Podcast: Play in new window
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Faithful Lord,
whose steadfast love never ceases
and whose mercies never come to an end:
grant us the grace to trust you
and to receive the gifts of your love,
new every morning,
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvellous things.
His own right hand and his holy arm
have won for him the victory.
The Lord has made known his salvation;
his deliverance has he openly shown in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness
towards the house of Israel,
and all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sound praises to the Lord, all the earth;
break into singing and make music.
Make music to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the voice of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sound praises before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea thunder and all that fills it,
the world and all that dwell upon it.
Let the rivers clap their hands
and let the hills ring out together before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
In righteousness shall he judge the world
and the peoples with equity.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading: Luke 12.39-48
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’
Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, “My master is delayed in coming”, and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating. But one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.’
Reflection
From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.
When we pause to meditate on these words we soon realize just how challenging they are. On Monday we read of the rich man whose harvest was so great that he felt the need to build larger barns to hold the abundance of his riches. That man gave no thought whatsoever to the needs of those less fortunate than himself. Yesterday, Jesus warned us of the need to be constantly ready for the moment when we will be judged for the way we have lived out our lives in this world. Today, Jesus is explicitly telling us that it is our Christian duty to use our God-given riches wisely.
The riches we are given come in many different forms. For some, those riches involve actual worldly wealth: large amounts of money and property, sometimes earned and sometimes inherited. For others, those riches manifest themselves in the form of skills and talents. Just think of the current popular television programme The Repair Shop, where a group of very talented people use their skills to bring joy back into the lives of those who have been disappointed by the deterioration of emotionally valuable artefacts. Whatever form the riches come in, we all have them. Every single person on this earth possesses a wealth that was God-given. Jesus is telling us to recognize those riches for what they are and to use them. We are not called to store them up as though they are exclusively ours.
Jesus said: From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.
What do these words mean to you? Do you treat them as just another one of those quirky sayings from the bible that are easy to gloss over and ignore? Do you take them more seriously than that? Do you understand the message but choose to impose your own limitations on just how much of yourself and your possessions you are prepared to share with others? Do you understand the message and look for every possible opportunity to bring Christian light and love into the lives of others through the riches, talents and skills God has given you?
Today’s challenge is obvious! How will your balance sheet look when it is examined by God himself?
Prayers of Intercession
Lord Christ, come among us with mercy and judgement. When you come may we be found prepared and ready to greet you with faith and hope. Set the heart of your Church on your redeeming presence.
Lord Christ, come among the nations with mercy and judgement. Keep those in government alert to your justice and peace. Expand the vision of your people to that of your eternity.
Lord Christ, come among our communities and homes with mercy and judgement. Mould us as a potter shapes clay. We are the work of your hands and rejoice in your gift.
Lord Christ, come among all who are ill with mercy and judgement. Give time to amend life and to be thankful for your love. Strengthen them in the palm of your hand.
Lord Christ, come among us at the hour of our death with mercy and judgement. Gather your faithful ones to your eternal home.
Prayer for the week
Most merciful God, we pray
for those who doubt your love;
for those who find it difficult to believe or to pray;
for those who have lost a faith they once possessed.
May the Holy Spirit enlighten their minds
and lead them into all truth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.
Hymn
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
and take me home — what joy shall fill my heart!
Then shall I bow in humble adoration
and there proclaim, ‘My God, how great thou art!’
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee,
‘How great thou art! How great thou art!’
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to thee,
‘How great thou art! How great thou art!’
Stuart K. Hine (1899–1989)