Matthew 25

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."  "If you aren't going to help, just stay out of the way."

How many of you have heard these statements?  I'm sure we all have.  So, is doing nothing better than doing something wrong?

In Matthew 25 Jesus tells two stories I want to focus on.  The first is the parable of the talents.  In this story the Master leaves three servants with money while He is away.  The servants get different amounts of talents (money) according to their ability.  The first two servants put their money to work and double their Masters money.  The third was afraid to do wrong so he did nothing, he just buried the talents.

To the good servants (the first two) the Master says, "Well done, good and faithful servant!... Come and share your Master's happiness!"

To the third servant (the bad one) the Master says, "You wicked, lazy servant!... throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Jesus is upset with laziness and apathy.

In the second story Jesus talks about the end times.  In the end Jesus says the King will separate people into the sheep (the good) and the goats (the bad).

Now the sheep the King says, helped Him when He was in need, meanwhile the goats did not.  To the sheep He says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."  To the goats He says, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."

What Jesus is saying in these stories is simple: what we do or don't do matters.  Just not doing bad is not what He desires from you.  God knows both your sins of commission and omission!

It reminds me of a quote my teacher Mr. Semler said, "Apathy is the yeast of injustice."

We need to fight and work for good.  We need to further the Kingdom.  Most importantly, I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share your Master's happiness!"

So don't just not do bad, but do good.  Fight injustice.  Love your neighbor.  Serve your Master with the talents He has given you today.