Rev David Diller preached on Matthew 25:14-30 in a sermon titled “Trade with These.” Unlike modern capitalists, people in Jesus’ day thought we live in a limited world with everyone having “a share of the pie.”  Like Naboth in 1 Kings 21, every family had been given their share of the land in Joshua’s tribal allotment.  Jesus spoke to first century Jewish peasants being forced off their land by wealthy & greedy elites.     To get more than your share meant you were a thief breaking the 8th commandment.  The rich nobles avoided this accusation by having slaves handle business affairs.   When they double their wealth, the first two slaves are commended by their lord for being as mean & ruthless as he himself.  The third slave, who doesn’t play their game, hides his money & returns it.  Common sense for first century peasants tells them the third slave is a moral, honorable & decent person.   That’s why his rapacious lord comes down on him so hard.   He didn’t steal anything for his master.

When Jesus told the story, he was warning peasant hearers the world hasn’t changed because of his life & ministry.  The cost of following him will be continue to be high.   Like the third slave, those who hunger & thirst for righteousness will likely suffer by being evicted from their land & cast into the outer darkness for righteousness’ sake.  The rich who have wealth & power will continue to take more & the poor will have even less.   Knowing violence never solves injustice, Jesus called his disciples to love their enemies & wage peace by exposing their oppressors’ inhumanity.  Rejecting Jesus’ ideas, the Jewish peasants finally went to war.

Writing some 40-50 years this side of the failed peasant revolt called the Jewish-Roman War, Matthew has to reinterpret Jesus’ story for his day.  Matthew wants to continue Jesus’ message of peace, so now the lord of the parable becomes God who wants us to make a return on the message Jesus has given us.   The third slave fails to do so & is punished.   Matthew’s interpretation is still valid.  We too must give an account, but as next weeks’ text will make clear, we’re not rewarded or condemned for our religious beliefs & ideas about Jesus, God, or the Bible, but for how much we’ve grown up to be like Jesus in loving & caring for others.

 

 
          Payne Springs UMC hosts a Walk to Emmaus reunion every Tue at 5 pm.
          Everyone is welcome to join us for Disciple Bible Study. Our next class meets Thur Dec 4 at 3 pm. You do not have to be a church member, just curious and eager to learn about the God who loves us & expects us grow up in our thinking & our living so we live free & responsible lives caring for one another.
            Payne Springs UMC is a caring church family learning to follow Jesus. Our purpose is to help every person grow to full maturity in the image of Jesus Christ in the twenty-first century. With open hearts, open minds, and open doors, we combine both traditional & contemporary styles. We invite you to come learn about God and Jesus, the Bible and the Church each week. Sunday school is from 9-10am. At 10am coffee, juice, & snacks are served in Fellowship Hall. Worship is from 10:30-11:30am. Nursery care is provided. Sunday evenings we invite you to an in-depth study of Matthew at 5 pm. If you have questions or need directions, call our church office at (903) 451-2978 or go to www.paynespringsumc.orghttp://www.paynespringsumc.org.
             

Jesus doesn’t give his disciples a new set of rules or beliefs to follow in order to be “Christians.” Jesus calls us to grow up beyond conformity to creative, intelligent designing of a new, just & peaceful world.

today.