Most born-again believers concentrate on their activities in life here on earth. Relatively little thought is given to what they will be doing in heaven after they depart from this life.
That is the predominant thinking in believers in churches in the West, or in churches outside the West having roots in the Western Church. “In this life I do my utmost to receive God’s blessings here and now, and when I die I’ll go to heaven.”
But that was not the perspective of the early disciples of our Messiah Jesus.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
So what does Scripture teach about what we will be doing in heaven “above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God”?
Among other things, Scripture teaches—perhaps a bit unbelievably to many believers—that we will be “reigning with Christ”. Exactly what will that entail?
_______________
.
2 Timothy 2:11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him.
Scripture here teaches about how those who “died with him” and “endure” will reign in eternity with Jesus. Exactly how will they reign with Him? We discover a rarely taught truth in the parable of the ten minas in Luke.
Luke 19:11 While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’
20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’
24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’
25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”
The first servant turned the master’s one mina into ten minas for his master. His reward in his master’s kingdom was authority over TEN of his master’s cities. The second servant turned the master’s one mina into five minas. His reward was authority over FIVE of his master’s cities. The stunning reward given to each servant—a measure of authority over his master’s kingdom—was proportional to how much the servant had earned for his master before the master’s return. And it was much, much more than they actually deserved. Their “trustworthiness in a small matter” earned for them truly awesome authority to rule in their master’s kingdom far above and beyond what they deserved—if based solely on what they actually earned for their master.
It is very important to repeat that the third servant who chose to do nothing with what the master had entrusted to him ended up with absolutely nothing.
“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
It must be added that the similar parable of the three servants in Matthew 25 concludes with what the master did to the “wicked” third servant.
Matthew 25:30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
That can only refer to hell for the third servant.
Much more can be written about this subject. But the above is very serious food for thought—especially for those who consider themselves servants of our Messiah Jesus.
In the economy of the Kingdom of God, the “rich” get much, much richer, and the “poor” get much, much poorer.