I remember being in a place, and they had a little welcome, with a welcome basket, and the pastor looked at it, and he said: I can't feel the love in that one. Someone had just been a fill-in job to do it, and for them it was just a task - quick, throw a few things on a plate, in comparison to the lady who was usually there who did it. When she did it, it was like… stand up and shout, because it looked so beautiful, with little touches and things! It was done with detail, and excellence, and that's what should be, in the kingdom. That's the way we should operate
Notice then He says: “well done, good and faithful servant”. That means you are trustworthy, and that you're willing to sacrifice, to serve others. You're willing to lay down your own life, in order that I might be benefitted, and others be benefitted.
The word ‘servant’ there, is the word that Jesus said.
Matthew 20:27 – “If you want to be great in the kingdom, become a servant”.
Greatness in the kingdom is not your stature, position, ministry, or the anointing, miracles or anything. Greatness is… do you carry the heart and activity of a servant - even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life.
He says: you've been faithful over few things. That means your assignment, or sphere of responsibility, was very small.
Some people think that their life only counts, or their work only counts, if it's big, or significant, or impacts many people, but there's only a few people that are going to impact large numbers. Most of the work that's done is out of sight - it's the small tasks. It's the ordinary person behind the scenes, making the bigger thing happen, and they may think well, I'm not out there doing this or out there doing that. Nevertheless, their assignment, even though it's small in their eyes, and the eyes of other people, it's important to God - so important, that He will reward those who faithfully do it.
What a blessing that is for all of us, because that means that it doesn't matter really what your role is, or what you're called to do. It's the manner you do it, is what God is looking for. Do you see the little everyday tasks? In this, I'm serving the Lord. This is my act of worship. I've given my day, my life. I've presented my body to Him, and now I'm letting His love, and life, flow into everything that I do.
There's something like a river of life that just flows to bless even the ordinary tasks. I've seen people who did the car park, and they just stood out there in the cold and made people welcome and smiled, and when you go up to them, you can see the love, and the joy, and the servant heart in it. I think they qualify for reward, because with the capacity they have, they're turning this task into a river of blessing for people coming in. So it's a great inspiration, great challenge, that whatever your task, God is watching you.
Now He talks about the rewards... He said: well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Rewards that are received at the Judgement Seat of Christ are based on our faithfulness.
He says: “I will make you ruler over many things”. You might look and say: I've only got a few things, I'm not really doing all that much; but if you're doing it passionately, doing it with love, doing it unto the Lord, doing it as a blessing to people, then you're letting the love of Christ flow through it!
He says: “I will make you ruler over many things”. See the generosity of Jesus! Few things now; many things in eternity. A multitude of things! It's out of all comparison, and now He introduces that we will rule. That means to put someone in charge; to appoint them over an office. In the coming millennial kingdom, there's a great realm of ruling with Jesus, and administering His kingdom throughout the whole world.
There's going to be multitudes of layers, and levels, of tasks and jobs. Right now, you're qualifying for yours, and whatever you've got on your hand now, do it. Notice there, He introduces two aspects of reward:
Firstly… I will make you ruler, or give you ruling authority, to serve and to advance My kingdom, with authority and empowerment over many things; and secondly… He says: “enter the joy of the Lord” - that's a reference again to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We have the joy, we know that He values our efforts, our choices have mattered, and those who are faithful will enter the joyful Marriage Supper of the Lamb. We will be with others. We will celebrate with Him, and will also share with Him, the joy of walking alongside Him and advancing His coming kingdom. This is just so inspiring!