We must return life with profit

 

Welcome to my blog. Peace be with you.

It is appointed unto men, once to die and after that the judgement.

Life is God’s great gift to us. It is put into our hands to make the best of it for the glory of God and as a result for our glory too. We are to return it, when that day comes, with the interest of a life of love and justice.

Sunday 15 November 2020

We must return life with profit

 

Second reading

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 ·

God will bring with him those who have died in Jesus

You will not be expecting us to write anything to you, brothers, about ‘times and seasons’, since you know very well that the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. It is when people are saying, ‘How quiet and peaceful it is’ that the worst suddenly happens, as suddenly as labour pains come on a pregnant woman; and there will be no way for anybody to evade it.

But it is not as if you live in the dark, my brothers, for that Day to overtake you like a thief. No, you are all sons of light and sons of the day: we do not belong to the night or to darkness, so we should not go on sleeping, as everyone else does, but stay wide awake and sober.

 

Gospel

Matthew 25:14-30

You have been faithful in small things: come and join in your master's happiness

Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of Heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out.

‘The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

‘Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.”

‘His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.”

‘Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’

 

Prayerful reflection

In the reading to the Thessalonians St. Paul talks of the Day of Lord. This is the day when the Lord Jesus will come again in glory to judge the human race. The early Christians thought it was imminent. It has not yet happened. But there is another day of the Lord which is imminent and crucial to each of us. It is the moment of our death. Then the Lord calls each one. On that day, our time in this life will be over. Try what we may, we cannot extend it. In Hebrews 9:27 the Word of God says: ‘it is appointed unto men once to die and after that comes the judgement.’

The Gospel gives the parable of the master who gives the talents to each one and then goes away. God has given precious talents to each of us. But we have to give and account and also have used the talent for the glory of God. As the one who has ten talents is given the extra one, so when we use the talents for God’s glory they redound to our glory too. There are many different talents. But he has given one precious talent to each and that is life itself. We cannot just live as we feel like living. Life is God’s gift to us. Likewise, if he has given the gift of faith in Jesus, we must use that gift for the glory of God.

When death comes, so does the day of the Lord for us. Then will judgement be passed on the way we have lived and the way we have used the gift of faith. If I have lived well – in love, justice and peace – then I will receive the commendation of the Lord and eternal life. Likewise if having received the gift of faith, I have lived in love of Jesus and of others and kept the commandments of God then eternal life will be mine. Otherwise I will be thrown into the darkness where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

Heaven and hell are full of sinners. Hell is full of those who knew but would not repent and return to the Lord. Heaven is full of sinners who repented and came back to God and did his will. Life is on loan. It is not our property. We must return it with the interest of justice  and love.