11/10/20

Our scripture this week is from Matthew 25:14-30, taken today from the Common English Bible (CEB).

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey. “After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’ “The second servant also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’ “Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’ “His master replied, ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I harvest grain where I haven’t sown and that I gather crops where I haven’t spread seed? In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. Therefore, take from him the valuable coin and give it to the one who has ten coins. Those who have much will receive more, and they will have more than they need. But as for those who don’t have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. Now take the worthless servant and throw him out into the farthest darkness.’ “People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.”

In some translations this is called the Parable of the Talents. A talent was a measure of weight applied to gold and silver. The master in this story is entrusting the wealth of his household to these servants for them to manage in his absence. Jesus is telling us that like these servants, we have a obligation to God and each other for putting to good use that which we have been given.

When God created us He gave us each something valuable, a skill to be shared with others. Additionally, He gave us charge over His creation, an incredible gift and an enormous responsibility. We often lose sight of the requirements this entails and the tremendous trust God has placed in us to use this gift well.

Jesus also left us with a responsibility for kingdom work – to share the Good News with everyone, everywhere. This is nothing less than carrying on His ministry, to care for each other and share God’s love. Like the master in the story, our Master will return and He will expect an accounting of what we have done with His riches.

Gracious God, we are amazed that You call us to be part of Your work and that You give us such gifts to use here. Help us to be productive servants, letting all people know the joy of our relationship with You. Amen.

11/9/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:14-30, today from the New International Version (NIV).

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold 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. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

This is another lesson about Jesus’ return and what is expected of us. It speaks of our gifts and the responsibility to use them well. The “wicked, lazy servant” is said to represent the Scribes and Pharisees, who been given the gift of God’s law but did nothing with it to benefit their Master or others.

We are all gifted differently but we are all expected to use them in a manner that glorifies God and lifts up those around us. When we fail to do this, our gifts are wasted, as if we’d buried them in the ground. Jesus spoke often of our blessings and why it was important to share them.

Think of something that you are good at because of God’s gift to you, and make a conscious effort to use it today. The blessing we receive is never diminished when we use it, instead it is ready to use again and often made stronger through our sharing. God is with us when we use His gifts well.

Loving Lord, we often ignore the wonderful things You have placed in us and miss the joy of sharing them with others. Help us to be willing servants, ready to use our gifts for the good of others. Amen.

11/8/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13, today from the New King James Version (NKJV).

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

The parable of the bridesmaids is a lesson on being ready, but what does that mean to us as Christ’s followers? It teaches that we are to wait for His return, doing as He has taught us. This is patient waiting but also active waiting.

Jesus didn’t tell us “learn the lessons, then sit quietly over there”, He calls us to go into the world to make a difference! We are to share His story and His love with everyone, ensuring they hear God’s promise of salvation. Some of the bridesmaids are prepared and some are not, we are warned to be ready through their example.

Jesus has taught us the most important things are loving God and each other. By sharing what God has done in our lives, we help others make that connection and commitment. Keep the lamp of faith burning strong in your life, shine it on others that they too may live in God’s light.

Gracious God, help us to be the servants You call us to be, ready to share our story with the world that all may know the joy of a relationship with You. Amen.

11/7/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13, today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

When the time comes, it is too late to get ready. We must be prepared in advance. Like the warnings we receive of impending severe weather, we have been told that Jesus is returning. No amount of frantic action on our part will be effective then.

Jesus doesn’t want us to miss out on the blessing He brings, so He tells us many times in scripture “be ready”. In Luke 21:36 Jesus says “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” We won’t be able to say we didn’t know He was coming when that day arrives.

For all the important and dire sounding words, Jesus doesn’t want us to be afraid. He said we won’t know when but we know what to expect. He tells us this that we may be ready to welcome Him back, set to receive the gift of salvation promised to those who are faithful.

Loving Lord, we don’t always understand but we always trust inYou. Help us to stay ready, loving God and one another, and keeping watch until Your return. Amen.

11/6/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13, today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them; but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps. Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there finally was a shout: ‘Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ However, the prudent ones answered, ‘No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

Waiting is not something people do willingly. I don’t know anyone who says “I hope I get to stand in a long line today!” We are an impatient people and most of us rank waiting as a primary annoyance.

Why then does God make us wait for the coming of the kingdom? We don’t want to be patient, we want it now! There is the problem, what we want, not what God wants. Waiting means we are not in control.

God led the children of Israel in the desert for forty years. It was several hundred years before the coming of the Messiah. It has now been almost two thousand years since Jesus was here. God’s time is not our time and we must learn to be patient, doing the work we have been called to until God calls us home.

Loving Lord, we are anxious and afraid. We want the resolutions of our problems to be quick and easy. Help us to trust You and wait until the appointed time. Amen.

11/5/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ “The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’ “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’ “He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’ “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.

Jesus says that being ready for His return, whenever God commands it, is the most important task we have. He has used many examples such as this to explain God’s plan for us and our part in His kingdom. All of these point to a call on our lives, a duty to respond, not just listen.

The gifts God gives us imply a responsibility to use them for the good of His children. We have often abused those gifts, using them only for ourselves instead of for God’s purpose. When we use His creation wrongly, we waste the gift and the opportunity we were given to advance His kingdom.

While God needs no help from us, He has graciously called us to take part in what He does. Jesus told us to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). Sharing His love so others may recognize their gifts and use them wisely is part of being ready for His return.

Merciful God, we are sorry for the times we ignore Your gifts and our responsibility to Your kingdom. Make us strong in Your love to share the Good News with everyone. Amen.

11/4/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13, taken today from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

This parable is difficult in several ways, but one of the confusing points is this: why wouldn’t the wise bridesmaids share their oil with those who had none? This seems to go against what Jesus teaches about caring for one another. The problem is that Jesus isn’t talking about oil or any earthly commodity.

When we talk about sharing our faith, it means we tell our story, explaining our relationship with God and how He has worked in our lives. We offer others an invitation but it is up to them to accept God’s gift and live in faith. This is a personal responsibility, no one can do it for us.

The wise bridesmaids in the parable were those who were prepared, even though the wait was long. The foolish bridesmaids weren’t ready for the bridegroom’s arrival and were caught without what was needed. When Christ returns we must all be ready, and it is up to each of us individually to make the preparations in our lives.

Loving Lord, we hear Your promise to return for us. Help us to live in readiness, receiving the gift of faith and using it in our lives every day. Amen.

11/3/20

This week I’ll be including scripture from several different translations. Yesterday’s was from the New International Version (NIV), today’s from the Common English Bible (CEB). I usually read from a variety of bibles over the week, finding the somewhat different wording adds to my understanding of the lesson. However, I always find the same message no matter what words are used. God is constant and consistent and His word and His love are unchanging.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil. “When the groom was late in coming, they all became drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the groom! Come out to meet him.’ “Then all those bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. But the foolish bridesmaids said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps have gone out.’ “But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘No, because if we share with you, there won’t be enough for our lamps and yours. We have a better idea. You go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were gone to buy oil, the groom came. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding. Then the door was shut. “Later the other bridesmaids came and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us.’ “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore, keep alert, because you don’t know the day or the hour.

Jesus teaches us about patience in this parable. We are not patient people by and large, tending to become frustrated when we aren’t able to get things done as we’d like. We always seem to be in a hurry, wanting everything to happen now!

Jesus says God’s kingdom doesn’t work like that and all our petty agitation at having to wait won’t change His plan. Instead of becoming angry, we should ask ourselves “What does God want me to learn in this time He has given?” I have a good friend who prays for people in the store while waiting in line. He uses the gift of waiting to calm himself and intercede for others.

If we look at these interruptions in our schedule as God’s blessing rather than impediments, we may develop a more patient attitude with ourselves and others. When you are delayed today, pause and ask God what He has to show you in that moment. You may find things you would have missed if you had just hurried on through your day.

Gracious God, help us to slow down and pay attention. Show us the benefit of spending time in prayer and enjoying the wonder of Your creation. Amen.

11/2/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:1-13.

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

In this lesson Jesus teaches about being ready for the coming of the kingdom, using the illustration of a wedding party awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. While this example may seem strange to us, it was the custom of that time and those who heard would understand. Waiting for the bridegroom to arrive was a sometimes boring duty, but the party would begin after that.

Jesus teaches us that we must wait patiently for His return as well and we will “not know the day or the hour” (v. 13). Why must it be a surprise? Why can’t Jesus tell us when it will be? Mark 13:32 says “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father“.

In Acts 1:7 He tells the disciples “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority”. God doesn’t have to explain Himself to anyone, even the Son and the angels, and certainly not to us. He wants us to be ready at any time, always keeping His commandments and sharing His love.

Wise and wonderful God, we are curious about many things and often seek to know that which is not meant for us. Help us to focus on what is most important – our connection to You and others through Your love. Amen.

11/1/20

Our scripture this week is Matthew 23:1-12.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father–the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Jesus explains that those who seek power and position for themselves are not hearing God’s call. He’s not saying that leadership is bad, instead He teaches that leaders must be responsible to God and those whom they serve. This is a very foreign concept in a world ruled by monarchs and military force.

Jesus tells the people “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted” (v. 12). This is a complete surprise to everyone, including His disciples. Later, He teaches “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Jesus shows this servant leadership by washing their feet, a task normally performed by the lowest servant in the household.

Do we sometimes feel we are above the things Jesus calls us to do? We need to remember His love for all of us and His willingness to do whatever was necessary that we might be saved. We each have responsibilities to God and each other, and we must carry them out no matter how menial or thankless. Jesus did no less and He expects no less of us.

Loving Lord, sometimes it’s hard for us to accept our place and the things You ask of us. Help us to be humble servants of Your kingdom and Your children. Amen.