Week 39 Daily Dose of Love
#267 (9/24)
The Parable
of the Talents/Pounds
Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted
his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then
he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.
In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received
the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then
the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over
to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done,
good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into
the joy of your master.’
And the one with the two talents also came forward,
saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His
master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you
in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh
man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and
I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You
wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?
Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with
interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For
to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they
have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Luke 19:11-27
As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable,
because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So
he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He
summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’
But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to
rule over us.’
When he returned, having received
royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had
gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ He
said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’
He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord,
here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what
you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your
own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did
not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected
it with interest.’ He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one
who has ten pounds.’ (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) ‘I
tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them
in my presence.’ ”
It doesn’t matter how much we are given. It is what we do with it that counts.
The nature of love is to grow and expand. The slave who buried or hid what was given to him by the
master listened to the fears of others and allowed it to dominate his vision. Love is much greater than
fear, but fear can totally block love when viewed from a narrow enough perspective. We were created from God’s
love. Our hearts were designed to grow and expand in order to connect with and unite all of God’s
creation. Making decisions based on fear keeps God’s love from growing in and through us as it hides
it from the world. God has trusted us with his love. There
is no greater responsibility on earth than to invest it wisely.
Reflection/Discussion:
When might we be tempted to hide or bury our love?
Principles of Love:
Nature; Unity; Vision; Opening
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#268 (9/25)
Preparation for the Approach
to Jerusalem
Matthew 21:1-5
When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her;
untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’
And he will send them immediately.” This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet,
saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt,
the foal of a donkey.”
Mark 11:1-3
When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near
the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately
as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. If
anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here
immediately.’ ”
Luke 19:28-31
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage
and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into
the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring
it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs
it.’ ” Jesus does not seek glory, nor does he revel in his accomplishments. He
chooses to arrive humbly riding a young donkey which was a symbol of peaceful intentions in the passage that Matthew quotes
from Zechariah (9:9). This is how love works. It seeks peace and unity rather than glory
or recognition. There are no individual accomplishments or personal triumphs in love because all love comes
from God. Praising one who loves well is an empty insult if our hearts are not open to the source of love.
Principles of Love:
Humility
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we let go of our desire for recognition?
Pray Through the Day:
Help us be humble
So we may love
#269 (9/26)
Crowds Honor Jesus
Matthew 21:6-9
The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them;
they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd
spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The
crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed
is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
Mark 11:4-11
They
went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, some of the bystanders said to
them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them what Jesus had said; and they
allowed them to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on
it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in
the fields. Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor
David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Then he entered Jerusalem and went into
the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.
Luke 19:32-40
So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt,
its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” They said, “The Lord needs it.”
Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As
he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down
from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the
deeds of power that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace
in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven! Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher,
order your disciples to stop.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would
shout out.”
John 12:12-19
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to
Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—the King of Israel!” Jesus found
a young donkey and sat on it; as it is written: “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
His disciples
did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written
of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the
tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed
this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you
can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
None of the gospel passages describe Jesus’ emotions while he is riding toward
Jerusalem. But passages that immediately follow give us an indication of what he might have been feeling.
Luke describes Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. Matthew and Mark depict the cleansing of the temple
and the withering of a fig tree that frustrates Jesus. John quotes Jesus as saying that his “soul
is troubled” and a grain of wheat must die in order to “bear much fruit.” This requires us to consider
the question of how Jesus wants us to honor him. The human praise he received as he approached Jerusalem
could be compared to the way we might greet a championship sports team returning home after victory. It
is clear from the context of this passage that Jesus does not seek this kind of human praise. The consistent
message throughout the gospels is that Jesus wants us to honor him by following his example and living his teaching.
His teaching and example can be summed up in a single word: love. Without
love, praise is empty; it can even lead to sadness, frustration, and anger. When we follow in Jesus’
footsteps, we face fear and suffering which, if approached with an open heart, deepens our capacity for love and allows us
to share in the joy of eternal life.
Principles of Love:
Opening
Reflection/Discussion:
What are some ways we can praise Jesus
that will truly honor him?
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts
To your love
#270
(9/27)
Jesus Weeps Over Jerusalem
Luke 19:41-44
As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day
the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the
days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side.
They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon
another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”
The people of Jerusalem were praising God with
closed hearts. Turning away from love leads to the destruction of our potential and makes us even more
vulnerable to emptiness and devastation.
Jesus is deeply saddened that the
people of Jerusalem and their leaders missed the whole point of his teaching and the purpose of his life on earth.
His crying is a natural human response to deep sadness. Crying opens our hearts and deepens our
capacity to love when we accept it without resistance.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we be sure our hearts are open when we praise God?
Principles of Love:
Suffering
Pray Through the Day:
Use our pain
To deepen our love
#271
(9/28)
Cleansing the Temple
(John places this
part of the story at the beginning of his gospel. The reflection on his version is #21 dated 1/23) Matthew 21:10-13
When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The
crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.” Then Jesus entered
the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be
called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.”
Mark
11:15-17
Then they came to
Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple,
and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to
carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written, ‘My house
shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”
Luke 19:45-46
Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he
said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a den of robbers.”
The conflict between
the temptations of human greed and selfishness and the message of God’s love becomes crystal clear when Jesus drives
out those who emphasize profit over prayer.
Robbers are people who have discarded
compassion and love for their own short-term self-interest. It is no surprise that they have worked their
way into becoming an integral part of the life of the temple. The temptation to act for our own benefit
becomes greater when we are in a place that makes us think we are close to God. Love is a conscious choice
that must be made throughout our lives. We join the dens of robbers when we start to take it for granted
and pursue opportunities to serve our self above others.
Reflection/Discussion:
In what way might our self-interest creep
into our religious practices?
Principles of Love:
Decision
Pray Through the Day:
Help us always
To choose love
#272 (9/29)
Praise From the Children
Matthew 21:14-17
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and
he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard
the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became angry and said to him, “Do
you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of infants
and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself’?” He left them, went out of the city to Bethany, and
spent the night there.
Praise from children is different than praise from adults. Adults give compliments
for appearance, accomplishments, and achievements. Children honor us with spontaneous expressions of love
and joy. The children may have used the same
words as adults did during Jesus’ approach to Jerusalem, but they came from a different place. Young
children operate more from their heart. They don’t have the conceptual ability to grasp that Jesus
might free them from Roman oppression, but they do have the ability to see his love and compassion and to recognize the effects
of his healing words.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we learn to view Jesus as a child might see him?
Principles of Love:
Vision; Opening
Pray Through the Day:
Open our eyes
To deepen our love
#273
(9/30)
Chief Priests and Scribes Conspire
Mark 11:18-19
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid
of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples
went out of the city.
Luke 19:47-48
Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes,
and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the
people were spellbound by what they heard.
Competition easily builds contempt. The chief priests thought they
were in competition with Jesus and the crowd’s reaction increased their desire to get rid of him. There is no room for competition in love. There are no winners, and we all lose
to the extent that any one of us suffers loss. Competition may drive us to sharpen human skills, but it
narrows our focus to individual accomplishment at the expense of compassion. Competition separates us and
limits our ability to see God’s love in others. Love pulls us toward unity with God and each other.
Reflection/Discussion:
How does competitiveness interfere with
love in our culture?
Principles of Love:
Suffering
Pray Through the Day:
Use our pain
To
deepen our love
