Emails to God

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25:14-30

Dear God, I’ll admit that I’ve never liked this one. I’m good with the people who got paid the same for different amounts of work. I’m okay with the virgins who got locked out because they didn’t prepare to bring enough olive oil for their lamps. But this poor fellow who started out with low ability and then didn’t want to disappoint you by losing what he was given…I don’t know. I feel bad for him.

But even as I typed that I started to wonder (and I know this isn’t a real guy, but a parable), what did he do with his time after he buried his one talent? Did he work? Did he just sit around and talk to people? I would say that Jesus’s intimation here is that he was lazy wicked (verse 26). He did nothing with his time. So what am I doing with the time you’ve given to me? What am I doing with the ability you’ve given to me? The resources? The blessing?

Father, I saw a pastor ask on Facebook earlier today, “Does anyone think it is wrong to seek power for the sake of power?” I have never seen in any of these passage from Jesus about the kingdom of heaven the idea of accumulating power. The kingdom of heaven is described as a treasure that is worth everything I am to attain. He describes it as something that starts at a grassroots and then the power of it grows organically and attracts others to it. And he talks about the responsibilities the kingdom’s citizens have to love, forgive, work, and be ready, by loving you and loving others. Assuming I am one who has already given all that I am (as best as I know how) to you, help me to be someone who contributes to the growth of your kingdom through the organic nature of love and service, and to always be ready by doing what I can with what you are.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”

Matthew 25:1-13

Dear God, I am tired of waiting for your return. I’ll be honest. I try not to think much about it. So what does that mean? Who does that make me in this story? Am I a bridesmaid who fell asleep with extra oil, or am I a bridesmaid who fell asleep with no oil?

I think it’s safe to say that I’m in good company if I’m asleep. But even if I’m asleep, am I ready for your return? Am I doing what I need to do?

I read a social media post yesterday from a pastor I respect, but it was all about political parties and how one should be favored over the other because it encourages hard work. I couldn’t help but think about the scripture I read the day before about the parable of the workers who were hired at different times during the day. Then I thought that, to some extent, it’s apples and oranges to compare them, but I finally wondered, “What would Jesus say to that post? If he were here right now, what would he say about it?” Then my mind started to wander into thinking about what Jesus would have to say to me about any number of things I do or say throughout the day. No, I would say that I’ve definitely gone to sleep, and I am glad I don’t have to face Jesus in person on a moment-to-moment basis. I’m not sure I could hold up.

Father, I hope I’ve brought enough oil to get me through the night. I hope that even if I’m asleep, you’ll at least find me waiting at the door. I might not be the best worshipper, prayer, studier, listener, preacher, teacher, husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, boss, employee, etc., but I hope the fact that I’m trying to bring what I have to the table every day is enough. I do love you and I know that I need you. I guess that’s a start.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:1-14

 Dear God, this story takes a turn. When I read it I expect it to be an indictment on the people who didn’t come, but it’s not. Sure, that’s implied, but the real moral of the story is that the others who actually come have some responsibilities too. I’m a gentile, and I’m invited to the party, but I have some responsibilities.

Thinking about yesterday and the parable of the workers that get hired throughout the day, as I was just sitting here, I was reminded (maybe by the Holy Spirit) of a moment yesterday afternoon in which I was annoyed with someone kind of fit the description of a late-in-the-day worker. I saw a Facebook post by someone who I know doesn’t take their relationship with you very seriously, but they are very zealous about politics. They posted about a prayer movement that was coming to a nearby city in response to Portland and the unrest there. When I saw their post I rolled my eyes and judged them. “Give me a break,” I thought. “You don’t really care about bringing God into those, but you want people to think you do.” But sitting here this morning, the thought occurred to me that this might be my chance to help them get ready for the banquet. Maybe I should offer to attend this prayer service with them. Maybe this would open dialogue about what it’s like to submit to you and love you with all my heart, soul, and strength and love my neighbor as myself. Maybe I should stop condescending and look for opportunities to love, especially since I’m still not great at loving you with all of my heart, soul, and strength or loving my neighbor as myself.

Father, I’m so sorry. Thank you for speaking to me this morning. Be glorified through my life.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage[a] and sent them out to work.

3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.

6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’

7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’

“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’

8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’

16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
Matthew 20:1-16

Dear God, Jesus was really doing his best to offend these people. He wanted to make a point to them. Hey, it’s time to let go of yourself. It’s time to love God with all your heart, mind, and strength. It is time to truly love your neighbor as yourself. Root for your neighbor. Want the best for them even if they didn’t do everything as well as you did. Even if it costs you something.

I never noticed this little detail before (at least I don’t think I’ve notice it before), but in verse 8 Jesus says that the landowner paid the new guys first at the end of the day. Why? Well, he wanted to make sure the people hearing the story would understand that those who worked all day were there to see this “injustice.” If they had been paid first then they might have left before they realized the new guys got paid as much as they themselves had been paid. The landowner wasn’t being secretive or putting anything over on anyone. He didn’t have to answer to anyone. He could mete out mercy any way he saw fit.

So am I really prepared to root for all of my fellow people? Am I ready to cheer for those I perceive as lazy or hedonistic? Am I ready to welcome them into your kingdom and hope that they experience the peace that you offer?

Father, there is one aspect of this story that is lost. The workers who were hired early did actually get one thing that the other men didn’t get. They got the peace of knowing that they had work for the day and they would be able to feed their families that night. From the earliest parts of the day, they knew that and they also got the fulfillment of having done a full days work. There is a blessing that comes from that as well. The other men sat waiting. They were worried. They might have been hardworking, but they felt lazy. They probably felt judged by others who walked by and questioned why they weren’t working (they were certainly judged by those who had been hired earlier). No, there was a joy that the early workers experienced throughout the day that eluded the other workers until they too were hired. Help me to see those who are missing the joy that I have through being your servant and worshipper and to offer them work in your field.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen