famous last words part 1
The Doctor spent some time reading the last known words of
some famous and
not so famous people recently. It's always interesting to read the
final words
spoken by someone because they give you a real insight into what each
person
was thinking and feeling as their lives were about to end.
For example, what do the last words of the following people
tell you about
their lives?...
"Friends
applaud, the comedy
is over" (Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827)
"Don’t
let it end like this. Tell
them I said something" (Francisco "Pancho" Villa, 1877-1923)
"How
about this for a
headline- 'French fries'" (James French, who was electrocuted in 1966
for
killing a prison cell mate)
"What
an account I shall have
to give to God! How I should like to live otherwise than I have lived"
(Phillip III, King of
Not very inspiring, huh? It's really sad when someone's last
words are a
sick joke or an expression of regret. How much better would
it be if
someone's final words reflected a life full of purpose and
meaning? How
much better would it be if someone's last words reflected hope and
anticipation
rather than a wasted, meaningless life.
As a youth, this should really give you something to think
about. After all,
how can you know that your life will really count for something in the
end? How
can you be sure that your life will really have meaning and purpose?
How can
you live the kind of life that will really have a lasting
impact?
Well, the answer can be found in the following parable that
Jesus once told.
In it, we find some important tips that will help us to live the kind
of lives
that will really count in the end.
(Now remember, a "parable"
is a short story that illustrates a
spiritual truth or moral lesson. As you read through this parable, see
if you
can guess what each character and feature in the story represents...)
"A
nobleman living in a
certain province was called away to the distant capital of the empire
to be
crowned king of his province. Before he left he called together ten
assistants
and gave them each $2,000 to invest while he was gone." (Luke 19:12-13)
So our story begins with a high ranking official who calls a
meeting of his
staff assistants. This official (called a nobleman) gives his each of
his aides
a large sum of money and one simple instruction: put this
money to work
until I come back. Notice that he doesn't give a detailed set
of
instructions on how to invest the money; he simply
gives them the money
to invest and then he takes off.
However, there's a little subplot in the next verse...
"But
some of his people
hated him and sent him their declaration of independence, stating that
they had
rebelled and would not acknowledge him as their king." (Luke 19:14)
We'll get back to this part a little later, but for now, let's
continue on
with the story...
"Upon
his return he called
in the men to whom he had given the money, to find out what they had
done with
it, and what their profits were." (Luke 19:15)
So now it's report card day for the staff members- it's time
for them to
report on what they had done with the nobleman's resources while he was
gone.
Now you might think that the nobleman in this story would deal first
with the
group of rebellious people who have rejected his leadership but that's
not the
case. Notice that he deals first with the people who were supposed to
be
working for him while he was gone.
The first guy brings an excellent report...
"The
first man reported a
tremendous gain-- ten times as much as the original amount!" (Luke
19:16)
This is a terrific job by the first assistant. The
nobleman (who is now
a king) is very impressed and rewards him handsomely...
"'Fine!'
the king
exclaimed. 'You are a good man. You have been faithful with the little
I
entrusted to you, and as your reward, you shall be governor of ten
cities.'" (Luke 19:17)
Because he faithfully invested the resources that were given
to him, the
first man was given authority to oversee 10 cities in the kingdom that
the king
had received.
Who's next? Well, we find out in the next verse...
"The
next man also
reported a splendid gain-- five times the original amount. "'All
right!'
his master said. 'You can be governor over five cities.'" (Luke
19:18-19)
The second assistant also reports a good profit and is also
rewarded. As
with the first man, notice that the number of cities that he gets to
govern is
in proportion to his faithfulness in doing business with the king's
resources.
Next up is the third assistant who has chosen a very different
approach...
"But
the third man brought
back only the money he had started with. 'I've kept it safe,' he said,
'because
I was afraid [you would demand my profits], for you are a hard man to
deal
with, taking what isn't yours and even confiscating the crops that
others
plant.'" (Luke 19:20-21)
The third man did not bring any return on the investment that
was given to
him. In fact, he clearly disobeyed the King's command to invest his
money while
he was gone by doing nothing. If you were to read this verse in the
original
language, you would find that it more literally says, "Here
is your
money which I have laid up in a napkin."
You see, there were few secure places to keep valuables back
in those days.
Because of this, people would often wrap their money in a cloth and
then bury
it in a secret location. This is apparently what the third man did with
the nobleman's money. Listen, you don't need to be a business major to
know
that
taking money and burying it in the ground is no way to invest.
Now notice that this man didn't misspend the money that was
given to him- he
just didn't do anything with it. Not only that, notice that he also
handled the
king's money very irresponsibly by wrapping it up in a cloth, the kind
that you
would use to wipe your face or blow your nose. Hey, if you had $2000,
would you
wrap it up in a tissue?
In light of this, it's not surprising to see the king's
response...
The Doctor is not a real
doctor but he plays one on the Internet. E-Mail prescriptions are also
available on an individual basis.
Except as indicated, all Scriptural references taken from The
Living Bible, © 1971, Tyndale House Publishers Back
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