About today
Readings
Saint Augustine
1 Thessalonians 4: 9-11. The Lord comes to rule the earth with righteousness – Ps 97 (98): 1, 7-9. Matthew 25: 14-30.
The kingdom of heaven will not be quite as expected
The beauty and frustration of Jesus’ use of parables is that they are ambiguous. Sometimes they feel open and engaged, sometimes they seem tough and closed. When I read that the king takes the talent from the man who hid it in the ground and gives it to the man with the most, I feel pity and confusion. But this is how the kingdom of heaven should be.
I know that the man acted out of fear, so that his actions might set an example for someone who does not cultivate and use God’s gifts. But I’m still not sure what to make of the ‘useless servant’ being thrown ‘into the dark’. There is a discomfort that I cannot shake off.
That discomfort might just be the point. The kingdom of heaven will not be quite what I expected or planned. In view of this, I pray for humility.
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