Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Given a Chance: Matthew 25:14-30

Published January 1, 2025 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 25:14-30 (NLT)

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. ¹⁵He 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. ¹⁷The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. ¹⁸But 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. ²⁰The 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. ²⁵I 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, ²⁷why 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. ²⁹To 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. ³⁰Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Read Matthew 25:14-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

In this journal entry’s passage/parable, a subtle but amazing truth about God is shared. While most people simply think of this parable on the surface level of money and/or talents, Jesus gives an amazing hint into God’s character that is often missed.

This truth is found when combining something we know about God with something that is shared in the parable – specifically as the characters are being introduced. In verses 14-15, we read, “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. 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.”

What clued me into thinking there must be something is deeper is the very last phrase in verse 15: “dividing it in proportion to their abilities”. If we understand the man leaving on the trip to represent God, think for a moment about what God knows – which is everything, including the past and the future. While dealing out the money, He already knows that the first two servants will double their investments, while the third one would do nothing with it. This foreknowledge would affect His choice when determining the “abilities” of each of the three servants.

But while He knew that servant #3 would miss the intention of this exercise, what amazes me is that God still gives this servant the chance to prove Him wrong. Even if this third servant was the least promising one of the group, he still is given the chance to invest and grow the master’s money. Even with one bag of silver, this least promising servant could have doubled, tripled, or quadrupled the investment, and while it would have been harder for him, since he had the least ability, I don’t think the percentage difference would have been missed when the master returned.

The truth this tells me about God is simple: Even though God knows the future, He still gives everyone the opportunity to invest with Him, and to multiply the gifts He has given to each of us. Even the least “talented” person is given the chance to invest and grow.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Welcoming Jesus into Our Home: Luke 10:38-42

Published December 31, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Luke 10:38-42 (GW)

³⁸As they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary. Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to him talk.

⁴⁰But Martha was upset about all the work she had to do. So she asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work all by myself? Tell her to help me.”

⁴¹The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha! You worry and fuss about a lot of things. ⁴²There’s only one thing you need. Mary has made the right choice, and that one thing will not be taken away from her.”

Read Luke 10:38-42 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

While more than one of the four gospels shares about Jesus’ close friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, the gospel of Luke appears to share briefly about the first time Jesus met this group of adult siblings. In Luke’s gospel, we have a short passage that focuses in on the two sisters and how each of them has very different personalities.

But while reading this passage, I was amazed to notice a detail that is often completely overlooked. I have not ever seen this or heard anyone talk about it before. Luke tells us specifically that “As they were traveling along, Jesus went into a village. A woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.” (v. 38)

This is significant to pay attention to because I don’t think many women owned real estate at that time. Because none of the gospels share anything about these sisters having husbands, part of me wonders if they were single or widowed.

However, the specific detail is that Martha was the one who did the inviting. Martha typically gets picked on for playing the hostess role and for not ignoring the details to simply listen to Jesus, but we often miss the huge detail that if Martha had not invited Jesus into her home, neither one of these sisters may have gotten the opportunity to meet Him and become friends with Him.

In this passage, Martha is in some ways a hero, because she stepped out and invited Jesus and His disciples to stay with her. Mary gets to be the hero regarding setting priorities, while Martha is the hero for being the one to invite Jesus into her home.

Martha’s actions in this passage challenge me, because I am not naturally outgoing and am too shy to invite strangers (or even celebrities) into my home. I am more like Mary in that I can easily sit and simply listen to the conversations other people are speaking in and simply learn from what they are saying. If I were to invite others home, I might be Martha-like if no-one is paying attention to the details, but if someone else has the details under control, then I am happy to enjoy the company.

Perhaps the lesson for us in this passage is not just to prioritize well, but also to be open to inviting others into our lives. Both sisters display this big truth in their time with Jesus.

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Flashback Episode — Year in Mark – Finale: Part 2

Published December 30, 2024 in Audio Journal Entries

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In our last episode, we began our annual two-part finale looking at some of the big insights and ideas we discovered during the first half of our year focusing on Mark’s gospel. For this episode, let’s pick up where we left off and focus in on the second half of this amazing gospel, looking at themes leading up to Jesus’ time on the cross, and what we can learn from Jesus’ amazing sacrifice and resurrection.

However, as I always take a minute or so to do during our last episode each year, I think it is important to take a brief look at where we’ve been and where we are headed for the coming year. If you’ve been listening for a while, a few years ago, while we were focusing a year of podcasts looking at the miracles of Jesus, I had the idea of taking a set of four years and focusing each year on one of the four gospels.

Well according to that plan, we have just reached the half-way point. Last year we focused on Matthew’s gospel, and the year we are ending in this episode has been entirely focused on Mark. Following this plan then leads next year’s focus to be on Luke’s gospel, and that makes me really excited. Luke included some amazing things in his gospel, and I can’t wait to dive in and discuss them with you!

However, before I jump too far ahead, we still have a bunch of insights to cover from the last half of our year in Mark. So with that said, let’s look back at what we learned during the second half of this year in Mark’s gospel.

Our first part of this finale ended focusing on episode 24. Episode 25 focused in on the disciples being concerned about other people casting out demons using Jesus’ name that weren’t part of their group. In this episode, we were challenged with the truth: Christianity was never meant to be an exclusive club for sinners saved by grace. Christianity is united by people following Jesus Christ and giving Him the glory, the praise, and the credit for everything. Everyone is given the option to choose Jesus or not. It is a choice we are freely given, and one that we all must make.

Moving forward to episode 26, which focused on some challenging themes regarding marriage, we learned that while this passage contains some pretty significant challenges, Jesus did not come to judge people; He came to love, forgive, and redeem everyone who wants to be loved, forgiven, and redeemed.

In the next episode, number 27, Jesus predicts that the trip He and the disciples were taking to Jerusalem would end in His death. In this passage and episode, we discovered that we shouldn’t fear death. Instead, we should be determined to walk along the path God has placed before us and not be concerned if that path ends in death. Whether we live or die following the path God has for our lives, we can look forward to the resurrection that Jesus promised and the resurrection Jesus experienced.

Jumping ahead to episode 30, we looked at Jesus chasing the moneychangers and commerce out of the temple. In this event, we see Jesus push back against a me-focused worship experience. Worship is not about our preferences, our likes or dislikes, or about anything to do with ourselves. Instead, worship is all about God and what He wants. God wants His house on earth described as a house of prayer for all nations. Our worship is not for our own benefit. Instead, when we worship God, we are to focus on bringing Him what He wants, and God is interested in gifts that contain our hearts.

Skipping forward to episode 35, we looked at two short verses that contained a powerful truth that predicted the magnificent temple Jesus and His disciples were leaving would be destroyed. In this episode, we were reminded that the best humanity can create or build is nothing when it comes to what God has in store for us in heaven. Culture wants us to minimize God while glorifying what humanity is capable of building. Jesus challenges His followers to glorify God while being realistic about what humanity is able to accomplish. Natural disasters, terrorism, and other catastrophes can easily destroy in minutes a building that took years to construct. This is why Jesus challenges His followers to not focus on amazing or extravagant buildings. Buildings come and building go, but what matters above everything else is giving glory to the One who created life, and the One who gave His life for each of us!

Moving forward, episodes 36 and 37 focused in on Jesus sharing details surrounding His return. In these episodes we are reminded and challenged that through Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross during His first coming, God opened the way for Jesus’ second coming. While Jesus’ first coming is God coming to be near His people, Jesus’ second coming will usher in God’s people leaving earth to be near God. Everything Jesus described leading up to His return is so dramatic that if there is any doubt in your mind regarding Jesus’ return, it is likely a false Jesus coming, rather than the real one. Setting a date for Jesus’ return is pure, 100% speculation.

Instead of spending mental energy on trying to figure out a date, we should live each day with the expectation that today could be the day, being ready if Jesus comes, while also planning our future lives in case tomorrow happens. We don’t want to assume there will always be a tomorrow, because if we do, Jesus’ return will catch us off guard.

Let’s jump forward again to episode 42, which focused on Jesus’ trial before Pilate. In this episode, we were amazed to discover that Jesus willingly chose to take the place of a rebel, a murderer, and a sinner, and in this event Barabbas, the clearly evil, condemned-to-die person, represents you and me. Barabbas represents every human being who has ever lived who deserves to die for their sins but who gets the opportunity of a new free life because of Jesus!

Following Jesus’ trial before Pilate in episode 42, episode 43 focused on Jesus being beaten by the soldiers. In this episode’s passage, we see the soldiers mocking Jesus by dressing Him up as a king. We also discovered and were challenged with the truth that above any other gift, God wants our hearts. If our hearts are not included in our worship to God, then our worship is no more pleasing to God than the soldiers mock worship was to Jesus.

The following three episodes move through the time Jesus spends on the cross. Episode 44 focused us on the place Jesus was crucified, Golgatha, and we learned that the place Jesus died was connected with the origin of sin and with humanity’s fall. When we place our faith, hope, trust, and belief in Jesus and His sacrifice, Jesus accepts our sinful lives as being included in His death, and He gives us the assurance of the life He deserved.

Episode 35 focused in on the insults Jesus received while He was on the cross. However, as we looked a little closer at what was said, we discovered Jesus’ chose not to save Himself so that He could save every person who wants to have a new life with God. Jesus used these insults that were thrown His way as subtle encouragements to remind Him why He was on the cross, which was to save sinners, and that the cross would end with resurrection on the third day! Jesus used the biggest insults His enemies had and He had masterfully planned for them to be a source of encouragement in His darkest, most pain-filled hours leading up to His last breath.

Episode 36 focused in on the darkness that covered the land during the last hours of Jesus’ time on the cross and Jesus then taking His last breath. We were challenged to realize that it is tempting to think God is with us in the good times and that He has abandoned us in the bad times, but if we choose to believe this, we may be believing a lie Satan wants to trick us with. I believe that regardless of the source of the darkness, and regardless of Jesus’ cry out to God about feeling abandoned, that God was 100% focused on this moment in history. Even though Jesus felt like God had left Him, I don’t believe for a moment that God turned His back on Jesus’ sacrifice.

Satan wasn’t strong enough to convince Jesus that His cries to His Father would not be heard. Satan is powerless to stop our prayers from being heard by the Father, and Satan is powerless to stop the Father from being passionately in love with us! Everything worth anything in life hinges on Jesus’ death, and because Jesus died on the cross, we are able to accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus that extends into eternity!

In our year podcasting in Mark’s gospel, we learned many things and were challenged in many ways. However, Jesus’ death didn’t really end Jesus’ story. To wrap up our year-end finale, Mark concludes His gospel by sharing Jesus’ resurrection. In episode 48, which is a great episode to finish our finale looking at, we are reminded and challenged by the truth that even when we fail God, He never gives up on us! If you have felt as though you have failed God, don’t give up on God because He hasn’t given up on you. Instead, return to Him, ask for forgiveness, and restart your walk with God from a place where you are a little older and a little wiser than you were before. With God, we never restart our spiritual journeys at the same place, but every restart is further ahead than the last one as we continue walking through life towards eternity.

Flashback Episode: Year in Mark – Finale: In the second part of our annual two-part finale, discover some of the biggest insights we discovered during the last half of this past year moving through the gospel of Mark.

Faith-Filled Forgiveness: Mark 11:12-14, 20-26

Published December 27, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 11:12-14, 20-26 (NCV)

¹²The next day as Jesus was leaving Bethany, he became hungry. ¹³Seeing a fig tree in leaf from far away, he went to see if it had any figs on it. But he found no figs, only leaves, because it was not the right season for figs. ¹⁴So Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And Jesus’ followers heard him say this.

²⁰The next morning as Jesus was passing by with his followers, they saw the fig tree dry and dead, even to the roots. ²¹Peter remembered the tree and said to Jesus, “Teacher, look! The fig tree you cursed is dry and dead!”

²²Jesus answered, “Have faith in God. ²³I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you. ²⁴So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you. ²⁵When you are praying, if you are angry with someone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins. [ ²⁶But if you don’t forgive other people, then your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.]”

Read Mark 11:12-14, 20-26 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During one of the times when Jesus was teaching the disciples about prayer and faith, He shares a very startling truth that might be the reason some of our prayers have not been answered. In Mark’s gospel, following Jesus cursing the fig tree and it withering up, Jesus makes this bold statement about faith: “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, God will do it for you. So I tell you to believe that you have received the things you ask for in prayer, and God will give them to you.” (v. 22-24)

This is powerful, but Jesus doesn’t stop there. Many people might stop reading here, but Jesus has something else to tell us, this time specifically about prayer in verses 25 and 26: “When you are praying, if you are angry with someone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins. [ But if you don’t forgive other people, then your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.]” (Sidenote: Verse 26, which is in square brackets, is not in many early manuscripts, but I include it here because it simply repeats verse 25 using a different angle.)

I find this statement about forgiveness in prayer powerful because in the context Jesus shared these words, it is possible that forgiveness – or at least a forgiving attitude – is crucial for having complete faith and trust that our prayers will be answered. It is also powerful to think that when we are praying, and a name of someone comes to mind that we are angry with, this might have happened because God brought it to us. While Satan would love to distract us from praying and we might blame him for bringing that person into our minds, in this case, God is probably responsible.

When we pray, Jesus wants all of His followers to know that God has called us to forgive others because He has forgiven us. Forgiveness is the path to emotional and spiritual freedom, and God knows that holding resentment or hostility towards someone is spiritual poison in that person’s heart. In the context of Jesus’ message, praying with faith might even be the only way we can truly forgive those who have hurt us the most deeply!

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