A story about being ready for God
From the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25, verses 14-30
"When will God's kingdom come on earth, as it already is in heaven, and how can we get ready for it?" Jesus' friends asked him one day.
This is what Jesus told them:
"A man decided to take a trip. He asked his three servants to take care of his things while he gone. To the first servant he gave $5000. To the second, he gave $2000. And to the third, he gave $1000. (The man knew his servants well. He knew what each of them could do successfully.)
Then he went away.
The one who had received $5000 used the money to do some buying and selling, and made $5000 more.
The second servant saw did the same thing. He turned his $2000 into $4000.
But the one who had received $1000 dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
After a long time the master came home and met with each of them.
The first servant said, "Sir, you gave me $5000. See, I have made $5000 more."
His master said to him, "Well done! This makes me very happy! I will put you in charge of many things."
The second servant said, "Sir, you gave me $2000, and I have made $2000 more."
His master said to him, "Well done! This makes me very happy! I will put you in charge of many things, too."
Then the last servant came forward. "Master," he said, "I've worked for you long enough to know that you expect a lot from people. I was afraid that I would disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place for your money and kept it safe. Here is everything you gave me to hold – every single penny."
The master was angry. "You lazy man! Playing it safe isn't the way to live! At least you could have put my money in the bank where it would have gained interest."
The master took the $1000 and gave it to the first servant. "You risked the most," he told him, "and because of that, you gained the most."
Then, turning to the last servant, he said, "As for you, if you are cautious and never take any risks on behalf of others, you will feel like you are living in a dark and sad place. Go away and think about that."
Questions to think and pray about:
What do you think about Jesus' story? Why do think he told it to his friends?
Have you ever done something for someone else that felt risky? Why did you do it? How did you feel afterwards?
Have you ever decided to "play it safe"? Why do you think Jesus said living like that would feel dark and sad?
What is the difference between taking risks and putting yourself in danger? What do you think Jesus has to say about danger?