This week, we enter into a conversation that Jesus is having with his disciples towards the end of his life. The disciples ask for signs of the end of the present age and the coming of the new age, the coming of the messiah. They also ask to know when it will happen. Jesus describes the signs of the end, signs that are all around us and have been for centuries, and then answers the question of when. His answer is that He, himself, does not even know when His return will be. And then he tells a series of parables, the third of which is our parable for this week, The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30.
Within this parable Jesus invites us to shift the question from "when" to "what should we do until then?" In the first place, we should always be ready. Since we don't know when the return will happen, we should always be ready for Christ to return. Secondly, we should be faithful in how we live and how we use the resources that God has entrusted us with. The first two servants are rewarded not because they are successful, but because they are faithful. Thirdly, we should not fear failure but instead in faithfulness embrace risk. The Third servant is punished not because he did not make a profit, but because he allowed fear of failure to paralyze him when faithfulness necessitated some risk on his part.
As you consider the Parable of the Talents, reflect on these questions
in a time of silence, through journaling or in group dialogue.
1. What does it mean for us to always be ready for Christ's return? What does this look like in our daily lives?
2. What are the talents that you and/or Bethel has been entrusted with? How is God calling you/us to be faithful with those talents?
3. When has fear of failure paralyzed you or held you back from doing something? How have you moved beyond that fear?
4. The success of the first two servants came from their faithfulness and it involved risk. What risks are you/we being called to take on as we faithfully live out God's call on you/us?
5.Who in the parable do you identify with and why?
May Jesus richly bless you in this week ahead, leading you in His kingdom purposes. Amen
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