[407 words]
In one of Jesus’ parables a servant was handed a mina (a piece of valuable currency). There were clear instructions on what to do with it: “Put this money to work…until I come back” (Luke 19:13). Some of his fellow servants did a great job with this. They used what talent they have to diligently make the money grow. But not this man. His fear led him to put the money in a piece of cloth. The master was so displeased with only getting back what was originally given that this servant lost everything.
Did you know that the Word of God is sometimes described as a treasure? “The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold” (Psalm 119:72). It is a treasure that is handed to us every time we open up our Bibles or hear the Word explained. Some people are wise enough to store up this treasure in their hearts. And that’s a good thing – a much better option than just letting it bounce off of hard hearts and heads. Can you imagine what would have happened to the servant if he said “yes master, you gave me the money, but I didn’t think it was important so I just left it lying on the ground”? He was at least wise enough to keep it safe!
But, as the servant found out, storing a treasure isn’t the end of our responsibility. We need to put what we have to work until the Master comes back. Committing the message to memory is not an end in itself. The Word is meant to be used! We cannot let our fear cause us to keep the Word to ourselves. It is a treasure that is meant to be multiplied, invested in the hearts and minds of others. Is there a risk in sharing the Word? Sure. It may cost us all kinds of things in this world. But if we share, one Christian can turn into two…or maybe even five or ten! That’s worth the risk. So I encourage you to read scripture. I encourage you to commit it to memory. But I especially encourage you to apply what you have learned and share it with others. Only the servants who multiplied what the Master gave received the reward. If you want to be one of them invest the message instead of burying it.
Doug Wells
Camden Avenue church of Christ
Parkersburg, WV