Homily for November 20, 2019

The parable we just heard from Luke’s Gospel, tries to counter the expectation that the full coming of God’s kingdom was imminent. The people following Jesus were engrossed with thoughts about the future. So, in telling this parable, Jesus tries to turn their attention to the present.

The parable is about a man of noble birth who went far away to a foreign country and who eventually returned to his own land as king. However, his servants’ attention should not have been focused on the day of his return. Instead, they should have been focused on their present needs, using the resources he left them for what they truly needed in the present.

Too much concern about the future can distract us from the present. What matters is the generous and courageous use of the gifts and resources the LORD has given us for the service of others who are here right now. This is the approach to life that the LORD is encouraging us to take. The servant who put his gold coin away for safety, because of his fear, goes against this approach to life. In our use of our gifts and resources we may fail and make mistakes, but the truth is that failure is preferable to fearful inactivity. +