Grace vs. Rewards??

There are two parables that often cause folks to wonder about God's grace vs. performance-based rewards. They are similar - the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, and the parable of the pounds in Luke 19:11-27.

Both parables speak of a man going on a long journey - Luke specifies the man is of noble birth. Both parables have to do with the Kingdom of God.

Both parables have a similar formula - three servants were given gifts. The servants were called to account for the gifts they had been given when the master returned from his trip. He rewarded those who used what they had been given, while taking the talent from the person who buried it, and giving it to the person who had multiplied the gifts he had been given.

What can we conclude? What is Jesus teaching us about the kingdom of God? Some believe that these two parables negate all that the New Testament teaches about salvation by grace. Others believe that these parables "balance" (whatever that means!) grace - so that we can understand that salvation is a gift, but it is also earned by what we have been given. But no such teaching is present in either parable. No mention here about the kingdom of God being gained by merit.

Many New Testament passages clearly teach that salvation is by grace. The Bible does not contradict itself. So, in what way, if at all, is this parable talking about salvation? We can conclude, from basic application of the rules of understanding the Bible, that the "rewards" talked about in these parables do not contradict the many other passages that speak of and explain God's grace.

What may we conclude? Salvation is one thing - and rewards another. There are no rewards for those who are not given, by grace, God's kingdom. Rewards therefore are dependent on, subservient to, and follow grace. Rewards do not contribute to salvation, which is absolutely a gift of God. Rewards follow grace. Rewards are only given to those who have first accepted God's free gift of salvation - on His terms - which means, all the credit and the glory for the gift of salvation goes to God alone. No part of salvation is performance-based. No part belongs to any pitiful little contribution we might have tried to make. To God alone goes the glory. Alone.

In both of these parables the servants of the Master (we can safely conclude that the master of the parables is God) are GIVEN GIFTS.

1) Whatever the gift may be (symbolized in the parables by monetary units) the gift is a gift - it is not earned. The situation presented in the parable is not a pay day. The situation is an outright, no-strings-attached gift. Therefore, in both of these parables, God's grace reigns supreme. These servants of the Master were given something they could never earn, something they could never demand, because the Master gave out of the overflow of his generosity - his amazing grace.

2) The parable teaches, however, that the gifts of God are not given so that we can bury them in our backyard, wear them on our sleeves like a religious badge or stripe of honor, or display them in our trophy case for all to see. Gifts are given to pass on. Gifts are given to share. What are Christians given? What aren't we given! Everything that we are and have, spiritually, is given. We are given God’s love, we are given salvation, redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, sanctification. We are given an eternal inheritance. To be given all of this, and not to share it, not to proclaim it, not to tell others about it, not to tell others about the Kingdom of God - is to be given a gift and put it in a napkin and bury it in our back yard.

3) The basis, then, of any rewards we receive - AFTER we have been saved and APART FROM the gift of salvation - is based on how we have shared, communicated and passed on the gifts we have been given. Nothing is said here about endless lists of religious duties; everything here is about telling others about God's amazing grace - which is, ironically, the polar opposite of performance-based religion.

4) The rewards we are given are not simply a future award ceremony presided over by Jesus, when long lines of people curve all around the world, waiting for their rewards - or lack thereof. The Kingdom of God has a present dimension. It is already present in our three-dimensional world but not yet totally fulfilled until we die. Therefore, there is a reality about how we are living out our lives on a day-to-day basis in these parables.

Some say that there must be levels of heaven, levels of nearness to God determined by how great is an individual’s rewards or lack of rewards. This sounds to me like man’s idea of earning things. Man is so performance-based that some even think of heaven that way. As I see it, salvation is by grace alone and Christ alone. And heaven is certainly the ultimate expression of God’s grace – UNMERITED FAVOR.

I don’t want to discount some kind of reward from God after we die (God can certainly do whatever He chooses to do), but I believe that the rewards that are described in these two parables are given in the here and now and will enable us to more effectively serve our fellow man.

[Back to Home]