Who's Hard?

Matthew 25:24-25 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’”
 
JESUS seems to be describing himself as a hard master, one who is over-demanding and unreasonable to expect his servants to diligently use their Kingdom gifts. Let’s look, though, at the “hard master” from your perspective.
   Our habit is to easily excuse a persistent, faithful following of Jesus with such words as, “It’s too hard, Jesus. You are too demanding to require that I turn from my life I’m enjoying to follow you into places I do not want to go. I don’t understand how you can tell me to do something I’ve not done before. What if I fail? What if I don’t like it? I need some time to think about what you are commanding me to do. You require too much of me, Lord Jesus. Your “right and wrong” teachings are too difficult to understand and seem impossible to do. Can’t you allow us to live an easier faith that is less demanding?”
   Our natural tendency is to have little, if any, desire to deny ourselves. We work too hared to achieve, don’t we? To match our reluctant hearts, churches seem to make membership convenient without commitment. Certainly it’s unreasonable that God requires us to obey his difficult, self-denying, cross-bearing and soul-stretching life! After all, he loves us, doesn’t he?  
   Yes, we are too often as the servant who hid his talents in the ground. We hide our salvation under a cover and excuse our disobedience, “It’s okay. Jesus loves me, and he understands I’m not qualified to do these hard Kingdom works.” We are fearful the Master, who paid it all, will find us unwilling to pay him at all.
   But the truth is, Jesus requires you to stand before him one day. He will call you to give an account of your life. You will need to tell him why you thought your own comfort was worth more than the cross. You will have to declare to the Lord why you buried his teachings, so you could be lord of your life while he was not.
   Jesus is not a hard Master. He is a hard-working, sacrificing Servant. He is the Son of God, who so loved the world he came to die. By grace through faith, he has saved us, so we sinners might have life and have it to the full.
   Perhaps it is our hearts that are hard.