I grew up less than a mile from a very famous and wealthy man whose name you would recognize if you’re at all familiar with the financial world. He lived in a mansion and his large garage was filled with very expensive limousines, sports cars and various vintage automobiles. The family hired a chauffeur who lived on the property and whose full time job was to care for and drive all the vehicles. He worked for that family for decades and, apparently, he did an excellent job. I saw him in the cars a few times during my teenage years, and I vividly remember how immaculate those vehicles were – they always looked brand new, almost as if someone waxed them every single day.

The chauffeur treated the vehicles as if they were his own. They were his life work. But they were not his. He was a servant, entrusted with a responsibility. He was accountable to his employer and he took his job very seriously. But the day came when the wealthy man died. It turned out that he had willed all of his vehicles to the faithful chauffeur. They must have been worth a small fortune. His chauffeur had been responsible and he was rewarded.

And that’s what Jesus calls us to do – to be responsible and accountable for whatever resources he puts under our care, and to be rewarded. The more God entrusts us with, the more responsible we are to be.