Is this a coherent collection of sayings or does this read like a bunch of concepts and ideas? We have a short parable in this passage, about the master and the servants, but there are also many, I would say profound, statements around this brief example. Can we take them all in or should we simply grab a hold of one or two and do our best to hold on to them?

If a passage seems disjointed or difficult to grasp, looking at the verses around the reading can be helpful. This passage is roughly halfway through Luke’s gospel so we aren’t dealing with Jesus’ birth and shepherds, and we certainly haven’t reached Jerusalem where Jesus will die and rise again, so we are most likely in the middle of a considerable amount of teaching that Jesus is sharing with his disciples and the crowds. If we go back to the first verse of this chapter, Luke tells us that the crowds now number in the thousands. Jesus has a large audience and these are the words he shares with them.

For me this particular passage is a little like drinking from a firehose. There is a lot to take in and I usually want to do my best to do everything that Jesus shares. This may be difficult with a passage such as this one. So, what are the lines that stand out, how are they speaking to me (or you), and how do we either live them out or allow them to shape our faith? I appreciate how Jesus says it is God’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. That sounds nice, I mean who doesn’t like receiving gifts. But, what exactly is the kingdom, how is it given and received, and are there things that may get in the way of this gift? Jesus’ next words talk about possessions and giving offerings. I can see where Jesus is coming from and this makes sense. But it is also to remember how different things are today than they were when Jesus walked the earth. Our possessions are vastly greater than what they could’ve imagines back then so do we need to adjust how we hear these words or are they even more important today? If we are able to receive the kingdom, maybe everything else that Jesus talks about falls into place. Maybe we care less about our stuff once we’ve received the kingdom. Maybe we are always ready once we’ve received the kingdom and it creates this balance between us and God, where we are always looking to serve but we also welcome a God who serves us. The church has done a lot to scare people in terms of Jesus’ return and I simply don’t agree with that theology. Maybe once we’ve received this gift we live in excitement and expectation for Jesus to return. It all starts with the kingdom.