What if you fail?
The parable of the three servants is a familiar one. A man entrusted his money to his servants while he was gone, giving one five bags of silver, to the second one two bags, and giving the third servant one bag of silver. When he came back he called his servants in for an accounting. The first two had doubled their portions of his money while the third had done nothing, fearful of protecting what he had been given. The consequences of his fear of failure? “Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:30)
Here’s the thing…what would have happened if he had tried and failed?
The first two servants doubled their money by investing it. Anyone looking at the balance of his or her retirement account after the stock market swings of the past year knows that investment means risk. When the first two servants chose to invest the money, they were running the risk that they might lose it! What would have happened then?
In verse 14, Jesus makes it clear that he is telling a parable about the Kingdom of Heaven. He isn’t describing some harsh businessman, he’s describing the Kingdom of Heaven. I think we can say two things:
1) The consequences of trying and failing couldn’t have been any worse than not trying at all (look again at verse 30).
2) I think it is quite likely that the failing servants would have been told, “You tried very hard to do the right thing. What have you learned that will help you do better the next time?”
The money, talent, and time–all the resources we have–are given to us by God. The parable is telling us that God expects us to try to invest those resources as wisely as possible. Trying something and failing is better than not trying at all.
