highlighted. “And while the impact on their lives appears to be the same in the short term, but in the long term, the output is different.”

Reminding the audience of where the ultimate meaning of life can be found, Pastor Lawrence said: “Most people try to find meaning in the things of the world. But for us, the greatest attraction of Christianity is to find meaning, purpose and destiny of life in Jesus.

“So when people look at your life, and you’re going through a hard time and they ask you why you’re still serving God, you say, ‘This is what life is all about. It is to have eternal significance.’”

At the end of the day, the Parable of the Talents highlights the importance of living life with an investment perspective. And as with any investment, what we choose to do each day impacts the remaining years and more.

Turning to the audience, Pastor Lawrence questioned: “God is asking you, ‘I’m inviting you to invest in my kingdom… I have given you resources. What’s your investment?’”

And when we decide to go all-in for Jesus, do we believe that God can keep that which we have committed to Him, he asked.

Closing with a challenge, Pastor Lawrence concluded: “Paul believed God can. I believe God can. Do you believe that God can?”

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