A Call to Good Stewardship

Money Laundering

I do the laundry in my home. It’s simple. I don’t sort the clothes by colour, type or material. I just dump the laundry basket into the washing machine, add detergent, and start the wash cycle. When the wash cycle is finished, I take out the clothes and hang them to dry outside, starting with the lightest clothes and ending with the heaviest.

Sometimes, but not often, there is money in the pockets of the clothes. After the wash, I realize that I have accidentally laundered the money. One tip is to check the compartment at the bottom of the washing machine, where most of the coins will be found.

To prevent accidental money laundering, check the pockets of your clothes before putting them in the washing machine.

Joke aside let’s get a bit more serious – about working your money!

Make Your Money Work!

What did Jesus say in Matthew 25:27? Did he say to deposit or invest the money with the bankers? As someone who cannot read the original language of the Bible, I must rely on the translations of various versions. Here are three of the translations:

• “So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.” (New King James Version)
• “Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.” (New International Version)
• “Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.” (English Standard Version)

I have looked at some other translations of Matthew 25:27, and I found that older versions of the Bible typically use the word “deposit,” while newer translations typically use the word “invest.”

The two words “deposit” and “invest” have different connotations. In the past, people would earn a relatively high interest rate on their savings deposits, so simply depositing money with a banker was a wise decision. However, today, interest rates on savings accounts are very low, so the idea of investing takes precedence.

Since the man in Matthew 25:27 buried his money and earned nothing out of it, Jesus was likely referring to the practice of depositing money in a bank. Depositing the money would have at least earned him something without any risk.

If you are a risk-averse person like the man in Matthew 25:27, and the Lord entrusts you with a sum of money, would you just hide it under your pillow? Instead, you should explore various risk-free options available today. For example, you could deposit your money in a savings account or a fixed deposit account at the bank. Or, you could invest in capital-guaranteed financial products. Even if the returns are modest, it is still a way to make some gains without taking on the risk of high-risk, fast-action investments.

Stewardship For His Kingdom

Thinking more deeply about Matthew 25:27, we should realize that Jesus was not talking about money, or about growing your personal wealth. He was using the parable about money to teach His followers about good stewardship of what He had entrusted them with.

One commentary mentions that Jesus is showing His followers what they should do while they are waiting for His return. He expects us to use the gifts and resources He has entrusted us with to advance His Kingdom. He expects us to be working for His Kingdom and not to be idle like the third servant who completely neglected to work with what he was entrusted with.

Therefore, if He has given you the ability to speak Hokkien, join the Dialect Ministry. If He has given you the ability to play musical instruments, join the Music Ministry. If He has given you the ability to write, send some articles to The Winepress. Don’t be caught with your talent buried in the ground as the day of His return approaches.

Conclusion

There are many ways to use our gifts and resources to advance God’s Kingdom. We can use our financial resources to support Christian ministries and missionaries. We can use our time and talents to serve in the church or community.

No matter what our gifts and resources are, we should all be striving to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us.