Invest? In what?!?

The market is insane. The DJIA is at an 11-year low. People are losing their savings, and their retirement, and other investments. The conditions contribute to fear, insecurity and despair.

Where do you invest? Nothing seems secure.

A picture of the final judgement appears in Matthew 25:31 -46 (NLT). When Jesus returns, he will return in all of his glory, with angels with him, and he will sit on a throne where he will conduct the final judgement of the earth as we know it. Not many like to think about this, but we will all participate. This passage tells us that "all the nations will be gathered in his presence."

I find it interesting that this picture occurs right after the parable of the three servants. The parable begins "the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone." The servants had been entrusted with his money.

Entrust - to commit (something) in trust to; confide, as for care, use, or performance.

There was an expectation that the servants would care for the money by using it and thereby increasing its value. Two of the servants invested the money gathering a return on their investments. The third was fearful and hid the money (a little like sticking cash between the mattress).

The master was thrilled with the results of the servants who received a return. He commended them with "well done." He was angry with the servant who responded in fear and did not increase the value of the money -- in fact, the money was probably devalued. He called this servant, "wicked."

The story does not reveal how the two servants invested the money. This story is a parable -- a practical story with a spiritual meaning. We can find what I believe is the answer to how the investments were managed in the subsequent verses. If we follow the subsequent line of Jesus' message, we find ourselves reading about the final judgement - similar to the master's return in the parable. Just as the master "judged" the servants, Jesus' says he will judge all mankind.

So, what is the measure by which Jesus' judges? For those he receives, he says (v34-36, 40):

‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
...
when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

These people invested what they received during their lifetime into others. And, for those who refused to help others, he rejected them saying (v45):

‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

The servants in the parable all received different amounts of money and resources. We're expected to be good stewards of whatever we have received -- both great and small. Invest wisely. Be generous in helping others.

Imprinted Image Redux

In Genesis 1, as God prepared to create living creatures, he said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds ..." Through this, groupings or species were created among animals. According to science, man is part of the "animal kingdom." Of what kind, did man belong? In Genesis 1:26-27, we find God's answer to that question: "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, ... So God created man in his own image." We were created after God's kind. I am amazed (along with the Psalmist) that God was “mindful of man” and “crowned him with glory and honor.” Wow! This “image” concept is pretty incredible.

Unfortunately, the image of God within us has been marred by our sin and the glory we once held is no longer a reflection of God as it once was. In Romans 3:23, we find that we all "fall short of the glory of God." Can that image be restored? 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us it can, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

As we turn to Christ and place our trust in him, God begins the process of restoring his image and glory in us. A favorite verse of many Christians is Romans 8:28. It is most often quoted during tough times to say that everything will turn out okay for Christians. But, that’s not what the text says. Verse 29 says that he chose us to become like his Son. What he promises in verse 28 is that whatever comes our way, he will use it to conform us into the image of his Son. From a world perspective, things didn’t turn out so well for Jesus – he was outcast, persecuted, and died at the age of 33. But, he did glorify his Father. And God then did this on behalf of his son:

Philippians 2:9-11 (NIV)

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

God's desire is to work in us to restore us into the image of his son so that we can bring him glory. Immediately following the Philippians text above, Paul writes this:

... continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to HIS good purpose.

Our lives, whether we submit to God or not, exists to bring God glory. God raised up Pharaoh (an evil man) for the sole purpose of displaying his (God’s) glory. In Isaiah 43:7, he says that he created us for his glory. Now here’s what’s amazing – looking back at the process in Romans 8, he works in our circumstances to cause these things to work together to conform us into the likeness of his son so that he can be glorified. In verse 30, he says that “he gave them his glory.” As his children, he created us for his glory and then he gave us HIS GLORY so that we could be a reflection of his image. The God of this vast creation gave us HIS GLORY -- wow!

[reference Imprinted Image]