Presbymom

  Today’s scripture from Matthew occurs in the final week of Jesus’ life. He is in Jerusalem and has faced rising tension from the Pharisees trying to have him arrested. He spends these final days talking about the kingdom to come. Listen now for God’s word from Matthew 25:14-30 14  “Again, here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like. A man was going on a journey. He sent for his slaves and put them in charge of his money.  15  He gave five bags of gold to one. He gave two bags to another. And he gave one bag to the third. The man gave each slave the amount of money he knew the slave could take care of. Then he went on his journey.  16  The slave who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work. He earned five bags more.  17  The one with the two bags of gold earned two more.  18  But the man who had received one bag went and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master’s money in it. 19  “After a long time the master of those slaves returned. He wanted to c

  In this reading, Jesus has entered Jerusalem to the cries of Hosannna, cleansed the temple of corrupt money changers, answered challenges to his authority with Jewish religious leaders who were trying to trap him finally calling down woe upon them. Now, we are in the midst of what some call the Fifth Discourse – here Jesus talks about apocalypse – end times, or as worded here, he uses a series of parables to tell us what the Kingdom of Heaven is like?    Read God’s word from Matthew 25:1-13 25  “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like   ten virgins who took their lamps   and went out to meet the bridegroom.   2  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.   3  The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.   4  The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.   5  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6  “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7  “The