Pentecost 25 (year A, proper 28)- Matthew 25: 14-30

The Gospel for this Sunday is from Matthew 25:14-30, the familiar Parable of the Talents. In the Greco-Roman world, a talent was a weight that became a money unit of enormous value. Thus, the parable is about a master entrusting great wealth to servants and expecting them to use the treasure wisely. Of course, the parable is not about silver talents; it is about attitudes and ways of living under God. It can be applied to the use of both financial gifts and natural abilities.

However, these two applications do not exhaust the meaning of the parable. Every aspect of human life- our abilities, our possessions, our time, our relationships, our work, our leisure, etc.- can be seen as treasures entrusted to us by God. He does not want us to be lazy, fearful, or greedy in using our treasures for Him. When such reactions do tempt or mislead us, we are to repent, accept God's grace, and move on as we seek His will. 

Finally, the greatest gift that God entrusts to us is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We must not bury it or hide the Gospel. We must be willing to go out and invest it. In other words, we must share the good news of redemption in Christ and allow it to produce good results in the world. Even the shiest and simplest Christian, the one with the fewest "talents", can share the message in word and deed to produce good results for God. 

Luther's Birthday- 10 November

 Among all the happenings of November, one important event is often overlooked even by many Lutherans and other Protestants. On November 10, 1483, Martin Luther was born in Eisleben, Saxony, Germany. He was born to Hans Luder (or Ludher, later Luther) and his wife, Margarethe Lindemann Ludher. Martin Luther was baptized the next morning on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours.

Of course, Luther later became an Augustinian friar, a priest, a doctor of theology, a professor of Bible studies, and the great reformer of the Western Church. He had many human failings, but his insight into the Christian faith was profound. Luther emphasized Scripture, Christ as Savior, divine grace, and living faith. Today, we offer a prayer of thanks for his birth and his work on behalf of the Gospel.

All Saints Day- Hebrews 11-12

Holy Scripture indicates that the Israelites and the early Christians honored the believers who preceded them. For example, Hebrews 11 and 12 refer to great examples of faith and how Jesus Christ fulfilled their hope and trust in God's promises. Since the 300s A.D., Christians have set aside times to honor the saints who have preceded them in faith. And since the 800s, the western church has designated November 1 as the date to commemorate all the saints, great and small, known and unknown. 

At the time of the sixteenth-century Reformation, the Reformers rejected medieval excesses and corruptions associated with the saints. Nevertheless, Lutherans still used the day to recall the great cloud of witnesses. For us, this observance can still be a time to remember those believers who have faithfully passed on the Christian message in word and deed. So, let us give thanks for all the saints of God, and let us renew our commitment to follow their faithful witness!