As someone who claims to be a grillmeister, I have a confession to make: I don’t care for steak any rarer than Medium. Truth be told, if it’s still tender, I actually prefer Medium Well. I know, I know – that’s heresy to some of my fellow carnivores. Besides, what does steak have to do with this week’s message? 😉

 

In Matthew 25, Jesus told a parable about three servants. Each of them were entrusted with a certain amount of resources to take care of while the master was away from home, and when he returned, he called them to give an account of their responsibilities. Two of the servants had invested the funds wisely, and verses 21 & 23 record the same comment to each of them: “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’” (NLT) The third servant didn’t receive the same compliment; in fact, the master called that person “wicked and lazy” (v. 26).

 

The third servant is like a rare steak: just “done” enough to sear the outside, but not cooked thoroughly. This person does barely enough to give a decent first impression, but when you look deep within, they lack substance. They’re practically raw, not much change at all.

 

The first two servants were “well done.” (Granted, that’s not usually advisable for preparing a steak, but I think the illustration can work if we’re talking about the Christian life.) The mature believer has endured the Refiner’s fire (see Malachi 3) long enough to burn off impurities. These individuals are tough when it comes to standing firm in the faith, yet tender(hearted) with others.

 

So, what’s it going to be? Are you content to be “rare” and go through life pretending to look godly when you’re really just a mess on the inside, or are you aiming to be a seasoned, committed, “well done” believer, even if it means staying in the fire a while longer?