Today's Gospel

What You Really Want to Hear

Welcome back to Radical and Relevant. Today's reading is from the Gospel of Luke 19:11-28. As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said, therefore, a nobleman went into a far country to receive kingly power and then return. Calling 10 of his servants, he gave them 10 pounds and said to them, "Trade with these till I come." But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him saying, "We do not want this man to reign over us." When he returned, having received the kingly power, he commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him. Then he might know what they had gained by trading. The first one came before him saying, "Lord, your pound has made 10 pounds more." And he said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Because you have been faithful in small things, you shall have authority over 10 cities."

And the second came saying, "Lord, your pound has made me 5 pounds." And he said to him, "And you are to be over five cities." Then another came saying, "Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid away in a napkin. For I was afraid of you because you are a severe man. You take up what you did not lay down. You reap what you did not sow." And he said to him, "I will condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a severe man taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming, I should have collected it with interest." And he said to those who stood by, "Take the pound from him and give it to him who has the 10 pounds." And they said to him, "Lord, he has 10 pounds." I tell you that to everyone who has will more be given, but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who do not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me." And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

What jumps out at you today? In these readings, Jesus has these phrases, these ideas, these words, sometimes that we can get lost in or we can get tripped up on. And one of those, we see one of those today. Jesus says, "I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but to he who has not, even what he has will be taken away." We could get tripped up on that. We could talk about that all day long. What did Jesus really mean? And there's a time and a place for that. But this exercise that we're doing, this spiritual exercise, it isn't about that. It's about allowing God to speak to you through a word, a phrase, or an idea in the gospel reading of the day that stirs something in you that you already see, you already know, you already understand, and you can act upon today. What word, phrase, or idea jumped out at you today?

The phrase that jumped out at me was how Jesus praised and encouraged the first servant. He said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant." And isn't that what we all want to hear? Isn't that ultimately what we want to hear from God at the end of our lives? And sometimes, it's easy to forget we're just passing through this place. We are pilgrims. We are not here forever. We're here for a short time. The goal is heaven. We're on pilgrimage. It's easy to forget that. It's easy to forget that we will have that encounter. Forget that we do want God to say to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant." How do we do that? We do that one day at a time, one moment at a time, one holy moment at a time. Let's get out there today and be good and faithful servants. Have a great day, and remember, don't just be yourself, be the very best version of yourself, all that God created you to be.