Matthew 25:14-30
Listening guide
Which piece of advice are you most likely to follow?
Think happy
If you want to offer people something truly extraordinary, don’t ask your current customers.
Money is the answer for everything.
We tend to think: The more we have, the more trustworthy we become.
“5 bags of gold” not talents
Matthew 6: 22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, you whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy your whole body will be full of darkness.”
Money makes you blind.
The more he had the less trustworthy he became.
Everyone still needs to trust something.
We become trustworthy when we see God’s trust in us.
Discussion questions
1. Matthew 25:14 says the master gave the servants or slaves his possessions. What are you trying to do with the possessions you have now and what would you do if you had more?
2. Do you know your net worth? Did you know your net worth 10 or 20 or 30 years ago? Are you living in such a way that even if you don’t increase your net worth, you can say you have increased your net kingdom worth?
3. In Matthew 25:24-25, what mistakes and failures does the third man commit? (Hint: there are a few)
4. According to Matthew 25:21, how does Jesus praise the servants? I’m confused. What does Jesus praise them for? What exactly is the standard for winning?
5. Remember that parables about God’s kingdom always use things we know (bags of gold, making money) to tell us about God’s kingdom and his ways (which we don’t know). What is something surprising we learn in this parable about God’s kingdom?
6. Capitalism says that we should increase our own assets and resources. Socialism says we should share our resources with others so that everyone has an equal amount, particularly by letting the government redistribute that wealth. How does this teaching from Jesus challenge both?
7. In Matthew 25:29 Jesus teaches us that “whoever has will be given more”. He doesn’t say that whoever accomplishes a lot or whoever achieves a lot will be given more, but simply that whoever has will be given more. What do you have? How much more do you imagine God gives?
“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory)