Justice ParablesSample

The Two Servants

Rev. Charles W. Quann

Bethlehem Baptist Church

I remember once walking around in Center City Philadelphia and seeing a homeless man sitting on the corner with a cup in his hand, asking for money to buy food. As I passed by, he asked me to help him. In my arrogance, I hurriedly walked past him and thought to myself, “He is just getting over.” I kept walking, thinking that he should just get up and go to work. I became judgmental and insensitive, and as I continued to walk, the Spirit came over me and, in a moment, I was convicted. I had no right to judge him or ignore him. I had money in my pocket, and I could have easily helped him. This was not the first time I had passed by someone who was in need. I was always thinking about myself instead of others. I am well aware that there are those in our society who are always playing some kind of con game, so I tried to justify my actions, but that did not ease my conscience.

I know I have a responsibility to do what’s right and share whatever I have with others. God holds me accountable for what I do with what I have, and he requires me to be faithful. I could have helped the homeless man and it would not have hurt me at all. I was selfish and self-centered, but somehow God spoke to my heart. I remember the words of a sermon I heard from Matthew 24:45–51. I recalled the verse, “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?” (Matthew 24:45 NKJV). In this story, Jesus speaks about the ready and unready servant. It is safe to say, when he speaks about food, he is speaking about spiritual food as well. This homeless man was speaking about food which he needed, but my act of kindness could have been spiritual food for him as well, and I did not give him either. I really was not faithful at all, and I had been given an opportunity to prove my faithfulness by helping him.

The word “servant” in this story also spoke to me. That’s what I am, and in this particular situation, I was an unfaithful servant. I had the opportunity to help and I passed it by. The Lord had given me an opportunity and I did not take advantage of it. There are so many opportunities that God gives us to prove our faithfulness to him and to his people.

I realize now more than ever that we all need one another. I could have been the one sitting on the sidewalk asking for help, but by the grace of God, I was not in that situation. I pondered in my heart if the Lord saw me as a faithful servant. In that situation, the answer was clearly “no.” I knew I was not demonstrating the qualities of a faithful servant – kindness, meekness, caring, or sharing.

There is so much we can learn from this story of how God will bless the ones who are faithful to him. We have so many ways of demonstrating our faithfulness to God just by helping people, loving people, and always being prepared to do what is right. In the words of the songwriter, “If I can help somebody along the way, then my living will not be in vain.”

Questions

• How do you respond to people who are in need?
• Are you kind to people when people are unkind to you?
• Are you willing to help others, no matter their social status?
• What can you offer someone other than money?