Lection: Matthew 25

November 26, 2023

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Matthew 25:31-46

“Flocking Together”

As I was preparing for worship for today, I mentioned to quite a few people that this was going to be a very sheep-y Sunday. So far we’ve had sheep going astray, lost sheep, found sheep, beloved sheep, thin sheep, and fat sheep, plus a few goats thrown in for good measure.

The image of God as the shepherd with God’s people as the sheep is pervasive in Scripture and probably familiar to us all. In some circles, being called a sheep is an insult, carrying with it the suggestion that people who act like sheep cannot think for themselves and just go along with whatever the authorities may tell them.

But for Christians, to be a sheep means that we are valued, protected, guided, and cared for by our loving, shepherding God. To be a sheep means that we belong to God our Shepherd, and to be a sheep means that we belong to the flock as well – to the community of God’s people.

Perhaps your mind goes to Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” Or maybe you … Read more »

November 12, 2023

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Matthew 25:1-13

“Choose to Be Prepared”

When I was a child, I never participated in Girl Guides or Scouts, but I do know one of the mantras of those groups that my guiding friends learned and remembered: “Always be prepared.” It was Robert Baden-Powell, the English soldier who founded the Boy Scouts who published the motto “Be Prepared” in his 1908 handbook, Scouting for Boys. He wrote that to be prepared meant “You are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”

And, of course, the motto came to mind when I thought about the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids that we read this morning. Five of them were prepared, and five of them were not.

But just as our children don’t have a lot of knowledge or experience with oil lamps, we likely don’t know much about first century Jewish weddings, so let’s begin with some historical context.

According to historians, on the day of a wedding ceremony in first century Palestine, the bride-to-be waited at home with her wedding party. Meanwhile, the bridegroom negotiated elsewhere with her relatives the various financial details involved in obtaining her as his wife. It was actually a mark of … Read more »

April 30, 2023

Matthew 25:31-46

“Little Ones”

Thanks to the SPY participants for helping me to bring that Parable of Jesus to life. It has been one of our theme passages this weekend, so it made sense to me that we share it with you in worship this morning. Most of you are probably quite familiar with this well-known parable, but it’s definitely one of the stranger stories that Jesus told.

It may be helpful to note that it’s not a story about something that happened, and it’s not even a story about something that WILL happen, as if Jesus is predicting the future. But it’s a parable – a symbolic story with a deeper meaning and an important message.

It’s a message that Jesus believed his followers should hear, a message that the author of Matthew thought his community of late-first century Jewish Christians should hear, and a message that I believe is super relevant for us today.

It’s a parable about the end of time or the final judgement day. And Jesus, referring to himself as the “Son of Man” or the “Son of Humanity” is also depicted as a king.

At the time that Jesus told this story, it was likely towards the end of his … Read more »

January 1, 2023

Ecclesiastes 3:1-3
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46

“When Was It? ”

A few weeks ago, Nick and I got together for dinner with a friend that we haven’t had a chance to visit with for quite a while. Early in the conversation he acknowledged that it had been way too long, and he asked, “What have you two been up to over the last year?” So I actually paused for a moment and thought about that question. What have we been up to over the last year?

In my personal life, I thought of singing in the RSO Choir, trips to Winnipeg when Nick’s Dad was in palliative care and then to Vancouver in the summer for his interment. And of course there was our amazing trip to Germany in August.

In terms of ministry, I thought of helping to initiate the Saturday lunch program at First Baptist, lots of church activities finally getting back to normal this Fall, and the arrival of one of our refugee families. I confirmed for my friend that I no longer have any responsibilities at all as a former Moderator, but this was the year that in-person meetings really began to resume so I had several trips to Ontario for Canadian … Read more »

January 2, 2022

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46

“A Time to Welcome Christ”

As we begin a New Year, the passage from Ecclesiastes seems very appropriate for our reflection on the year past and our looking forward to all that is in store for us in 2022. The author of the Wisdom Book of Ecclesiastes helps us to keep the events of the last year in perspective, remembering that there were good times and challenging times, and that God was with us through them all.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…” There is a time and a season for each purpose – good news for those of us who often feel like we are always running short on time.

Of course, the poetic listing of those various purposes is familiar to us. Perhaps we’ve encountered the passage in Bible study, or heard it read at a funeral, or maybe we just know the song by Pete Seeger, later covered by the band, “The Byrds”: “To every thing (turn, turn, turn) there is a season (turn, turn, turn) … Read more »

November 15, 2020

Matthew 25:14-30

“Taking a Risk”

The wretched slave cowers under the shadow of his master towering above him, and the master’s booming voice echoes around the slave… “You wicked and lazy slave! You ought to have invested my money with the bankers! Instead, all you did was bury it in the ground!”

“B,b,b,but, I was frightened. I was scared that I would lose it and you would punish me.” “Well,” said the master’s authoritative voice, “That’s what’s going to happen now. Give me my one talent back, and I’ll give it to someone with a bit more faith – someone who won’t just bury my gifts in the ground.”

As we just heard, there were three slaves in the story that Jesus told, and the master gave them all a bit of money – five talents for the 1st slave, two talents for the 2nd slave, and one talent for the 3rd slave. Actually, he gave them a lot of money. A talent does not refer in this case to something that you’re good at or skilled at doing. A talent was a large sum of money. One talent was approximately how much money a labourer in Jesus’ day would have earned in about … Read more »

March 10, 2019

Ruth 1-2
Deuteronomy 24:17-22
Matthew 25:31-46

“Kindness Without Borders”

An Introduction by the Rev. Amanda Currie:

Much of this morning’s service comes from a worship resource called “Welcoming the Stranger,” prepared by Presbyterian World Service & Development in partnership with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.

As we at First Church prepare to welcome the Mathiang Family to Regina as their sponsors, we do so with the support, help, and encouragement of Presbyterian World Service and Development. PWS&D is a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the Canadian government, and therefore is able to facilitate a certain number of refugee sponsorships each year. Staff at PWS&D have been working with us since the request for this sponsorship first came up, and have guided us and the Mathiang family through the complex process and paperwork involved in having them come to Canada.

What we are doing this year with our PWS&D Sunday and appeal is a bit different from usual. The Mission & Outreach Committee normally shares about the work that PWS&D does around the world including disaster assistance and development projects, and invites your donations directly to PWS&D to support a particular project.

This year, we simply want to highlight the work of PWS&D to support refugee sponsorship, and encourage you to … Read more »

November 26, 2017

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

“Thin Sheep, Fat Sheep, This Sheep, That Sheep” 

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty used to all this sheep and shepherd imagery in the Bible. Granted, it’s not exactly something I have a lot of experience with – sheep, or farm animals in general. But I think I get the picture of what it’s all about.

The shepherd cares for the sheep. Makes sure they’re fed. Protects them from predators. Leads them to green pastures and beside still waters. Sometimes the shepherd even goes off to look for a lost sheep, if he’s willing to risk the rest of the flock. And that’s the kind of shepherd that God’s supposed to be – one who cares about each individual sheep and rejoices over every one that’s found: Thin sheep, fat sheep, this sheep, that sheep!

The prophet Ezekiel is one of the Biblical writers who compares God to a shepherd who cares for, feeds, and guides the People of Israel. They’ve had a number of human leaders ruling over Israel at this point, but Ezekiel accuses these kings of being false shepherds – looking out for themselves instead of the sheep, ignoring the needs of the … Read more »

November 19, 2017

Matthew 25:14-30

“The Courage to Risk”

“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.” It’s a hard saying from Jesus. It’s strange, and jarring, and it seems counter to everything we know about our loving God and our compassionate Christ.

“As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This is the master’s response to the slave who received a gift, (just a small gift), and did nothing with it. He tried to hold on to it. He buried it in the ground. And after that, he wouldn’t be receiving any more gifts from the master.

It reminds me of a story that I read recently: A man went each day to his back yard and uncovered his money, which was buried in the ground. He would then put it back in the ground and cover it up again.

To his shock and disappointment, on a particular day he dug up the ground only to discover his money was gone! He began to cry out in dismay. His neighbour heard his … Read more »

November 12, 2017

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Matthew 25:1-13

“Choose to Serve”

Recently I heard a preacher suggest that Christianity is unique in that it demands that you make a choice. You consider the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus that you read about in the Gospels, and you decide what to make of it. You decide how to respond.

At some point, you have to make a choice about what to believe about Jesus. Either he was somehow the God of the universe made physically present in our world – reaching out, loving, forgiving, and reconciling the world – or he was a crazy person – living an itinerant life of poverty and getting himself killed. We have to choose what to believe as well as how to live in response to those convictions.

The book of Joshua tells the story of the Hebrew People entering the land promised by God and settling there. It’s the story of God’s chosen people – the ones who once lived as slaves in Egypt, who cried out to God to help them, and who followed Moses out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

These are God’s own people, who have finally been freed both … Read more »

January 1, 2017

Sermon by the Rev. Amanda Currie

Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46

“A Time to Welcome Christ”

As we begin a New Year today, the passage from Ecclesiastes seems very appropriate for our reflection on the year past and our looking forward to all that is in store for us in 2017. The author of the Wisdom Book of Ecclesiastes helps us to keep the events of the last year in perspective, remembering that there were good times and challenging times, and that God was with us through them all.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…” There is a time and a season for each purpose – good news for those of us who often feel like we are always running short on time.

Of course, the poetic listing of those various purposes is familiar to us. Perhaps we’ve encountered the passage in Bible study, or heard it read at a funeral, or maybe we just know the song by Pete Seeger, later covered by the band, “The Byrds”: “To every thing (turn, turn, turn) … Read more »

December 31, 2016

Sermon by the Rev. Amanda Currie

The following are reflections from our “Watch Night Service” held on New Year’s Eve, and finishing up in the early morning of New Year’s Day 2017.

Reflection #1 –

I want to begin with a reading from the Book of Lamentations. Yes, it is part of a book of laments – people crying out to God with their complaints and struggles. I think it makes sense because I’ve heard a lot of people lamenting about 2016: “It was such a terrible year! So many bad things happened! I just wish it could be over! Good riddance to 2016!”

And I guess quite a few hard things happened in the world this year. People noticed that lots of celebrities died. But, of course, there were very serious things happening in Syria and other places too, and there was the terrible result in the American election too.

And maybe some of us had some hard things happen in our personal lives too… deaths of loved ones, illness, injury, plans that didn’t work out, difficulties in our relationships, mistakes that we made and couldn’t correct…

Well, the author of Lamentations can relate. In the section before our reading, he is lamenting … Read more »

November 16, 2014

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Matthew 25:14-30

“Taking a Risk”

The wretched slave cowers under the shadow of his master towering above him, and the master’s booming voice echoes around the slave… “You wicked and lazy slave! You ought to have invested my money with the bankers! Instead, all you did was bury it in the ground!”

“B,b,b,but, I was frightened. I was scared that I would lose it and you would punish me.”

“Well,” said the master’s authoritative voice, “That’s what’s going to happen now.

Give me my one talent back, and I’ll give it to someone with a bit more faith – someone who won’t just bury my gifts in the ground.”

As we just heard, there were three slaves in the story that Jesus told, and the master gave them all a bit of money – five talents for the 1st slave, two talents for the 2nd slave, and one talent for the 3rd slave.

Actually, he gave them a lot of money. A talent does not refer in this case to something that you’re good at or skilled at doing. A talent was a large sum of money. One talent was approximately how much money a labourer in Jesus’ day would have earned in about 15 … Read more »

November 9, 2014

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Matthew 25:1-13

“Missing the Party?”

The parable of the ten bridesmaids is all about missing a party, specifically a wedding reception. In many ways, this parable goes along with another one that we are probably all familiar with, the parable of the wedding banquet.

In the parable of the wedding banquet, the guests are invited to come to the feast, but for various reasons, they all refuse. They are too busy doing other things, so they don’t have time to go to the celebration. They miss the party.

In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, the guests have shown up ready for the party, but some of them do not come prepared to wait for the bridegroom. When they run out of oil for their lamps and have to go buy more, the party begins, and they end up locked out. They miss the party too.

Traditionally, this parable has been understood as an allegory of the “close of the age” – the “end of time”. The bridegroom represents the Messiah, and his arrival is the awaited Second Coming. Our minds automatically jump to conclude that the parable is about being prepared when Jesus returns so that we will get into the party … Read more »

March 4, 2012

Romans 12:1-8
Matthew 25:14-30

This sermon was preached by the Rev. Amanda Currie as part of the St. Andrew’s Stewardship Committee’s program “Growing God’s Gifts.” It is based on a sermon by the Rev. Kenn Stright.

Jesus once told a story of a wealthy landowner who was preparing for a long journey. He called his three servants and divided his money between them, each according to his ability. To one servant he gave five talents, meaning a sum of money – almost unimaginable riches. To a second he gave two talents, and to a third he gave one talent. And even the third received an amount that we would find staggering. But there was a definite dividing according to ability… maybe a better manager, a shrewder investor, who knows what the ability was.

Why is life like that? I don’t know. We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are all guaranteed equal rights under the Constitution. In an election our votes are all equal, at least if we take the time to vote. But when it comes to our abilities, we are as different as different can be. God simply did not make us all the same.

… Read more »

November 20, 2011

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting pretty used to all this sheep and shepherd imagery in the Bible. Granted, it’s not exactly something I have a lot of experience with – sheep, or farm animals in general. But I think I get the picture of what it’s all about.

The shepherd cares for the sheep. Makes sure they’re fed. Protects them from predators. Leads them to green pastures and beside still waters. Sometimes the shepherd even goes off to look for a lost sheep, if he’s willing to risk the rest of the flock. And that’s the kind of shepherd that God’s supposed to be – one who cares about each individual sheep and rejoices over every one that’s found.

The prophet Ezekiel is one of the Biblical writers who compares God to a shepherd who cares for, feeds, and guides the People of Israel. They’ve had a number of human leaders ruling over Israel at this point, but Ezekiel accuses these kings of being false shepherds – looking out for themselves instead of the people, ignoring the needs of the people, and allowing them to be scattered.

Ezekiel’s talking about kings … Read more »

November 13, 2011

Colossians 1:3-14
Matthew 25:14-30

“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.” It’s a hard saying from Jesus. It’s strange, and jarring, and it seems counter to everything we know about our loving God and our compassionate Christ. “As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” This is the master’s response to the slave who received a gift, (just a small gift), and did nothing with it. He tried to hold on to it. He buried it in the ground. And after that, he wouldn’t be receiving any more gifts from the master.

It reminds me of a story that I read recently: A man went each day to his back yard and uncovered his money, which was buried in the ground. He would then put it back in the ground and cover it up again. To his shock and disappointment, on a particular day he dug up the ground only to discover his money was gone!  He began to cry out in dismay. His neighbour … Read more »

November 6, 2011

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Psalm 78:1-8
Matthew 25:1-13

Recently I heard a preacher suggest that Christianity is unique in that it demands that you make a choice. You consider the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus that you read about in the Gospels, and you decide what to make of it. You decide how to respond.

At some point, you have to make a choice about what to believe about Jesus. Either he was somehow the God of the universe made physically present in our world – reaching out, loving, forgiving, and reconciling the world – or he was a crazy person – living an itinerant life of poverty and getting himself killed. We have to choose what to believe as well as how to live in response to those convictions.

The book of Joshua tells the story of the Hebrew People entering the land promised by God and settling there. It’s the story of God’s chosen people – the ones who once lived as slaves in Egypt, who cried out to God to help them, and who followed Moses out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

These are God’s own people, who have … Read more »

November 16, 2008

Matthew 25:14-30
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

I didn’t want to preach on the parable of the talents this week. I figured that I’d preached on this text before, and I wouldn’t have anything new or different to say about it. I fully intended to preach on the text from Thessalonians about being children of light.

I thought that since we have a baptism today, that would be a good theme. We would celebrate the fact that we belong to the light and to the day, not to the darkness and night. We would rejoice over the fact that God has destined us, including this child baptized this morning, for salvation. Not because we have managed through our own goodness and effort to earn salvation, but because in Jesus Christ, God has reached out to us in grace and love.

I think it would have been a very encouraging sermon, if I had preached it today. But I’m not going to preach that sermon, because I couldn’t get the parable of the talents out of my head this week.

You’ve likely all heard the parable many times before. It’s another one of Jesus’ powerful stories. In our Sunday … Read more »