Good and Faithful Servant

There I sat on the door step of Flora MacDonald Public School in the late August sunshine. I had just attended the new teacher orientation luncheon hosted by the board of education that was to become my employer for more than the next three decades. I was twenty-one years old and about to meet with my first principal, Maurice Black, for a tour of the school and more importantly for access to my classroom. My first class was a group of thirty-one grade four students. I realized the other day that those surviving nine year olds will turn fifty sometime this year. It is difficult to keep up with the passage of time within your own mind. The transformation of child to very mature adult happens, it seems, in the blink of an eye. In my mind they remain nine year olds for life, at least my life, that is.

Mr. Black was to become my well remembered mentor. You always knew that he was working in the supply room when you entered the empty childless school. The aromatic smell of his favourite cigar brand wafted up the stairways. In the four years I spent soaking up his wisdom, which was conveyed in such a humble and non-assuming manner, I came to respect him very much. His sense of humour was ever present, but ever so subtle. He retired within three years of my first promotion to vice-principal of another school. He passed away several years ago. Written in his obituary were the words of Jesus from Matthew 25:21 and Matthew 25:23. There in Mr. Black’s newspaper obituary were the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Actually the full quotation is as follows.

21 "His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

The words are part of a parable that tells of a master giving three of his servants, according to their abilities, five talents, two talents and one talent respectively. The three servants were to be faithful stewards of the money entrusted to them and to seek to increase its value for the master. The first two were able through their faithful efforts to double the amount and return it to the master at a later date. The servant entrusted with just one talent had, because he claimed he feared his master, buried the single coin in a hole in the ground. He returned the coin with no increase. He was not greeted with the commendation of “good and faithful servant” but with the condemnation of “wicked and lazy servant”.

In this parable, Jesus is the master who has gone away, but we know that his return is imminent. Each of us, according to our ability, has been entrusted with faithful service on his behalf. That faithful service begins, of course, with faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we have contributed to the increase of His kingdom during his absence, then we shall receive his commendation. If we have not, we will receive his condemnation when He arrives. In the parable, the master suggests that the wicked and lazy servant should have given the talent to the bankers so that there would be at least some increase. The bankers in this parable are missionaries, ministries, distributors of Bibles, Christian charities or perhaps Bible believing churches. If we can’t put our possessions to good use ourselves, we should turn a portion over to others who can. I would be delighted to be able to read in my own obituary the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. How about you?

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