Living in the Spirit
November 16, 2014

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:14-30

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.” — Matthew 25:24-30

Paul says in Galatians 6:7: Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. Jesus is saying that this is not true regarding the master in our story. He reaps what he does not sow and harvests what he did not plant and he apparently expected the same from his staff. Paul also says: I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:6)

I don’t particularly like the Master in our story today. Harsh is a good descriptor of him but I bet he would do well in the business world today. I worked under a very powerful director in the first half of my career as a social worker. He was tough as nails and frankly most people were a little afraid of him. He had been recruited from the business world to oversee the state Department of Public Welfare, of all things, and he built an empire within it. He played politics as well as anyone. His power far exceeded the boundaries of Oklahoma.

My only direct interaction with him was in the wee hours of the morning on one of winter’s ice-stormed ravaged day when a newborn in a town about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City was brought to Children’s hospital near death. Surgery was needed and a blood sample from the mother who remained at the local hospital was an absolute necessity. The road for all intents and purposes was closed and air traffic was impossible. We arranged for the blood to be drawn and taken to the local bus station. A few treacherous hours on iced packed I-35 later, the bus driver handed the box with the blood in it to us and we transported it to the hospital. I have no idea what the Director was doing at the hospital at 1:00 am in the morning but he had been there when we made the arrangements and after the blood arrived he stuck his head in the door and asked, “Did we get it?” and I replied, “Yes”. “Good” was his response. The baby meant as much or more to him at that moment than anything else. I thought of Jesus in search of the lost lamb (Luke 15:1-7).

The lesson I take from this parable and my story is that God expects us to do all that we can using whatever we have at hand to move toward God’s kingdom here on earth, because that is exactly what God is doing all the time.

Prayer: Lord, make us all facilitators of the realization of your Kingdom here on earth. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.