November 16, 2022

Luke 19:11-28

Today we hear the parable of the tenants. The gist of it is: three people were given gifts, two of the three used the gift and doubled it but one of them, knowing how demanding his master was, became afraid. He dug a hole and stalled the money there. The master came back and it sure was not a good day for guy number 3.

Couple of things here. Who were your best teachers in school? Those who pushed you or those you pushed around? Looking back I truly learned more about life from demanding teachers, priests. Everything goes is a nice slogan but it makes for a sluggish life. God is demanding!!! Say that one more time …. God is demanding!!!

Our Lord challenges his disciples to take risks, he encourages us never to be paralyzed by fear of failure or success. Fear is a terrible thing indeed. Yes yes it keeps us alive but there is a kind of fear that locks and shuts everything down. This is the fear that we must courageously fight. The scariest time of my life was leaving the safety of Rome. I must have been mad to do it. But there was a little bit of trust that God will catch me if I were to fall. Yes there were times when I lived on rice and beans and feared mama would starve because I had lost my income but I felt called to something different.

Look at your life!! Hmmm truly you have stepped out in faith when you did not have all the answers. Sometimes things did not work out but you readjusted and found a way.

The long and short of it is this… don’t sit on the gift that you are because you are afraid. Trust, exercise your faith and plant the kingdom. That might mean finding to smile about on your saddest day. Love you!!