Good & Faithful
Six of the most beautiful words you can hear at the end of your life are well done good and faithful servant. These words will be spoken over anyone who follows Jesus by caring for others.
“Ahithophel said to Absalom, “I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike down only the king and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; Hushai replied to Absalom, “The advice Ahithophel has given is not good this time…Let all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba be gathered to you, with you yourself leading them into battle…When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi…brought bedding and bowls and articles of pottery. They also brought wheat and barley, flour and roasted grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from cows’ milk for David and his people to eat. For they said, “The people have become exhausted and hungry and thirsty in the wilderness.” 2 Samuel 17:1-29
How will you treat the people you meet who are weary, weak, or in the wilderness? The first advisor to Absalom tells him to attack the people when they are weak. He is right that they are likely to be victorious in the battle but not righteous by bulldozing through life. We live in a world full of people who are weak, wandering through the wilderness, and who feel unwelcome. How important is it to you to help people in need? When you make your to do list each day, does helping others rank high on your priorities?
There’s a man who will always be remembered by name in the Bible, Shobi. Only a selected number of people have their names written in the Bible. What caused Shobi to be remembered? He fed David and the people with him when they were weak, weary, and in the wilderness. Why? Why did he help? It was not to gain anything from David who was powerless. Shobi’s actions show what he believed was right. Caring for the needy and vulnerable. What are you doing to help people like them?
“Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. May the Lord bless you” Psalms 134:1-3
There is a funny line in the movie Talladega Nights, with Will Ferrell, where he says 'I don’t know what to do with my hands' and he lifts them awkwardly. Whether you are watching comedy or simply responding to your calling by Jesus Christ, what you choose to do with your hands reflects your heart.
Willing hands to help reflect a willing heart to love like Jesus. David sang that we should lift our hands as we minister by night. He is using imagery that speaks to how the servant of God will help people live during dark and difficult times. We all will go through times of the night where we need others and God is faithful to send people to help. Some of the best ways you can praise God are by lifting your hands to honor him while helping others. How could lending a helping hand reflect a heart to raise a hallelujah?
“Evildoers are snared by their own sin, but the righteous shout for joy and are glad. The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. The poor and the oppressor have this in common: The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both…blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins. Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe…it is from the Lord that one gets justice.”
Proverbs 29:6-26
In the middle of this passage, Solomon made an interesting statement. He said both the poor and the oppressor have eyes to see. The question is not whether you will see need, but how you will respond to what you see. Do you have eyes to see and a heart to respond? When you see someone by the side of the road or who is suffering, what is your first thought?
The people who do not follow Jesus turn their eyes, ignore suffering, create conflict, commit many sins, and let pride poison their life. That life does not sound very appealing, but we all can be fall into sinful patterns if we are not careful. He said that sin and fear are snares. Is there anything tripping you up? People do not naturally set out to be hard hearted. Young children tend to be quite empathetic. Life experiences and fear have a way of hardening our hearts in a way that is not what God intends for His children.
Solomon shared the secret to success when he said that those who trust in the Lord will be safe. How does fearing God change how you live? God wants us to see beyond ourselves. He wants to change our perspective so we prioritize doing His work. He wants us to see how we fit in to the bigger picture of bringing the kingdom of God here and now. He wants each of us to understand that we were made to bring love to the world by lifting our hands and following Him as He leads us to helping others.
“Lord, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. The Lord is exalted…he will fill Zion with his justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation…a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the key to this treasure. You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power! Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them. For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us…an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder” Isaiah 33:2-24
Isaiah asked straightforward questions. Who can dwell with God? Who can be with the all consuming fire? Then he gives us the answer. He said the person who walks the walk and talks the talk according to God's ways. The righteous people will be fed by God divide the spoils of their inheritance, and be saved.
No matter what we do, we cannot do for ourselves what needs to be done to gain eternal life. We cannot earn our salvation. It is by grace alone that we are saved through faith, but the faithful will be shown by how they live. Truth tells us the fear of the Lord is the key. It is the same message that Solomon shared and a reminder to live with the end in mind. Truth tells us that as we do what is right God is rightly supplying all we need. Isaiah reminds us to keep our gaze fixed on the all consuming fire not on fearing whether we will have our day to day needs. Jesus said the same thing when He told us about the sparrows of the air and lilies of the field.
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘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!’ When the Son of Man comes in his glory…he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:14-40
How do you respond to the story of the sheep and goats? The incredible part of the story is that we have the ability to determine which path to take. Jesus tells us how we will be led into the sheep pen. How do you respond to the story of the talents? It is easy to make excuses for why we do not do God’s work. We are busy, burdened, we believe we don’t have what it takes, but truth tells us that all of us will stand before Jesus. He will ask each of us what we have done with what we were given. He will ask how we helped those in need. What will He say to you?
Can you see what the text does not say? Jesus did not say well intentioned. He did not say well said. He said well done. His words measured faith expressed in love. The text does not say that Jesus will ask if we attended church, avoided all sin, or read the Bible daily. Jesus does not mention our tithing records or greatest triumphs. Attending church, trusting God with our resources, and being in the word are wise and beneficial. The Bible does tell us the importance of these, but the litmus test for our love of Christ is measured by how we love others.
Many people can fall into the trap of avoidance faith where they live to not do anything wrong. It is good for us to avoid sin. The bible says we are to live wisely, but following Jesus is not about avoiding sin. It is about bringing the kingdom through how we love the world, particularly those who need help the most.
Consider the connections of the scriptures today. Shobi helped David when he was weak and vulnerable. He is remembered as a faithful friend. Psalms says lift your hands and serve through the night. Solomon said the righteous and wise will help the poor and needy. Isaiah said those who can stand before God are those who do what is right and pleasing to him. He said the fear of the Lord is the key.
Will you live with the end in mind today? What gifts has God given you that could be used to give grace and do good for others? Jesus knows that we naturally help those around us who we love so the lesson today is to learn to love every person the way that He loves. He never labels anyone outcast or unwanted. He calls us by name and invites us to bring help, hope, and healing in every way we can. Look up and let your eyes see who and how you can make a difference. Then let Jesus lead you to life everlasting where you will hear Him say well done good and faithful servant as you stand before Him.