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lazy fear or diligent fear?
“You worthless, lazy lout!” —Matthew 25:26
In today’s Mass readings, there is a parallel between laziness and fear. The fatal problem is that the third servant didn’t even try to use his talent. Because God wants all to be saved (1 Tm 2:4), He cares about the effort we put into our service of Him (see Lk 12:48). It is God Who gives us any measure of service (see Phil 2:13). So all the third servant had to do was ask God for help and grace. However, he did not receive this grace because he did not ask, or was too lazy to ask (see Jas 4:2). Imagine an employer giving an employee a comprehensive orientation, proper training, and a clear list of tasks to achieve. After a year of employment, the boss comes to perform the annual review. The employee responds, “Thanks for all the training, but I did nothing all year. Here are your training manuals back.”
The diligent person who fears the Lord will be happy and blessed (see Prv 31:30; Ps 128:1, 4). Some failed to work at fearing the Lord and in their complacency were not prepared for sudden “ruin” at their final end (1 Thes 5:3). They were not alert and sober (1 Thes 5:6). In the Gospel passage, the first two servants had fear of the Lord the right way. That led to initiative, fruitfulness, and blessing (Mt 25:16-23). The third servant feared the Master the wrong way, the lazy way. By doing nothing, by not expending the effort to learn that the Master is Lord, but instead lazily clinging to the thought that the Master is hard and demanding, he failed to serve the Master at all (Mt 25:24-29).
“Do not grow lazy, but imitate those who, through faith and patience, are inheriting the promises” (Heb 6:12).
Prayer: Father, pour out on me the spiritual gift of fear of the Lord, so I might regard serving You as an awesome privilege and joy.
Promise: “Come, share your Master’s joy!” —Mt 25:21
Praise: “Praise the Lord, O my soul; I will praise the Lord all my life” (Ps 146:1-2).
Reference: (For a related teaching on Mission Impossible, view, download or order our leaflet on our website.)
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