The Words That Left Me Speechless

A couple of Sundays ago, we had an interesting conversation in the Women's Life Group.

The scripture focus was Matthew 25:14-30- The Parable of the Talents. It discusses three servants who received varying portions of talents from the Master. After receipt of the talents, the Master took a long trip. It was then that we saw how the servants used their portion of talents. 

The servant who received five talents doubled his portion in the Master's absence. The servant who received two talents also doubled the portion. The final servant, deemed wicked and slothful, buried and hid his talent. 

Eventually, the Master returned to see how the servants used their talents. He was proud of the two who doubled their talents, but he was unhappy with the one servant who buried his portion. The Master says to the first two servants,

" Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." 

To the servant who buried the talent, the Master says,

"You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

There is so much that we could unpack with this scripture passage. We could discuss why the Master wasn't happy with that final servant; after all, he didn't squander his portion.

We could also discuss why the Master gave each servant different amounts of the talents. Was there jealousy involved between the servants? Does the amount given show the value of each servant in the Master's eyes?

I have so many questions.

Today, I want to focus on a specific aspect of the talent portions. Believe it or not, it's not the servant with the most or the servant with the least. It's the servant in the middle.

I must admit, I love the idea of the middle servant. The person reminds me of a metaphorical middle child. Often not acknowledged or thought of as much as the one who came before and the one who came after. The parents love the middle child, but often feels (or seems) less valuable because they did not come first or last. Yet, they are still beautiful, talented, and purposeful. In this parable, the middle servant received two talents: less than the first, but more than the last. 

One might ask, how did that servant feel getting his portion- this strategic portion given by the Master, according to each person's ability? Depending on your personality, you may feel that the servant would ask, "Why only 2?"

I must admit, Friends, the two have intrigued me. In fact, that conversation has been sitting with me since the discussion 2 Sundays ago.

Two.

I think in this life, we are persistently striving for more. Our neighbors have the latest Range Rover, and ours is 10 years old. Or, your girlfriend buys all the expensive snacks for her kids, but yours are homemade or store-brand. We can even go deeper. The lady you see every Sunday at church has kids, and you desperately want them, but don't have any. You want the husband, but the dating pool doesn't show much promise.

The comparison game is killing us, Friend.

As I prayed about this post, I asked the Lord to reveal to me why "the two" was sticking with me and what I could tell you about it. Do you know what God said? 

"The two is enough."

Four simple words left me speechless. "The two is enough."

In Philippians 4:11-12, Paul writes," Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned, in whatever situation I am, to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need."  

I can relate to that. I know what it's like to walk into stores and buy without watching what I spend, or to plan trips without skimping on the luxuries. I also know what it's like to not know where my next meal will come from, and to have to depend on the kindness of strangers to make ends meet. 

But how often do we forget to show gratitude for that in-between place where we have enough?  I am SO guilty of that. We may not have the latest thing, but many of us have enough. We have what we can handle. In this season, God has given us what we need according to our ability, and that is a beautiful thing. 

Take a moment this week to reflect and think about what God has given you. How do you use what you have? Can you recognize the "enough" in your life? I encourage you to be grateful for the two.

Let us pray- Father God, you know us so intimately that you foresaw that what we have right now is enough. You ensured that we would not be overwhelmed by the 5, nor do we lack anything, having just 1. What a privilege it is to be trusted with what you have given us. Thank you for the two. It is enough. In Jesus' name, Amen.