Week of November 16, 2008

Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18

Matthew 25:14-30

Zephaniah says, Listen!  The Day of The Lord is near.  At that time, God will punish those who have succumbed to the temptation to deny that God can intervene in the world's affairs, or the temptation to embrace patchwork religious practices, or the temptation to live indifferently and complacently.  Such persons are bringing terrible consequences upon themselves when the Day of The Lord arrives.  None of their wealth or achievements can save them.

In Matthew, Jesus tells of three servants who are charged with the responsibility of managing a master's property.  Two of the servants risk their share of the property by investing it, and they double their money.  They are good and faithful servants who deserve a reward.  The third servant plays it safe by hiding his share and thereby preserving it for the hard master.  He is an evil, lazy worker.  A simple parable until you remember that God is not a ruthless, hard boss, but God is love.  So how do we live in God's free-grace world?  Play it safe?  Invest ourselves in order to please a tyrannical master?  Neither?  What do you think?