The Parable of the Talents
(Luke 19:11-27)

14For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. 15To one he gave five talents,b to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he promptly went on his journey.

16The servant who had received five talents went and put them to work, and gained five more. 17Likewise, the one with two talents gained two more. 18But the servant who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19After a long time, the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. 20The servant who had received five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

21His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’

22Then the servant who had received two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’

23His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’

24Finally, the servant who had received one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So in my fear, I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’

26‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.

28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’




The Parable of the Shrewd Manager

1Jesus also said to His disciples, “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. 2So he called him in to ask, ‘What is this I hear about you? Turn in an account of your management, for you cannot be manager any longer.’

3The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking away my position? I am too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg. 4I know what I will do, so that after my removal from management, people will welcome me into their homes...’

5And he called in each one of his master’s debtors. ‘How much do you owe my master?’ he asked the first.

6‘A hundred measuresa of olive oil,’ he answered.

‘Take your bill,’ said the manager. ‘Sit down quickly, and write fifty.’

7Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’

‘A hundred measuresb of wheat,’ he replied.

‘Take your bill and write eighty,’ he told him.

8The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the sons of light. 9I tell you, use worldly wealth to make friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, they will welcome you into eternal dwellings.

10Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.11If, then, you have not been faithful with worldly wealth, who will entrust you with true riches? 12And if you have not been faithful with the belongings of another, who will give you belongings of your own?

13No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”




Everything you do should be done in love.

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[a] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] There is no commandment greater than these.”




God Loves a Cheerful Giver
(Leviticus 22:17-33)

1Now about the service to the saints, there is no need for me to write to you. 2For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting to the Macedonians that since last year you in Achaia were prepared to give. And your zeal has stirred most of them to do likewise.

3But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove empty, but that you will be prepared, just as I said. 4Otherwise, if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—to say nothing of you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you beforehand and make arrangements for the bountiful gift you had promised. This way, your gift will be prepared generously and not begrudgingly.

6Consider this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written:

“He has scattered abroad His gifts to the poor;

His righteousness endures forever.”a

10Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your store of seed and will increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be enriched in every way to be generous on every occasion, and your giving through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12For this ministry of service is not only supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanksgiving to God.



13Because of the proof this ministry provides, the saints will glorify God for your obedient confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the generosity of your contribution to them and to all the others. 14And their prayers for you will express their affection for you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!




12Sow for yourselves righteousness

and reap the fruit of loving devotion;

break up your unplowed ground.

For it is time to seek the LORD

until He comes and sends righteousness

upon you like rain.




Invitation to the Needy

1“Come, all of you who thirst,

come to the waters;

and you without money,

come, buy, and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk,

without money and without cost!

2Why spend money on that which is not bread,

and your labor on that which does not satisfy?

Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

3Incline your ear and come to Me;

listen, so that your soul may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

my loving devotion assured to David.

4Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations,

a leader and commander of the peoples.

5Surely you will summon a nation you do not know,

and nations who do not know you will run to you.

For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,

has bestowed glory on you.”

6Seek the LORD while He may be found;

call on Him while He is near.

7Let the wicked man forsake his own way

and the unrighteous man his own thoughts;

let him return to the LORD,

that He may have compassion,

and to our God,

for He will freely pardon.

8“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways My ways,”

declares the LORD.

9“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so My ways are higher than your ways

and My thoughts than your thoughts.

10For just as rain and snow fall from heaven

and do not return without watering the earth,

making it bud and sprout,

and providing seed to sow and food to eat,

11so My word that proceeds from My mouth

will not return to Me empty,

but it will accomplish what I please,

and it will prosper where I send it.

12You will indeed go out with joy

and be led forth in peace;

the mountains and hills will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

13Instead of the thornbush, a cypress will grow,

and instead of the brier, a myrtle will spring up;

they will make a name for the LORD

as an everlasting sign, never to be destroyed.”