Pastoral Letter 37

Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,

Grace and peace to you all.

One more week and we will reopen our church doors for worship after eight long months. As I have indicated in my last week’s Pastoral Letter, Sunday 22 November will be our first service, as a trial just for us, the members of our congregation, and the following Sunday, 29 November, we will formally start worshiping together, inviting our neighbours to join us to celebrate St. Andrew’s Day.

The Church Elders and Council are working on the COVID-safety plan, making all the necessary arrangements and precautions. We will continue these services through December during the Advent season taking us to Christmas and New Year. With Sunday 22 November being our first Sunday Service in the church after long months, we have agreed to include a COVID-safe Communion in the Order of Service and resume our Communion Services (COVID-safe), as usual on the first Sunday of each month from December onwards. Please be aware and come prepared to share the Lord’s Table in prayer.

Unfortunately, we will not have Morning Tea following our Sunday Service on 22 November, but 29November, being St. Andrew’s Day, we will have COVID-safe Morning Tea and we will let you know if we will have Morning Tea on the following Sundays. If not, most probably we will make the Christmas Services an exception. We will keep you posted. In the meantime, please join the other members tomorrow morning in worship, following the Order of Service, please light a candle. We should be grateful that our prayers have been answered and God willing soon we will be able to reopen our church doors for worship.

Last week I shared and updated you about the intense situation in Artsakh/Armenia and said that fierce fighting continues. The numbers of the casualties on both sides were going up as heavy artillery bombardment continued. Thousands of Armenians have fled their homes, crossed the border into Armenia to found refuge there, where humanitarian aid from all over the world is being provided. I asked you to pray that soon peace be established and the people of Artsakh return to their home.

For the last few weeks our church sign board read as: “Pray for peace and justice” having in mind in particular the situation in Armenia. On Tuesday, we received the news of an agreement between Armenia/Artsakh and Azerbaijan, mediated by Russia. Though, according to the signed agreement or treaty both sides have agreed to make a deal to cease fire, which could put an end to the bloodshed, but sadly on the side of Armenians there is a lot to lose, large areas of territory which includes Christian heritage and priceless treasures, including ancient Monasteries and Christian wealth.

The surprising outcome and the terms of the treaty caused havoc and protests in Armenia. The prevailing situation could lead Armenia into a deeper conflict between the different parties. The people of Armenia and all diaspora are in a deep sense of loss, as thousands of Armenians have to leave their homes and find refuge in Armenia. We hope and pray hoping that not only peace prevails, but justice be served. As we were expecting, the emerging information about the human casualty gives higher numbers up to 7,000 killed from the Armenian side than what we had in the previous weeks and more than 10,000 injuries. Sadly, many are burning their homes as they leave the area, knowing that they will never return.

We pray that God hears the cries raised by the people and the church comes forward to act and do what’s necessary for a better outcome. Please continue to pray for Artsakh and its people and support them in any way you can. May God be with the suffering people of Armenia.

Krikor

Use it or Lose It!

Matthew 25:14-30

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)

Regardless of who we are or how fortunate we are in life, we all have God given talents. It is not too difficult to identify the talents we have, which are in different forms. Some of us are good at music, art, gardening, organising, teaching, counselling, caring and supporting others, spending time with others.

After examining ourselves for a short time, we can tell more or less what we are good at and what talents God has given us.

Our problem is not in identifying the talent or talents we have, but in using them. Most of the time, people are not using what they have been given. We need to identify what we have and what we can do; and this is not only for others, but for us too.

In this parable, Jesus wants to remind us of the need to use what God has given us. We should do this, without comparing what we have, with what others have or how much they have. The talent/talents could vary, but they are talents to be used.

This parable was given in the middle of a long teaching session Jesus gave to His disciples. It started from the beginning of chapter 24. In this chapter we see that Jesus was responding to His disciples’ question in 24:3. As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and asked Him this important question about the end of times, that was bothering them and they wanted to know more and understand.  “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

Jesus’ first reaction was to warn them to be on guard so that no one will deceive them, and to help them understand that after He leaves, He will come again. He urged them in the 2^nd part of chapter 24 to be ready because He will come at an hour when He is least expected.

In chapter 25, Jesus compared His coming to the eastern custom of a bridegroom arriving in the middle of the night. He concluded by saying in 25:13: “Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

And in 25:14 Jesus told another parable (which is the text we read): “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey…”

The word “again” indicates that Jesus is using yet one more parable to talk about His second coming. He was giving another story or illustration to explain the meaning and make them understand what to expect.

In the parable Jesus told, the man going on a “journey” is Jesus and He will return one day.

A few things Jesus wants us to learn from this parable.

1. What We Have Is Not Ours

Verse 14 says that this man who was getting ready for a journey “…called his servants and entrusted His property to them.”

It was common then for wealthy men to take long journeys. Before they would leave, they would arrange to have someone not only to watch their property and feed the animals they have, but even more than that, they would often delegate the management of their wealth to trustworthy employees, to keep their business up and running.

In the story the people to whom the Master left his businesses to be looked after were expected to bring a return on what had been handed over to him, when he returned.

Given the uncertainties of transportation in those days, the Master would not be able to tell them the precise time of his return.

There was no doubt in the minds of these servants that the property and the money still belonged to the master. They were the possessors, but not the owners. Their job was to manage what they were given. Likewise, we must remember that everything we have has been given to us and is not really ours.

Psalm 24:1 says: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”

Haggai 2:8 adds: “The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.”

We should know and understand that He has the rights, and we have the responsibility. He is the Master and we are the manager. We are the servant; He is the sovereign Lord. We may know it, but we need to be reminded again and again.

We don’t really own anything. Everything belongs to the Lord. Until we recognise this truth, we will not be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us. Our days are in His hands. Our gifts and abilities are on loan from Him. In reality, we really don’t own anything. We will one day leave everything behind.

2. We Are Given What We Can Handle

In verse 15 we see that the master gave some talents to three of his servants: “To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.”

Each servant received talents “according to his ability.”

Our responsibility is tied to our ability. This is very interesting. God’s Kingdom does not operate according to what is ‘fair’ – that is, everyone getting the same. God gives us the gifts, 1 Cor 12:11 says: “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.”

There was a time in the church of Corinth, when the believers were taking sides over two different leaders. Some were saying “We follow Paul,” and others were saying, “We follow Apollos.”

Paul wrote to them (1 Cor 3:5): “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task.”

We are all assigned different tasks. No need to compare or compete with others. We are just doing what God has called us to do. If that is the case, then we need to ask: ‘What has God given me?’

Our job is to be faithful to what He has called us to do. We have what we have because God gave it to us.  And He expects us to use it for His Kingdom’s sake. He entrusts different things to different people because He knows how much we can take.

In other words, what He expects from us is something we can handle. He knows more about us than we know about ourselves. So, let us invest what we have received, by faith. Use whatever He has given us, and work with it.

3. We Must Invest What We Have Been Given

Verse 16 tells us that the man who received five talents went “at once and put his money to work and gained five more.” He didn’t waste any time but immediately went to work on his investment strategy and doubled his master’s portfolio.

The guy who got two talents did the same thing; only the text doesn’t say he went to work “at once” like the first guy did. We do know that he worked hard however, because he also doubled his master’s money, ending up with four talents.

Verse 18 describes the 3rd servant’s approach: “But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”

Even though we did not read about any specific instructions for what to do with the money, the first two servants went to work and multiplied their investment. But the one-talent servant was lazy. He buried his blessing. The problem was not that he had nothing, but he did nothing.

God has made an investment in our lives, so let us not waste it.

I love the story of Antonio Stradivarius, which goes like this:

A young boy Antonio loved music, but his voice was high and squeaky, and so he did not make the tryouts for the Cremona Boy’s Choir. When he took violin lessons, the neighbours persuaded his parents to make him stop. Yet Antonio still wanted to make music.

His friends gave him a hard time because his only talent was cutting things up. When Antonio was older, he served as an apprentice to a violin-maker. He learnt to cut out wood and developed the skill of carving. His hobby became his craft. He worked patiently and faithfully. By the time he died, he left over 1,500 violins, each one bearing a label that read, “Antonio Stradivarius.” They are now the most sought-after violins in the world.

Antonio couldn’t sing or play or preach or teach but he used his ability, and his violins are still making beautiful music today.

Our potential is God’s gift to us. What we do with it, is our gift to Him.

Are we investing what we’ve been given, no matter big or small? Or have we buried our blessing and kept it hidden from others?

4. A Day of Accountability Is Coming

According to the law, every company will have its accounts audited at the end of each financial year. Similarly, at the end of our life journey, we will also be ‘audited’ so to speak. We will have to give an account for how we’ve used what we’ve been given.

Look at verse 19: “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.”

If all that we have today comes from Him, then it is only right that He must ‘settle account’ with us.

How have we been using the life He has given us?

What have we done with the things He has blessed us with?

Jesus is coming again.

While most of us believe this in our heads, we don’t always live with eternity in our hearts.

If we would think more about His return, we would be more focused on making some eternal return on our investments. In Romans 14:12 Paul says: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

So, let’s be faithful in doing whatever He gives us to do. He has invested something in us. We shouldn’t waste it.

Our job may be big or small, but whatever it is, we should do it to the best of our ability.

Let’s look at the differences between the first two servants and the third.

– The first two were determined to make a profit; the 3^rd was determined to not make a loss.

– The first two were willing to work hard; the 3^rd one was not willing.

– The first two wanted to improve on what the master has; the 3^rd had no interest in the master’s work.

– The first two viewed the money as an opportunity; the 3^rd saw it as a problem.

– The first two invested; the 3^rd wasted.

– The first two sought to please the master; the 3^rd is not bothered.

The moral of the parable is clear.

Let us use what God has given us, to further His Kingdom. And to be found faithful in doing that until He returns.

There is a Persian Legend, known with the title “Pour Water into Basket”:

A certain king had a task to accomplish. He called two of his servants. They were given the same wages and told to fill a basket with water from a nearby well, saying that he would come in the evening to inspect their work.

After dumping one or two buckets of water into the basket, one of the men said: “What is the good of doing this useless work? As soon as we pour the water in, it runs out the sides.”

The other answered: “But we have our wages, haven’t we? We are called to do it until he returns. It is the master’s business, not ours. He is a wise King and must have his own purpose that we do not understand.”

“I’m not going to do such a foolish work“, replied the complainer. Throwing down his bucket, he went away.

The other man continued until he had drained the well. Looking down into it, he saw something shining at the bottom – it was a diamond ring.

“Now I see the use of pouring water into the basket!” he exclaimed. “If the bucket had brought up the ring before the well was dry, it would have been filtered out in the basket. The King was actually looking for his diamond. Our work was not useless.”

The King found his most faithful servant!

God has an important task for us today – He is looking for lost but precious souls.

God has given us the gifts and resources to do the job. Let us be diligent and faithful.

I am sure we have been faithful in all we do here at St. Andrew’s and we will continue to do so as long as we can and have the ability and strength. We have taken our responsibilities, as well as our talents seriously. We have done the best we can, our best.

Let’s keep on doing it knowing that we are serving our faithful God, who has given us blessings and talents to work with.

Let’s do all we can and as much as we can, so that one day we too be commended for the work and the service we have done in His name and for His glory. He will reward us and tell us the same words the master said to the faithful servants: “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!”

I look forward to such a commendation; not from the people around me, but from the Lord God Himself when the time comes.

I have committed to use what I have, what is given to me. I am all for “Use it or lose it!”

Amen.