Experiencing God - What Has God Entrusted to You 191

"From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and from the one to whom much has be entrusted, even more will be demanded."
Gospel of Luke

Entrusted, in this sense means: "to be given responsibility for".  A lawyer is often entrusted with funds from his clients.  That's why they are called trust funds.  The lawyer is then responsible for the proper distribution of those funds to the beneficiaries.  If he or she fails to do that, they are in breach of trust.

The concept of "being entrusted" comes out very strongly in Paul's letter to the Ephesians.  St. Paul says:  "For surely you have already heard of the commission of God's grace that was given me for you."  In the Jerusalem Bible, it is translated even more clearly.  "You have probably heard how I have been entrusted by God with the grace that God meant for you."  He has been entrusted with something that must be shared, and of course, he takes this very seriously.  If he did not follow through, he would be in breach of trust.  

In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, Jesus is telling little stories to illustrate this point.  Each of us as Christians, as people who live with others in community or society have been entrusted with something that is very special, that must be shared.  It could be this, or it could be that, depending on the individual, but it all relates to our faith in God.  Jesus says: "Happy the servant whom His master will find at work with this task when He arrives.  Truly, I tell you, this person will be put in charge of all of His possessions."  And of course we hear also the other side of the story.  What if we are not about the task that has been entrusted to us?

The question that I ask myself, and I throw it out to you: "If Jesus were to call on us today, would He find us at work with the task entrusted to us, or would He find us squabbling over boundaries, rules, who's right or who wrong, and many other things that serve only to distract us and divide us?

To be entrusted, as I said at the beginning, is to be given responsibility for.  It has to do with missioning.  St. Paul says in Ephesians: "I have been entrusted by God with a grace that is meant for you."  The "you" in this case are the gentiles - those without grace - at least at the moment - the intended beneficiaries of those chosen by God.

What is the mission in our communities in respect to all that has been entrusted to us?