Friday, November 11, 2011

The parable of the talents...

Scripture: Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30


This week the gospel lesson is the parable of the talents. We have studied God and man's justice and judgment, humility and weakness and power, abundance and scarcity, and what it takes to enter, be and act in the kingdom of God. Last week we studied the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, of being prepared and to act, of being alert so as not to miss the opportunity to see and do God's will. Last week the wise virgins would not share their oil with the foolish virgins - the foolish presumed the generosity of others. In the parable of the talents what do learn about generosity? Of giving of talents? What does the parable teach us about being in and participating in the kingdom of God? See John Donahue's "The Parousia is not for Wimps."
In "There's Two Sides to Every Story, the Rev. Linda Pepe tells us "a common thread that runs through both of these interpretations.  And that is, the perceptions of how each of the servants perceived the master determined his course of action. What do you get out the parable? How did the servants perceive the master? What did they do? How did the master perceive the servants? How does God perceive us, and others who are different than us?

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