Reflective Bible Study

Shortly before switching away from Jesus’ teachings and onto sharing about the night Jesus was betrayed, Matthew shares in his gospel about a parable that shares several characteristics to one we looked at earlier this year from Luke’s gospel.

However, there are enough unique details in Matthew’s version of this parable to make me think Jesus spoke two similar parables at different times. While the parable in Luke is often called the parable of the ten servants, Matthew’s parable focuses in on three servants only, and because of this, it is known simply as the parable of the three servants.

Let’s read how Matthew shares this parable and discover some things we can learn from it. Our passage is found in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, and we will be reading from the New Living Translation. Starting in verse 14, Jesus continues teaching the disciples saying:

¹⁴ “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. ¹⁵ He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.

¹⁶ “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. ¹⁷ The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. ²⁰ The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’

²¹ “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²² “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’

²³ “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’

²⁴ “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. ²⁵ I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’

²⁶ “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, ²⁷ why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

²⁸ “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. ²⁹ To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. ³⁰ Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

One of the big, unique details in Matthew’s gospel is that each of the three servants received different amounts of money. This might not sound very fair, but Jesus shared in the opening of this parable that this decision was strategic. Verse 15 tells us that “He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities”.

While it might seem that this man is not being fair, this man is actually being fair and giving each servant according to the level of what each is able to manage. While we don’t have any context for what made the five-bag servant more capable than the 2-bag servant, or even the 1-bag servant, I’m sure you know people in your life who are more capable and wise with how they manage their money than others. We probably can look at these three servants in a similar way. One had shown excellent ingenuity, one was perhaps average, and one was afraid of risk.

We can learn an important point from this detail, which says that God is unlikely to give us more resources than we are able to handle. When we use what He has already given to us in a wise and productive way, He is likely to give us more resources as He sees fit.

The next detail we learn is that both the 5-bag servant and the 2-bag servant double the money they were gifted. Again, we don’t know how they did this, but the details of how are less relevant than the results – and that their results were accomplished in a way that didn’t land them in prison or dead, which means they were ethical with their investing and work strategy.

However, a lot of space is given to the 1-bag servant, who simply did nothing. This 1-bag servant is fearful of making a mistake, of losing the money, and of letting his master down. We see the master call this servant “wicked, lazy, and useless” because he did the worst possible thing with the money, which was nothing.

While the master in this parable suggested that a better place for this one bag of silver would have been in a bank where it could have collected some interest, I believe that even if this servant had tried something and failed, the response would have been better than the one he received.

Trying and failing is better than doing nothing because every time we try, we learn something new, and with every time we fail, we discover the limits to what we know and believe. Failure is not on the opposite side of success, it is simply a hurdle to jump over on our way to success.

As followers of Jesus, we have been given the best gift possible, and this gift is an invitation to heaven. This parable challenges us with the responsibility that we are to do something with this gift. Doing nothing only gets us tossed out. Doing something is the only way to move forward.

The last theme I will draw out in our time together is that even if the master didn’t have much faith in the 1-bag servant’s ability, he still entrusted 1 bag of silver to this servant. This means that if you feel left out on God’s blessings, like He is giving blessings to everyone else and you are left out on the sidelines, know that this is a lie.

The master, who represents God, has given everyone something, and He is watching to see what we do with what He has blessed us with. When Jesus returns, those who have done something will be rewarded, while those who were too fearful to do anything risk losing out on everything.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

If you feel as though God hasn’t given you much to work with, determine to use what He has given you. If you don’t have much money, but you have some spare time, use some of your spare time to bless others. If you don’t have money or time, but you have some knowledge or an experience, look for ways you can help others with that information in time and cost efficient ways. God isn’t expecting us to multiply what He has given us exponentially, but to simply use what He has given us to bless others.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, be sure to pray and study the Bible for yourself so that you can keep your connection with God strong. When your connection and relationship with God is strong, I believe He will lead you along the path He created for you to walk, and along this path you will find out that He has given you everything you need to take the next step.

And as I always end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short, chicken out of, or back away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Tucked within the gospel of Luke is a profound challenge Jesus shares with His followers. This message isn’t just for those who lived over 2,000 years ago. However surprising this will sound, the message Jesus shares is just as relevant for us living today as it was back then. But before we get to Jesus’ challenge for us, let’s take a moment and think about how life is for those of us living today.

While I cannot speak for you, I can tell you that in recent years, my life has gotten significantly busier, and now more than ever, I have tons of things on my mind and my to-do list. Maybe you can relate. For many people, it might feel as though life is spinning out of control, and you are just trying to stay afloat.

Not to give you one additional thing to worry about, Jesus steps into the craziness we face in our lives today with a message. This message is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 21 and we will be reading out of the Contemporary English Version. Starting in verse 34, Luke tells us Jesus said:

³⁴ Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you ³⁵ like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. ³⁶ Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

Jesus’ message in this passage might sound like one more thing to add to your to-do list, and if so, perhaps you misunderstood what He was saying.

In this passage, Jesus is actually challenging us to shift our perspective. The perspective Jesus wants us to focus on doesn’t ignore this life; instead it frames the focus of this life. Jesus isn’t callous to our crazy lives, but He does want to give our lives purpose and meaning.

The challenge Jesus gives is simple and profound. Jesus’ challenge for us is to carve out a portion of time when you intentionally will NOT worry about what you will eat, drink, or do with your life. This challenge states that during this portion of time, we must pray and prepare our hearts for His return.

Let’s read the challenge again:

³⁴ Don’t spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you ³⁵ like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. ³⁶ Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

Tucked in this challenge is a warning as well. The warning says that if we don’t pay attention to the big picture, the final day will catch us off guard like a trap. The final day will surprise everyone on earth.

Implied in this warning is that when Jesus does return, it will surprise everyone because no one will be paying attention or looking for it. While I imagine there will be some people who are paying attention, they will be so few in number that it may simply feel like everyone on earth is surprised.

Also suggested in this statement is the idea that no one will know when the final day will be. If the final day surprises everyone, then that also says that no one will have correctly identified the day beforehand. This is a challenge to those who set dates to focus their energy and study on something else.

While date setting might seem relevant in a person’s mind, it really isn’t. To help illustrate what I mean, let me give you an example from when I was younger and in college.

During the summer between my second and third year, or my third and fourth year (I don’t remember which), one of my closer acquaintances died. While I wasn’t good friends with this girl, I had dated one of her friends, and I had worked on some projects with her over the previous years. Her death came as a surprise to everyone, and while I didn’t research into the cause, when I heard the news the cause was unknown. It was as though she went to sleep and never woke up.

There was no “accident” or event that we could say that her life was cut short by the world when it should have been longer. In some ways, this would be easier to wrestle with. Instead, it is as though her time on earth had come to an end while she was only in college. This girl was a spiritual role model at the college I attended, and had she died during the school year, it would have shook the campus more than it did with her death happening during the summer.

When we bring this event into the challenge Jesus gives all of us to be ready and to avoid setting dates, I can speak confidently that unless something crazy and out of character changed in this college-mate’s life, she was living a life that was ready for Jesus’ return.

The challenge with setting dates is that if we set a date that is far in the future, it tempts us to be lazy with our spiritual lives today, but the reverse is also true. If we set the date of tomorrow, or even at the end of next week, it could shift our decisions as that date draws closer, and that could negatively impact us when Jesus doesn’t return on the date we picked.

However, like I learned in a much more real way, date setting only works when it is 100% accurate – which according to Jesus’ words here in Luke is not possible for us – and in addition to being 100% accurate, we must also be alive to witness the second coming as well. In every other case, date setting is worthless. Since it is not possible for us to know the date Jesus will return, our energy should be spent elsewhere.

But don’t let our energy shift towards worrying about our lives here on earth. Instead, shift that energy towards watching, praying, and preparing for the day when our time on earth will end – either because we have died in this life, or because Jesus has returned to put an end to sin.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, always seek God first and place Him first in your life. Choose to carve out time each day to focus on Him and not about the craziness and busyness that we all face in our lives today.

Also, as I always challenge you to do in one way or another, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself in order to intentionally grow your relationship with Him on a personal level. When our last day on earth comes, the only thing that will matter is the state of our relationship with God.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

As we continue moving through the week leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion, we come to a portion of a larger teaching Jesus shares regarding the end times. While I will be the first to say that what Jesus has predicted may have already happened, I will also be among the first to say that what Jesus describes might still be something we should pay attention and watch for.

Some people might discount this passage as less relevant believing it has already been fulfilled, but personally, I am less certain and hold to a belief that some prophecies may be circular, and they may repeat at certain points of history.

Let’s read this passage and then talk for a few minutes about how this passage may still be applicable for our lives today. Our passage is found in the gospel of Mark, chapter 13, and we will be reading it from the God’s Word translation. Jumping into Jesus’ teaching at verse 14, He continues by saying:

¹⁴ “When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁶ Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.

Let’s pause reading here to draw our attention onto a phrase Jesus uses in the first part of this passage. This passage opens with Jesus using a phrase to describe this event from the prophetic writings of Daniel. There is lots of speculation over what Jesus calls the “the disgusting thing that will cause destruction” or the “abomination of desolation” which is how this phrase is translated in more classic translations. The impression we learn from how the gospel writers describe this is it is something that we should make note of and pay attention to.

There are three primary viewpoints regarding this phrase. Some people believe it was fulfilled shortly after Daniel’s lifetime when one of the Greek emperors captured Jerusalem and set up an idol to the god Zeus and sacrificed a pig on the altar. Others, believe this prophecy was fulfilled in AD 70 when Jerusalem was captured by the Romans after a Jewish revolt. A similar event occurred where the Romans laid waste to the temple and tried to install an idol on the place where the temple was.

Still another group of people believe this phrase relates to something that hasn’t happened yet. For these people, we still should pay attention and be on the lookout for something like this to happen.

Is it possible for more than one of these interpretations to be correct? Let’s look at what this passage says after this phrase. Reading again from verse 14, Jesus tells us:

 ¹⁴ “When you see the disgusting thing that will cause destruction standing where it should not (let the reader take note), those of you in Judea should flee to the mountains. ¹⁵ Those who are on the roof should not come down to get anything out of their houses. ¹⁶ Those who are in the field should not turn back to get their coats.

¹⁷ “How horrible it will be for the women who are pregnant or who are nursing babies in those days. ¹⁸ Pray that it will not be in winter. ¹⁹ It will be a time of misery that has not happened from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and will certainly never happen again. ²⁰ If the Lord does not reduce that time, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.

Pausing reading again, we see an indicator that this is a one-time prophecy. Jesus describes this as “a time of misery that has not happened from the beginning of God’s creation until now, and will certainly never happen again”. While I don’t want to diminish anything we see in history, I picture what Jesus describes in this passage as being something that would clearly be visible within the pages of history. While this could be a description of the early church being persecuted by the Romans, the Romans only affected a small portion of the world. I wonder if the time of misery described here will be of a much larger, perhaps even a worldwide, scale.

The conclusion Jesus describes is clear. Verse 20 tells us that “If the Lord does not reduce that time, no one will be saved. But those days will be reduced because of those whom God has chosen.”

However, Jesus isn’t finished describing the end. After God has reduced the time of misery for the benefit of His people, Jesus tells us in verse 21:

²¹ “At that time don’t believe anyone who tells you, ‘Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘There he is!’ ²² False messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will work miraculous signs and do wonderful things to deceive, if possible, those whom God has chosen. ²³ Be on your guard! I have told you everything before it happens.

To conclude the portion of this passage we are focusing in on, Jesus describes how we should be on guard for false prophets and false messiahs appearing. Jesus describes a time when we should not believe anyone who tells us that the Messiah has returned and he is somewhere specific. The return of Jesus is something that will be so clear, distinct, and traumatic that it likely will end the world as we know it. Anyone claiming to be God’s messiah with any less significant of an entrance we could call a false messiah.

Jesus also tells us that the false prophets and false messiahs will work miraculous signs and do wonderful things in order to deceive. While I won’t speculate on what these things are, one test that is easy to use is simply asking if the miracle or sign points people back to the Jesus of the Bible. If not, it is not from God. God has told us that He will glorify Jesus, and anything that takes our focus off of the Jesus described in the gospels we are told is the work of the antichrist.

However, with all the talk of the end-times and times of misery, we can know that God is still in control. Just like He cuts the time of misery short because He can, He will be with His people and He will protect His people. While God’s protection might not mean all of His people will be spared from death, it does mean that God’s people are protected and saved for the future new heaven and new earth when sin has been destroyed.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

Be sure to always seek God first and keep your focus on the Jesus of the Bible. It is by keeping our eyes focused on Him that will keep us safe when trouble, trials, and challenges come into our lives.

Also, be sure to always pray and study the Bible for yourself because while a pastor or podcaster can share good ideas, it is always best to stay connected to the Source – and for us living today, the Source is God’s Holy Spirit that we can have through prayer and studying His word.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

One of the things I notice most about Jesus’ teaching and preaching is that He looked for everyday opportunities to turn into teaching moments. As I read what the gospels record of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and parables, I get the picture that at least everyone understood the setting of each of Jesus’ illustrations even if they didn’t fully grasp the big spiritual picture.

However, one teaching moment stands apart from the rest as extra amazing in my mind. This event begins with Jesus scouting out a place to sit near the moneybox in the temple, and it was because He wanted to catch a teaching moment.

We can find this event recorded in the gospel of Mark, chapter 12, and we will be reading from the New Century Version. Starting in verse 41, Mark tells us that:

⁴¹ Jesus sat near the Temple money box and watched the people put in their money. Many rich people gave large sums of money. ⁴² Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which were only worth a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his followers to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. ⁴⁴ They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on.”

Whenever I read this passage, I am amazed at this widow. Perhaps culture was different then, and maybe those who were poor or widowed were taken care of better than they are today, but maybe not. Maybe this passage gives insight into one widow’s extraordinary level of faith.

However, the big truth Jesus shares with the disciples has challenged many people since that point. Since Jesus told the disciples that the widow gave more than the rich people, is Jesus challenging or directing all of His followers to give everything to the church and live on nothing? It might seem as though some people understand this passage in this way.

But as I read this passage and event, I don’t see any instruction Jesus gives His followers about giving directly. Jesus doesn’t tell any of His followers to give like this widow gave. Instead, I believe Jesus had a bigger truth that He wants us to learn in this event. In this event, perhaps Jesus wants to teach us that in God’s eyes, the size of our gifts is measured by what we have leftover afterwards.

If God measures our gifts not by how much was given, but by how much we kept back for ourselves, then in some ways, God is measuring our faith by looking at how we give. By looking at our giving, God can see that the more we keep for ourselves signifies the less faith we have in Him.

Looking closer at Jesus’ words to His followers, He tells them that “this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had; she gave all she had to live on.”

Some people apply this statement to giving our tithes and offerings off the top income line as opposed to giving it after other expenses have happened. I can see logic in this way of thinking.

However, if we look a little deeper, it really doesn’t matter when we give if we are giving what we do not need, and the only time we can give all we have is before it has been given to other things. Maybe the widow had finished paying her rent and utilities, she had a cupboard full of food at home, and the two coins were all that was left. If that were the case, I doubt Jesus would have said what He did about her.

The rich people were probably giving off the top, and before they had physically spent the rest of their money, however, they had also budgeted in a way that made it so they truly didn’t need the money they were giving. This is good self-control and it is wise. But it isn’t giving sacrificially or in a way that increases faith. I think the big challenge Jesus has with these rich gifts is that they did not come with the giver’s heart and they didn’t grow the giver’s faith.

In contrast, the widow gave her two coins when she could have kept one. She demonstrated that she fully trusted God to provide for her. With these two coins came her heart and her faith. On the other hand, with the other gifts of bags filled with coins, none of them came with the giver’s heart. Therefore they were not as valuable. Each of the rich givers’ hearts was with the even larger pile of money that they had saved at home.

In God’s eyes, the size of our gifts is measured by what we have leftover afterwards. This is not because God wants all of our money. Instead, this is because God wants our hearts to come with our gifts – and it is hard to get our hearts with a gift that is only a small percentage of our wealth.

Does God want us to start giving everything like this widow gave? Maybe He does, but maybe He doesn’t. I think the bigger question for you and me is whether we will give Jesus our hearts along with our gifts, and that we will give enough of an amount that we are pushed to place our faith in Him.

This number will look different for each of us, but what will ultimately be the same between your giving and mine is that our hearts will be part of the gift, and as we give in this way, our faith and trust in God will grow, and our lives will be transformed!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open these challenges by saying, intentionally continue seeking and placing God first in your life. Challenge yourself to give 10% more than what you gave last month and see what God does in your life. If an increase of 10% makes your heart nervous, perhaps that is because the gift might also include your heart. If you can increase your gift without even noticing, perhaps God may want you to give more.

Whatever the case is, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself, and intentionally growing your relationship with God on a personal level. While group worship is beneficial, personal study is vital to a strong foundation and connection with Jesus. If you haven’t been personally reading or studying the Bible lately, consider this a challenge to start or restart.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or deviate away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!