Privilege Demands Responsibility

Luke 12:35-48
Matthew 25:21

Dear Jesus,

I want You to find me to be Your faithful servant.  I want to hear You say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Your Word describes both the faithful and unfaithful.  The optimism of Your grace is such that You can transform my inner character through grace and discipleship to make me into one of Your faithful servants.  If I am to qualify, the criteria are to be faithful and wise in administrative responsibilities, feed the people under my care, and fulfill the responsibilities entrusted to me by the Master.

The tragedy of experience is such that You will identify many as unfaithful.  You describe the unfaithful servant as deceptive, unsubmissive to authority, abusive to people, gluttonous, drunk, and unsuspecting of the time of the master's return.  His punishment is to be beaten and perhaps even executed, depending upon the severity of his failure.

Tucked within Your description of rewards for the faithful and punishments for the unfaithful is a caveat for the ignorant.  The punishment to the servant who was ignorant of the master's performance expectations is to be beaten, however, less severely than the one who clearly knew the responsibilities and flaunted them.

"To whom much is given, from him much will be required."  Privilege demands responsibility.  "Sin is doubly sinful to the man who knew better; failure is doubly blameworthy in the man who had every chance to do well" (William Barclay in The Gospel of Luke, 1953, p. 172).

Your teachings are both haunting and hopeful.  You lay out clear performance expectations of what it means to be a faithful servant.  You describe the rewards.  There is no bait and switch with You. When You detail the characteristics of unfaithfulness--drunkenness, abuse, and failure to forecast Your inevitable return--I see my culture.

I confess that I have had extraordinary privilege.  I am undeserving of Godly parents, a safe atmosphere in which I was reared, religious training, education, and opportunity.  Thank You for the privileges of my life.  But regardless of the privileges one has not experienced, very few of us can honestly declare that we have had no privileges!  Privilege demands  responsibility.

Help me to be faithful to Your great investment in my life.  Help me to model the principles of investing well the resources You have placed at my disposal.  I want to live ready for Your return.  I want You to say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

In the Name of the soon-returning Master,
Amen.