Entrusted to Do

 DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

ENTRUSTED TO DO

Luke 12:47-48

47 "That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

NIV

It would seem, at least according to old scholars, this is all about punishment. No matter whether we are believers who know the light or unbelievers who were exposed to the light and rejected it, we all will be punished. Those who are believers, who accepted the light, but did nothing with it will be punished more severely than those who never saw the light or saw it and rejected it. How could that be what Jesus meant? However, because we have been given the light, and we have accepted that light and become the light of the world, we do have a responsibility to put our light on a lamp stand rather than hiding it. Could this be the same as the parable Matthew records Jesus told about the servants with talents? It does look like we must do something with the truth that we have been entrusted with. We must put that truth to work which may be the same as what James tells us that faith without putting it into action is not true faith, but simply meaningless faith. However, the fact remains that we are saved by grace, and not by works, which must mean that no matter what, if someone is a believer, and has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior they are saved, without condemnation, or punishment. However, if we have been given much truth, that is the Spirit has revealed much to us, giving us more insight into the word of God than those who accepted Jesus but pursued no understanding, we will be asked more of, which might appear as being called into some form of ministry, service to others, responsibility for the spiritual growth and edification of others. Does that mean some have been given more? Can not all believers who lack wisdom ask God and he will give wisdom to them and do so liberally? Can we all have the same amount of light? We know that God does not show favoritism, that he gives all the same amount of faith, the same amount of light, the same amount of truth, the same Spirit, and we all have the same word of God that we might be enlightened with as the Spirit leads us into all truth. So then how could we have more than others? How could God give more to one than another? Why would God demand more from one than another? We may not fully understand how this could be, but we know that we must do all we are called to do. We must serve our Lord in whatever manner we have been called to serve and we must do it wholeheartedly, without reservation, without thought of our own comfort, or our own desires for the things or the ways of this world. We have been entrusted to do something.