“And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?” (Luke 19:22-23 KJV).
These verses highlight the "wicked servant" in the Parable of the Minas who, out of fear and wrong belief, hid his master's money because he viewed him as an "austere" and hard man. This reveals the danger of a wrong view about God, operating under the law, instead of grace. This servant suffered from a poor, distorted portrait of God. He sees God as demanding, harsh, and as one constantly looking to punish him for failing. It shows that work-driven mindset cripples those who believe wrongly as such, causing them to operate out of fear rather than faith and dependence on the grace of God.
The master questioning the servant why didn't he at least put the money in the bank to earn interest, shows that this servant is paralyzed by fear stemming from wrong belief. This also warns against “slothfulness” in a professed believer’s way of life caused by a fearful, performance-oriented wrong believing. When you focus on your own performance and believe God is a harsh taskmaster who demands more than you can provide, you become unproductive and "hide" the gifts and the potential God has given you. We can never provide the demands to work under the law. We fall short (Romans 3:23).
These, therefore, put us in the know that we must truly understand God's unmerited favor, stop viewing Him as an "austere" man and harsh judge. We must see Him as He is, a generous loving Father. This realization shifts us to right believing, stop from operating in fear, and rather, operate in faith and be fruitful. From the beginning we are expected to be fruitful and multiply. It is written: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”” (Genesis 1:27-28 ESV).
And I say, AMEN!
Daily reflections by:
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
F. A. Frias
PFC Ministries
When God says... I say, AMEN! is a provocative reflection of the Lord's holy Word. It intends to challenge every seeker of truth to dig deep into the core of the Word of Life to point every being to Christ Jesus - the author and finisher of our faith, and to draw revelations for change, for nourishment and for strength of every soul.
Partners For Christ Ministries, INC.
P. O. Box 773716
Ocala, FL 34477
Touching lives in Cambodia, The Philippines, The Middle East, The USA, and... other countries.
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