Daily Devotional • November 23
A Reading from Luke 19:11-27
11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 So he said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. 13 He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds,* and said to them, “Do business with these until I come back.” 14 But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We do not want this man to rule over us.” 15 When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, “Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.” 17 He said to him, “Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.” 18 Then the second came, saying, “Lord, your pound has made five pounds.” 19 He said to him, “And you, rule over five cities.” 20 Then the other came, saying, “Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.” 22 He said to him, “I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.” 24 He said to the bystanders, “Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.” 25 (And they said to him, “Lord, he has ten pounds!”) 26 “I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.” ’
Meditation
In the movie Wall Street, Gordon Gecko delivers a speech in which he gives this famous line: “Greed…is good. Greed is right. Greed works.”
In his commentary on today’s Gospel reading, St. Augustine writes that God is greedy for our salvation. Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem, which means the King is about to enter into his glory, first on the cross, then in his resurrection, and finally in his ascension to his heavenly throne. Before he departs, however, he leaves behind an investment planted in his apostles and soon after nurtured by the Holy Spirit. It is the seed money that founds the holy apostolic Church, which is called to not only protect Christ’s initial investment, but also to promote it and, crucially, to grow it.
You and I are the inheritors of Christ’s investment. We are the managers of the Church and as such, today’s reading should make us more than a little nervous. Are we not a company losing profits—are we not a Church losing souls? Across so many denominations, our pews are emptying and it’s not because people have found a new church down the road. They’re just gone.
What happened? Well, according to Gordon Gekko, the company Teldar Paper was losing profit because its leaders had no incentive to be greedy on behalf of the little guy, the lowly investor. If the company loses millions of dollars, the lowly investor might go bankrupt, but Teldar Paper’s thirty-three vice presidents will still get steak lunches and a golden parachute.
Do we really believe when Christ the King comes and asks for the return on his investment, that offering up the one soul he gave each of us will be enough for that golden parachute? Because, according to today’s reading, it may not. God is greedy for our salvation. Not just yours, and not just mine—everyone’s salvation. Today’s reading is a wake-up call that together, we need to start being better managers of God’s investment. We need to be greedy on behalf of the little guy whose faith has gone bankrupt because of the company’s bad investments over time. The King is coming and when he does, he’s expecting a windfall, not a fire sale.
Sarah Cornwell lives in Wheaton, IL with her husband, James, and their seven children.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
Grace Episcopal Church, Ocala, Florida
The Diocese of Rift Valley – The Anglican Church of Tanzania
This ministry of The Living Church Foundation is made possible in part by a special bequest from the Anglican Fellowship of Prayer.
