Today’s Lectionary Readings: Psalm 75; Isaiah 2:12-22; Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Psalm 62
Today’s parable from the Gospel of Matthew is one of my favorite parables. It’s one of my favorites because it makes a valuable point about how the way we perceive “the master” affects the way we live our lives. In the parable of the talents, the master gives three individuals a different sum of money. Two of the individuals invest (and subsequently grow) their money; the third individual doesn’t. He simply buries the money and produces it when the master reappears. The most fascinating aspect of the parable for me is when the third individual reveals the reason for his cautious approach; he says to the master: “I knew that you are a hard man… so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:24-25 – NIV). So many of us are like the third individual. Instead of taking out the talents that God has given us and using them, we bury them: afraid to take a risk. I love this morning’s parable because it explicitly invites us to take risks with the blessings God has given us. In fact, it suggests that’s what God expects of us. During this Advent season, I invite you to CONSIDER different ways God is calling you to take a risk and THEN step forward and actually TAKE that risk. While I know the experience can be terrifying, relax: the master we serve is loving and gracious and will appreciate whatever returns come from your risk. Ironically, the only real risk we ever take in our spiritual lives is the choice to play it safe. Til next time…
Today’s parable from the Gospel of Matthew is one of my favorite parables. It’s one of my favorites because it makes a valuable point about how the way we perceive “the master” affects the way we live our lives. In the parable of the talents, the master gives three individuals a different sum of money. Two of the individuals invest (and subsequently grow) their money; the third individual doesn’t. He simply buries the money and produces it when the master reappears. The most fascinating aspect of the parable for me is when the third individual reveals the reason for his cautious approach; he says to the master: “I knew that you are a hard man… so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground” (Matthew 25:24-25 – NIV). So many of us are like the third individual. Instead of taking out the talents that God has given us and using them, we bury them: afraid to take a risk. I love this morning’s parable because it explicitly invites us to take risks with the blessings God has given us. In fact, it suggests that’s what God expects of us. During this Advent season, I invite you to CONSIDER different ways God is calling you to take a risk and THEN step forward and actually TAKE that risk. While I know the experience can be terrifying, relax: the master we serve is loving and gracious and will appreciate whatever returns come from your risk. Ironically, the only real risk we ever take in our spiritual lives is the choice to play it safe. Til next time…
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