Key Thought: Foundational to a life of excellence are the attitudes that we choose to have. If we are to be excellent and pursue excellence, we must foster the right attitudes.

Introduction: An Eschatological Parable

Matthew 25:14-28, traditionally known as the “parable of the talents,” Is part of a wider series of teachings and prophetic depictions of the last days in terms of what would happen and what
would be the indicators of his return. This discussion which is captured in chapter 24 and 25 in the book of Matthew is sometimes now as the Olivet discourse or Olivet prophecy because the
discussion took place on the Mount of Olives a short distance from the Temple in Jerusalem. The discussion is prompted when, in response to Jesus prediction that the Temple in of Jerusalem would be destroyed his disciples ask him; “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” (24:3b). In giving an answer to that question Jesus not only teaches on what will happen when the world is approaching the end and when he is about to re-appear, he also gives two parables. The first of these is the parable of the 10 bridesmaids/virgins and the parable of the talents. When we read these parables, it is therefore important that we read them through the lens of this teaching and discourse on the last days. We could therefore call them “eschatological parables.” Both of them are designed and recorded in order that we as the reader might be PREPARED for the end of the world. Effectively, if we were to ask of the Lord how should we prepare for the last days he would share these parables! From this particular parable we learn that we prepare for the end of the world by INCREASING, by being PRODUCTIVE, and by EXCELLING.

This parable is therefore very significant in that it gives us an indicator as to how we are to live in this age where we are called to live as people hopeful people regarding the state of our world and our country while looking forward with hope to that which is yet to come. In that regard we must reject a dichotomy of thinking. This means we are faithfully looking forward to his coming and that we are faithfully making an impact now so that when he does come, we will be ready. Excellence and productivity in the day to day affairs of life is how we prepare for his return.

Faith is the Key

Faith is the key because of belief in God often shapes our attitude towards life. Our belief about
who God is and about the world that he created and how that world works, impacts how we go about our work of producing goods and services. In the parable the root of the bad servant’s lack of productivity was a belief that his master was evil.

Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and
gathering crops you didn’t cultivate.

His perspective of the world was that it was unfair. What about our attitude? Stepping into excellence will require that we shed our attitudes of unbelief and by faith step into the “promised land.” So our pathway to national excellence, our pathway to personal excellence has to be grounded in a faith shift. We are going to examine four key attitudes, but we must do so with the understanding that the adoption of attitudes that foster excellence must arise from that faith foundation.

ATTITUDES FOR EXCELLENCE

1. Excellence will be Rewarded
   • In this parable we can understand the word excellence in terms of productivity. This call to productivity is very much a part of our social and spiritual DNA as human beings for the reason that God spoke to humanity in the Garden and said, “be fruitful and multiply.”
   • This kind of increase must therefore seek to be applied not only in the outputs but also in the processes that undergird them. Remember “extraordinary is simply when we add extra to the ordinary.” This is not just a call for more work it is a call for better work.
   • The flip side of this understanding is that mediocrity will be punished! There is no middle ground in this regard. We can either expect reward or punishment. The ultimate punishment for being unproductive is the “outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30). This in fact mirrors the language of 2 Peter 1:8,10-11
     
     For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
     
2. Excellence is Open to All (It can be experienced)
   • Each was given according to their capacities (25:15).
   • In some sense this was not “fairness” as some would understand it. The key is that the servants all had different starting points. It would appear that one of the issues with the unproductive servant was a focus on what others had relative to himself.
   • We must understand that a small platform has no bearing on the capacity to be productive. While the productivity may look different, we must understand that God has made it available to all. In this story the servant who received two talents and the one that received five were different in terms of their capacity but equal in terms of their productivity. Each one of these servants existed in a world where God had made it possible for everyone to increase.
   • There is a place for everyone, if everyone can be faithful to excel.
     
     We should not allow the greater capacity of others to paralyze us. Rather we should let their productivity inspire us.
     
3. Excellence has a Moral Dimension (Good)
   • The two servants that were commended were commended with the use of the word “good.” We should understand the word good not just in the sense of the servants being effective, rather we should also understand the word to speak to issues of morality and integrity. Goodness is after all rooted in the very nature of God (Luke 18:19).
   • The flip side of the commendation to the productive servants is that the unproductive servant was told that he was a wicked and lazy servant. Our righteousness and our productivity are connected. Meaning we have a moral imperative to make our life and to make our time count. Remember making decisions is not good enough! You must institute disciplines and habits. Excellence and productivity have a moral dimension.
   • When we therefore talk about good work, we must have a frame of mind that no work, no product, no service is good unless it is also right. We cannot build a life or an organization if we deliberately choose to be immoral. At times we sometimes deceive ourselves that the work that we do is “amoral” but the denouncement of the servant who did not increase his money as “wicked” tells us something different.
     
4. Excellence is related to a sense of Responsibility (Faithful)
   • The productive servants in this parable were called faithful. They were trustworthy. Reliable. They were good stewards of that which had been entrusted to them.
   • The call to excellence is greater than the desire to succeed for the sake of success in itself or for material gain. Excellence in this context is rooted in a sense of responsibility to serve.
   • Responsibility entails that just like the servants we will give an account to the master. The amazing thing about our master is that he will not call us to account for something he did not give us to do.
   • We are in a new era of accountability in Malawi. This is good. This is healthy this is necessary for the sustained prosperity of the nation and a break from the mediocrity of the past. We must understand however that it is impossible for us to faithful when we are doing another person’s job not my own. Therefore, while we exercise our full rights as citizens for public commentary we should also be focused on our responsibilities as citizens for personal productivity.
     
     Excellence is related to responsibility. May God increase our sense of responsibility. May we have our eyes open in order for us to see just how much our Lord has entrusted us with. To work for the better family and society today, while we wait for him to make all things new.
     

CONCLUSION

1. Be Born Again-Live Born Again.
2. Recognize You are not the product of luck and misfortune.
3. Make excellence practical. Spend some time thinking through