Huckleberry Finn’s Dilimna

4  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Taketherefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Huckleberry Finn

“It made me shiver, and I about made up my mind to pray and see if I couldn’t  try to quit bein the kind of boy I was and be better.  So I kneeled.  But the words wouldn’t come.  It was because my heart wasn’t right.  It was because I was playin double.  I was lettin on to give up sin.  But way inside me I was holdin on to the biggest one of all.  I was tryin to make my mouth say I would do the right thing but deep down inside me I knowed it was a lie and he knowed it.  You can’t pray a lie I found that out”

            Huckleberry Finn and the servant who only received one talent had two things in common.

1.  They realized their limitations.

2.  They had a wrong perception of the master.

I.                  Only by seeing our limitations does pride give way to humility.

 

A.     We first must be honest with ourselves

B.     “Paul said, Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin.?”

C.     But, it’s the goodness of God that leads repentence

 

II.            The Gospel is the Good News!

 

A.    When we preach God as, “a hard man reaping where he hasn’t sown,” It does not produce repentence but an unhealthy fear of God.  A nuerosis.

B.   Until Moses embraces the serpent the serpent pursues him, but when he turns and takes hold of it it becomes the rod of power

C.   Paul said that the Gospel (Good News) is the power of God unto salvation.

D.   “If you continue in my word then you are my disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you”

  

III.        Jesus Enables Us.

A.    He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we could ask or think

B.   Huck didn’t want to say he was going to do something he couldn’t do

C.   The third servants perception of the master determined his attitude.

D.    Humans have a tendancy to devalue what we take for granted.

Thereau, “ I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of a man to elevate himself by conscious endeavor.”

 

A man cannot be perfect but he can always improve!

 

We are:     Beggars realizing our spiritual poverty and trusting a generous God.

                   Athletes stretching ourselves beyond what we are capable

                  Explorers discovering wonderous truths