"A Pound of Silver"

Luke 19.13 NLT

“Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’ ”

As a marriage prospect, I did not bring much to the table. The object of my desire was a successful, professional woman with a nice home and financial security. Adonica was 29, single, never married, and without kids. She was sincere, kind, talented, and very beautiful. I was smitten. I prayed, “Lord, if you give me this woman, I will love and cherish her every single one of our remaining days on earth.” My odds weren’t good. I was older, divorced with five children, battling for custody of the kids, swimming in debt, and attempting a career change. Like Lloyd Christmas played by Jim Carrey in the 1994 comedy “Dumb and Dumber,” I mentally fumbled through a similar marriage proposal:

Lloyd: What are the chances of a guy like you and a girl like me... ending up together?

Mary: Well, that’s pretty difficult to say.

Lloyd: Hit me with it! I’ve come a long way to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?

Mary: Not good.

Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?

Mary: I’d say more like one out of a million. 

Lloyd: [pause, then with a foolish smile] So you’re telling me there’s a chance!

I hoped to appear a little less stupid and naïve than Lloyd, and I remember the conversation precisely. When the time seemed right, in December 1995, I mustered and spilled my guts:

Me: Do I have a chance?

Adonica: Yes. (I was ecstatic, but tried to control my enthusiasm.)

Me: OK then! But what would a nice girl like you see in a guy like me?

Adonica: Dave, I see our relationship as an investment. I think you’re going to pay off.

“So you’re telling me there’s a chance,” I thought. She believed in me! That’s all I needed. I spent 19 years, 5 months, and 7 days in a glorious marriage determined to keep this woman happy with her choice and, up until the moment she died, she continually reminded me that she was. What more could any man want? I was so incredibly blessed to have Adonica by my side for over two decades. 

Jesus also believes in me and offers me an eternity with Him. He apparently considers His relationship with me (and the rest of humanity) to be an excellent investment. The Lord trusts me to multiply my “pounds of silver.” I can literally make Jesus Christ happy with His choice and someday “enter into the joy of [my] master” (Matthew 25.21). Within me is every God-given resource I need to please Him. It takes faith because “without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11.6). I must fully trust Him and apply a little diligence but, by His grace, I have what it takes to win His happiness.

Jesus will return, maybe sooner than I think. In the meantime His expectation is clear:

“...ten pounds of silver... Invest this for me while I am gone.”