First Impressions
Start with what is already in your hands
Read Matthew 25:14-30 and picture the moment before the master leaves. He calls three servants and places a large amount of his money in their hands. Each receives a different amount, but each receives real trust. Then the master goes away. There is no list of daily instructions in the story. The servants have to decide what to do while he is gone. That may sound familiar. Most days, we do not get a clear sign telling us how to use every hour, dollar, skill, or chance to help someone. We make small choices with what is in front of us. Jesus invites us to pay attention to those choices. The question is less about how much we have and more about what we are doing with it.
Two servants put the money to work. The third digs a hole and hides his share. He does not lose it, which might sound responsible at first. But when the master returns, we learn that keeping it untouched was never the point. The first two servants hear the same welcome, even though they began with different amounts. That detail matters if you tend to compare your life with someone else's. Jesus does not ask the servant with two talents why he did not start with five. The story leaves room for different starting places, different limits, and different opportunities. It asks each person to respond faithfully to what has been placed in their care.
Sunday's message raised the worry that our attention can get stuck on things that will not last. This story gives that worry a place to land. Fear can make us grip what we have so tightly that we never use it for anyone's good. You might see that in money, but you might also see it in an apology you keep putting off, a skill you are afraid to share, or an hour you could give to someone who needs company. Read the ending slowly, too. The master's words to the third servant are sharp. Jesus is taking our choices seriously. He is not asking you to prove that you are worth loving by doing more today. He is asking you to look honestly at what fear is doing and to take one faithful step. What has God already put within your reach? Start there, with open hands and a small, real act of care.
Sit with this
- 1What is one thing already in my hands that I could use for someone else's good?
Journal prompt
List three things you have this week, such as time, a skill, or money. Choose one and write one small way you could use it to help someone.