Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Saturday after the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity Sunday

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)
 
25:14 “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. 15 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. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
 
19 “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 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.’
 
21 “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.’
 
22 “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.’
 
23 “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.’
 
24 “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. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
 
26 “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. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
 
28 ‘Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 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. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”
 
Devotion
 
The parable of the talents must be read together with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. In both parables the main thrust is the good use one makes with gifts. Spiritual gifts, and particularly the gift of faith, is what is in view here. It is a question of what one does with the spiritual life they have been given.
 
What does the believer do with the faith he or she has been given? It isn’t a matter of how much one does with the gift, but if one does anything at all. Have you kept your faith alive or have you let the lamp go out? Have you at least got interest on the original deposit of faith? This is only done through Word and Sacrament. Those Christians who neglect the Word and Sacrament put themselves in danger of losing even the weak faith they have.
 
Too many Christians have lax attitudes concerning the use they make of the gifts of God. They let entertainment and leisure hinder their walk with Christ. They do not appreciate the Word and Sacraments that are readily and bounteously available to them. How often do we see Christian young people go off to university and neglect their faith? Those with the blessings of intellect, health, and wealth should be the first to return thanks for all they have.
 
We pray: Lord, let us be grateful for the faith You have given us, and let us be an example to the young so they might be grateful as well. Amen.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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