The Faithful Servant
In scripted in the Holy bible, a faithful servant is one who keeps the Lord’s word in obedience and serve Him. In the parable of the talent written in Matthew 25:14-30, the story of the five servants is exemplary. For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 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.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
God has given each of us our own talents so that we could make use of it for a good cause. Our Lord has bestowed many talents for human’s eternal life. It is our responsibility to know and differentiate them as well as always necessary to have a good will and diligence in enriching the better of our lives.
Our Holy Ethiopian Orthodox Incarnation Church commemorates the faithful servant by naming the sixth week of the Great Lent “Gebri Heare” an Amharic word to mean the Faithful servant. Saint Yared (Jared) named this week which commemorates Lord Jesus Christ who bestowed the grave of service, the value of faithful servants and the judgment upon the lazy servants.
So dear brethren, we have to be like the faithful servant for we could be valued but not judged; Be obedient instead of ignorant as the lazy one; for we could be given good price and valued but not be punished until the end of time.