Daily Readings - Sat Aug 27 2022
1 Corinthians
26So take care of your vocation, brothers. For not many are wise according to the flesh, not many are powerful, not many are noble27But God has chosen the foolish of the world, so that he may confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak of the world, so that he may confound the strong28And God has chosen the ignoble and contemptible of the world, those who are nothing, so that he may reduce to nothing those who are something29So then, nothing that is of the flesh should glory in his sight30But you are of him in Christ Jesus, who was made by God to be our wisdom and justice and sanctification and redemption31And so, in the same way, it was written: "Whoever glories, should glory in the Lord.
Matthew
14For it is like a man setting out on a long journey, who called his servants and delivered to them his goods15And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, yet to another he gave one, to each according to his own ability. And promptly, he set out16Then he who had received five talents went out, and he made use of these, and he gained another five17And similarly, he who had received two gained another two18But he who had received one, going out, dug into the earth, and he hid the money of his lord19Yet truly, after a long time, the lord of those servants returned and he settled accounts with them20And when he who had received five talents approached, he brought another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have increased it by another five.21His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.22Then he who had received two talents also approached, and he said: ‘Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Behold, I have gained another two.23His lord said to him: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful over a few things, I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the gladness of your lord.24Then he who had received one talent, approaching, said: ‘Lord, I know that you are a hard man. You reap where you have not sown, and gather where you have not scattered25And so, being afraid, I went out and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.26But his lord said to him in response: ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered27Therefore, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and then, at my arrival, at least I would have received what is mine with interest28And so, take the talent away from him and give it the one who has ten talents29For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he shall have in abundance. But from him who has not, even what he seems to have, shall be taken away30And cast that useless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are reminded of God’s profound wisdom and the call to live our lives with purpose and responsibility. The first reading from 1 Corinthians challenges us to recognize that our worth and identity come not from human standards of wisdom, power, or status, but from God. Paul emphasizes that God chooses the weak and the humble to confound the strong, a truth that upends the world’s expectations. This passage was written to a divided Corinthian community, where factions were forming based on human leaders and worldly wisdom. Paul calls them—and us—to humility, urging us to glory not in ourselves but in the Lord, who is our true wisdom, justice, and redemption.
The Gospel from Matthew expands on this theme through the parable of the talents. Here, Jesus teaches about stewardship and the responsibility that comes with the gifts God has entrusted to us. The master distributes talents according to each servant’s ability, and while two servants invest their talents and grow them, the third buries his out of fear. The master commends the first two for their faithfulness, while the third is rebuked for his laziness and fear. This parable, spoken during Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem, invites us to reflect on how we use the gifts, resources, and opportunities God has given us. It is not about how much we have, but about how faithfully we use what we have been given.
Together, these readings call us to live with gratitude, humility, and courage. They remind us that our lives are not our own but are entrusted to us by God. We are called to steward our talents, time, and resources in a way that reflects our faith and trust in God’s plan. Let us not be paralyzed by fear or complacency, but rather, let us step out in faith, using our gifts to build up the Kingdom of God. As we do so, we will find that even the smallest acts of faithfulness can bear great fruit, and we will hear those blessed words: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.”