Today’s Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 25 verses 14 through 29:
14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.”21His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” 23His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 24Then 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; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” 26But 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? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For 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.
Jesus said:
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Today’s Lesson is a parable about God and how we see God. In what light we see God determines how we think of God and what God requires. If we see God as a harsh and domineering master then we will act accordingly. We will either act to please the master out of fear, or reject and rebel against the master out of disgust. The latter was the third man’s choice in the parable; it’s an understandable choice given how he sees.
But what in the parable suggests the master is a harsh and domineering? The master is generous with his own and willing to share it with his subjects. While the whole Master/Subject analogy is distant and even problematic for us now, in Jesus’ time the parable would have suggested a perhaps subversive generosity from the Master and on behalf of the servants. Those who are given a little to begin with are given much in the end. What kind of master shared with his subjects in such a way?
But the third man in the parable does not see it. He expects the master to be harsh and domineering and to demand more than is just. In the end, his vision of the master shades his whole experience and determines his own fate.
God is our master. God is our sovereign. But God is not master or sovereign in the way of the world’s masters and sovereigns. God is good. God is kind. God is generous.
And if we see God in another light that has more to do with us and our own dominions of darkness than it does the kingdom of light.
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