Upon hearing that Jesus entered Jericho, a wealthy publican, short of stature, named Zacchaeus climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Him. When Jesus passed by where he was, He looked up, called him by name, and asked to go with him to his home. When his neighbors heared that the Master was spending time with a “sinner,” they murmured. Zacchaeus, understanding how his neighbors felt about him and probably feeling self-conscious of his standing as a publican, explained to Jesus his efforts to help the poor and reconcile with those he may have harmed. Hearing this and knowing his neighbors’ judgmental thoughts about Zacchaeus and their expectation that “the kingdom of God should immediately appear,” the Savior told them that—

This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:9-10).

He then gave them the parable of the pounds or as Matthew puts it the “parable of the talents.” There is so much to consider in this story about a nobleman, his servants, and the pounds or talents he gave them. I want to touch on a few things here.

In the parable, before leaving to receive his kingdom, the nobleman leaves money with 10 servants and a charge to make more of it. I find it interesting that though there was an expectation that his servants would make money from his money, he didn’t explain how they should do it. I imagine that at some point he taught them the different ways to work with his wealth. Since he was going to be gone for a considerable period of time to be crowned a king, he wasn’t entrusting this responsibility to rookies. According to Luke’s account, he gave these servants a total that was the equivalent of three years an individual worker’s wages. Each of them received a tenth of that to work with.

“After a long time,” as Matthew puts it, he returned and required a reckoning of his servants’ return on his money. Nine of them had successfully fulfilled their duty to increase the value of what he entrusted them. Though some made more than others, the king extended them all an approbation and made them all rulers in his new kingdom by declaring–

Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matt. 25:21, 23)

Unfortunately, one of his servants, didn’t do anything with his money and received a completely different response. The servant attempted to mitigate the awkwardness and awfulness of his situation by exclaiming he feared failing and disappointing his master. He pointed to some perceived, well-known weaknesses in the king. From Matthew and Luke, we learn that this nobleman who became a king was known to be cruel, harsh, and hard to do business with. When the citizens of his new kingdom heard that he was going to accept his crown, they sent a delegation to inform him that they didn’t want him as their king (Luke 19:14). Undoubtedly, he wasn’t the best person to disappoint.

The king quickly caught on to the slothful servant’s attempt to put his failure on him and exclaimed that “Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.” (Luke 19:22) The king ordered his other servants to take the talent away from him, hand it to the one who had the most, and force him out of his presence.

In the past when I have read this, I thought how cruel the king was. Didn’t he appreciate that the servant didn’t lose his money? Why couldn’t he sympathize with his servant’s fear of failing? If he was going to take the servant’s talent or pound, why was he giving it to the one who had the most and not the one who had the least?

Though the amount he gave his servants was significant to them, it meant “very little” to him (Luke 19:17). His plan from the beginning, before he left, was to have them help him rule his kingdom. What they did with what he gave them would be a final test to prove they were prepared to rule as he expected them to. The opportunity to rule with him wasn’t one he was giving to just anyone. He appreciated them for trusting him and working with him.

The slothful servant probably wasn’t recently hired off the street. He had likely shown the nobleman of his worth in the past. This made his failure painful to the king. While his master was away, if the servant had questions of doubt and fear, he could have sent the king a message seeking clarification and assistance. Seeing his fellow servants working as their master expected, he could have reached out for help and encouragement from them. He didn’t do either. One must wonder what this servant did with his time considering that the king was gone for a “long time.”

The king incredulously asked him at one point, “Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?” (Luke 19:23). In other words, he asked him “Couldn’t you have at least put the money in a savings account so I could have made some interest on it?” Think about that for a moment.

Though the king would have certainly preferred that the servant had taken his colleagues’ cue in the way they worked, he probably wouldn’t have faulted him if he had just stuck the money in a low risk, interest-bearing account. Something is better than nothing. Yet, the slothful servant wasn’t bothered enough to even do that. For whatever reason, he didn’t even try. Whether he was too busy vacationing, sleeping, enjoying parties, reading books, playing games, feasting on food, holding grudges, or arguing with others, while the master was away, he procrastinated his work until it was too late. His feeble attempt to put his failure on his master failed.

What does this story mean for you and me? I believe that one thing that the Savior taught us through this parable is that He and His Father have given us one life to live to learn the lives They live. Their work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39) We received this opportunity to come to earth and gain a body to do the same work. In our premortal lives, we proved our faithfulness by exercising faith in the Savior, covenanting with the Father to follow His Son in fulfilling His will, and assisting Them in Their work (see Al 13:2-10, Abr 3:22-26). Through His Only Begotten Son, we have, in this life, an example, a template, or in other words the “the way, the truth, and the life” to come unto the Father and accomplish what He asks of us (John 14:6).

What does He and His Son ask of us? They want us to love and minister to others as They do. When we strive to keep the commandment to minister to others as They do, it’s easier and clearer to see, to feel, and to do to others as our Heavenly Father and Savior do. As we strive to keep all the commandments, the Holy Ghost reminds us and testifies to us that not only do the Father and the Son live but also that They love us, that They are aware of us, and that They do good things for us. When we know this, we are better able to know of Their love for others. Knowing this helps us minister to them.

In our fallen world, it is so easy for all of us to forget why we’re here and what we’re supposed to do. Our adversary who hopes to hurl us to hell is constantly enticing us to do things that are wrong and distracting us from doing those things that are right. If we heed him and his minions by spending very little time comforting, strengthening, teaching, forgiving, lifting, and loving our fellow brothers and sisters because we’re too busy satisfying our own desires and pleasures, it should be very little surprise, at the last day, when the Savior leaves us out of the soul satisfying and exalting experiences, He and His Father have prepared for us.

The wonderful thing is that They’re not expecting all of us to be ten talent servants. We just need to truly try. Our sincere efforts will be seen a success in the eyes of the Father and the Son. They understand that we may fail even when we try. Unlike the cruel king, They are kind, caring, compassionate, forgiving, long suffering, gracious, good, and merciful. When our efforts fall short, and they will, They will make, what we perceive are crumbs, loaves in the mouths of those we minister to.

Yesterday, a man passed away who had an amazing impact on people’s lives. He and his wife were ministering angels sent by God to me during a difficult period of my life. Like Zacchaeus, he was a man short of stature who sought to be in the Savior’s presence. He was quiet by nature, yet powerful in the Spirit. As I sorrowed and wept throughout the day because of the loss of someone who was like a father to me, I received a call from a good friend in another state, who is like a brother to me. I shared with him the loss of my dear friend and the sorrow I felt from it. After a long conversation, my dear friend asked if he could call me back because he arrived at a store to purchase something. I agreed.

While he waited to pay for what he picked up, he overheard a store associate lamenting to a colleague the loss of a dear friend. Because of our conversation, my friend asked the man about this person who passed away. The associate told him that he was in Utah and that his name was Sherman Williams. Shocked by what he heard, he shared with him our conversation. This was the same person whom I had been weeping about. The man’s melancholy demeanor was lightened. He then said to my friend, “This is the impact of the life of a good man.” Yes. It is.

This man who lived a quiet life and who persisted in ministering to others as the Father and Son would do is sweetly remembered today by many who were brought nearer to Them. In hushed tones and sacred prayers while wiping away tears, they thank Heavenly Father in the name of His Beloved Son that They sent Sherman to them. Now that he is home in that paradise that the Master promised to the faithful, I’m certain that sooner than later, he will hear from Him—

Sherman, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (Matt. 25:21, 23)

Sherman, we love you. We miss you. God be with you till we meet again.