Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:31-46, taken today from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The call Jesus places on our lives is not to serve Him directly, but by loving and serving each other show our love and obedience to Him. Jesus needs nothing from us but we have been given much to share with our brothers and sisters. This is the lesson Jesus teaches here.

In this passage we are told that those who ignore the needs of others will be ignored at the last judgement. We will be treated as we have treated those who needed our help. We are meant to care and connect with each other as He did.

In this scripture we learn that following Jesus means being like Him, sharing God’s love and the gifts we have been given for everyone’s good. We may not be able to meet every need we encounter but we can pray for a solution and help find resources we may not have ourselves. This is loving your neighbor as yourself in action.

Gracious God, we have been gifted and given the knowledge to share Your love and blessings with everyone. Help us to be alert to the needs around us, physical and spiritual, that we might love others as You first loved us. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:31-46, taken today from the Common English Bible (CEB).

“Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.”

Jesus has told us many times that He will return and there will be a reckoning for us. While we know we can’t earn our way into salvation by what we do, how we treat one another is important. We show our love for Him by loving each other.

This lesson has some very specific guidance about caring for God’s children but it is also meant to make us think – what other needs remain to be met? Feeding and clothing and visiting are essential to our wellbeing, but there are many other gifts we are given to be used for His work. Are we actively looking for ways to be in service?

Jesus doesn’t just want us to help when we are asked or when the opportunity drops in our lap. We are called to go and find the last, the least and the lost, to share God’s love proactively. Jesus sends us out with general orders to accomplish, the details are up to us.

Loving Lord, we are often slow to see the needs of our brothers and sisters. Help us to hear and act in Your name, bringing the joy of a connection with You to everyone. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:31-45, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Jesus continues to teach us about His return and what will be expected of us. He speaks of the judgement that will take place, when God separates those who have been obedient to His commandments from those who have not. This is hard for us to hear, but the unfaithful will not enter His rest.

Jesus tells us the importance of showing our love for God by the way we treat others. When we neglect this obligation to others, we neglect our duty to God. Jesus says it is as if we didn’t take care of Him.

We can best share the love of God by using the gifts we are given to care for each other. When we are connected to one another this way, we are connected to Christ Himself. Look for a way to use the resources God has given you!

Gracious God, we sometimes forget to use Your gifts wisely and for the good of others. Help us to see the needs in our world and help meet them through Your love. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:14-30, taken today from the English Standard Version (ESV).

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Jesus will return, like the Master in the story and we will be accountable for what we have and have not done. The gifts we have are intended for the good of the world. He told us “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house” (Matthew 5:14-15).

The lazy servant buried his gift, not using it for anything. God wants us to be aware of what we are called to do for others, to be engaged in His work. We must look for opportunities to multiply the love of God in our world, much as the first two servants used their gifts.

Even in the difficult times we are facing there are ways for us to continue sharing our faith. Showing concern for other’s well-being, staying in touch with those we may not see regularly and looking for opportunities to help are all part of using our gifts well. God will bless our efforts in His name!

Loving Lord, we are humbled that You chose us to be part of Your plan. Help us to use Your gifts to us energetically and wisely. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:14-30, taken today from the New King James Version (NKJV).

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Has someone ever trusted you to care for something of theirs – a pet, a plant, a house? Did you try harder to care for their things than you did your own? That is the feeling Jesus wants us to have about the gifts God has given us.

While we say “our gifts”, they really belong to God, as does all of creation. God has given these wonderful things for our use and expects us to employ them wisely, for the good of all His children. This is the reason Jesus teaches the Parable of the Unproductive Servant.

He tells us “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). We are taught and gifted and sent to tell others. God wants us to be part of His work, sharing His truth and love with all the world.

Gracious God, thank You for the wonderful things we are given to use in our work for the kingdom. Help us to be strong and courageous even when our tasks are hard. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:14-30, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents. In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more. But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. “Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’ “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’ “Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’ “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed? Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’ “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus tells us that we were created for a purpose. Our lives and the world around us are gifts from God to be used for His glory and to tell everyone of the joy of our connection with Him. When we use these as He intended, we and all creation are blessed.

The lazy slave in this parable serves as a warning not to hide our gifts from the world. God expects more from us than just daily survival. He made us in His image to be in relationship with Him and each other.

Ignoring the task He has for us means missing the goal of the kingdom work planned for us. Jesus said “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Use the gift you have been given to show others how great God is and what He has done in your life.

Loving Lord, we have been blessed beyond measure by Your gifts to us. Help us to use them well, that all the world may come to You. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:14-30, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. In the same way the man with two earned two more. But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’ “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned. “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Our understanding of this parable is hampered by the translation to English, the two thousand years of history between us, and the difference in our cultures. Trying to make it fit today is difficult if we don’t understand the circumstances, we get lost in the “but what about this?” details. Jesus wants us to hear the facts in the story over anything else.

Some translations use the term “servant” and others “slave”, and in our society these are loaded terms. We need to listen and understand the facts in the lesson without being distracted by this. Perhaps if the story said “employees” we could move into the teaching more easily.

The fact that sometimes gets lost in this parable is that the master trusts his people. He is counting on them to continue the business while he is away. Jesus gives us instructions to continue his ministry and the gifts to do so, just as did the master in the parable. We are called to be partners in His kingdom work.

Loving Lord, help us to hear Your call, see the needs and share Your love in the world. Let us be the workers You intend us to be. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 25:14-30, taken today from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Many find this parable hard to understand and are concerned about the treatment of the third servant. The master seems unfair to react so harshly. The servant didn’t do anything wrong, but then again, he didn’t do anything right.

Too often this parable is misunderstood as “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”, which is not what Jesus is telling us. He is speaking not about wealth in the earthly sense but the gifts God has given and the responsibility to use them as God intended. In verses 21 and 23 the master commends those who have done something with what they were given – “you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master”.

We must look at this lesson as being about using what we are given wisely and enthusiastically. God doesn’t want His gift to us buried and unused, it is intended for the good of His children. When we share our blessings, they are multiplied by God’s love.

Gracious God, we have been given wonderful gifts as part of Your plan. Help us see where they are needed and use them for the good of Your people. Amen.

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.

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.