Matthew 25:14-30
Sunday, November 15, 2026
25th Sunday after Pentecost
Confession and Forgiveness
Blessed be the holy Trinity, ☩ one God,
our dwelling place for all generations,
whose compassion never slumbers.
Amen.
Let us confess our sin in the presence of God
and of one another.
Silence is kept for reflection.
Holy God,
we confess that we have trusted in our preparation
instead of your invitation.
We prioritize our piety over care for your beloved.
We trust the voice of our shame and fear,
which keeps us from entering fully
into relationship with you and others.
We are not awake to the coming of your reign.
Rouse us and rescue us,
that we may enter into your joy.
Amen.
Inherit the riches of God’s grace.
☩ Jesus, the good shepherd, feeds you with his mercy.
You are forgiven.
Blessed are you.
Amen.
Gathering Hymn: Praise and Thanksgiving – ELW 689
Prayer of the Day
Righteous God, our merciful master, you own the earth and all its peoples, and you give us all that we have. Inspire us to serve you with justice and wisdom and prepare us for the joy of the day of your coming, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
First Reading: Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18
7 Be silent before the Lord God,
for the day of the Lord is at hand!
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated his guests.
12 At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
and I will punish the people
who settle like dregs in wine,
those who say in their hearts,
“The Lord will not do good,
nor will he do harm.”
13 Their wealth shall be plundered
and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
they shall not drink wine from them.
14 The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter;
the warrior cries aloud there.
15 That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 a day of trumpet blast and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the lofty battlements.
17 I will bring such distress upon people
that they shall walk like the blind;
because they have sinned against the Lord,
their blood shall be poured out like dust
and their flesh like dung.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath;
in the fire of his passion
the whole earth shall be consumed,
for a full, a terrible end
he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Word of God. Word of life.
Thanks be to God.
Psalm: 90:1-8, 12
1 Lord, you have been our refuge
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born,
from age to age you are God.
3 You turn us back to the dust and say,
“Turn back, O children of earth.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past
and like a watch in the night;
5 you sweep them away like a dream,
they fade away suddenly like the grass:
6 in the morning it is green and flourishes;
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
7 For we are consumed by your anger;
we are afraid because of your wrath.
8 Our iniquities you have set before you,
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
12 So teach us to number our days
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Word of God. Word of life.
Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Abide in me as I abide in you; those who abide in me bear much fruit. Alleluia. (John 15:4, 5)
The Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Glory to you O Lord
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said to the disciples: 14 “For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once 16 the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 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. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
The Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ
One of the things that makes the Gospels so engaging is that they often show the disciples and other followers of Jesus not understanding what he was saying.
- We see Peter…for instance…telling Jesus not to wash his…Peter’s…feet until Jesus explains why he must.
- Then Peter wants his entire body washed.
We read about Nicodemus…when Jesus says he needs to be born again…
- Thinking it means he somehow must make his way back into his mother’s womb.
- It takes some time for Jesus to correct him of that notion.
- And we find two of Christ’s followers on the road to Emmaus…walking with the risen Jesus himself…for a long time…
- But not recognizing who he is until he breaks bread with them.
- They might have been looking…but they were not seeing.
This failure to understand what Jesus was talking about…or doing…exists right into our present day.
- For instance…time after time…those who try to explain the text we read today…miss the point.
- The story is about an enslaver…a slave-owner…who gave one slave five talents worth of money…while another got two…and another got one.
- Often…we hear it is all about praising the first slave for doubling his five talents.
- That first slave is the winner…and we should be…too…so work hard and invest.
Clearly…then…in that view…the winner in the story is the servant who doubled the money he was given…
- While the loser was the servant who buried his money and…at the end…
- Simply returned the money to the slave holder.
Let us think a bit about why that may be an incomplete understanding of the story…
- And about why the New Testament…is not full of economic strategies…that could make us all rich.
- Even though…that’s what preachers of the so-called Prosperity Gospel say.
- To digress a moment…I am not at all averse to anyone making money…
- Even lots of money…honestly…
- But this is not what Jesus was about.
So…here’s the thing…there is a lack of understanding about the limited goods held by the people and society…of first-century Mediterraneans.
- In their view of the world…all goods…merchandise…commodities…existed in a finite…limited amount.
- What I mean is this…to be gaining more was always at the expense of someone else.
- So…in this parable…for the two good servants to get more for their master…then someone…would have to be losing…getting less.
- And that someone…who would have been losing…getting less…most likely…were the peasants gathered around hearing this parable…
- So…somehow…the slave who was given just one talent grasped this unfair economic system…
- And refused to participate in it.
It is not surprising…that many proclaim this third servant as bad and lazy…
- Since biblical commentaries reinforce this servant as bad and lazy.
- You see…the third servant was fearful in the face of doing the right thing…
- That is…preserving the master’s money…
- While also not exploiting and taking money from someone else by usury and extortion.
OK then…the one-talent slave knew he was being asked to participate in what he believed was an unfair…inequitable economic system of strict limits.
- He may not have had a Ph.D. in economics from the Wharton School of Business…
- But he refused to do what his master expected him to do…because of how he understood economic matters.
And not only did he refuse…he also told his master the truth.
- He said this: Master…I knew that you were a harsh man…reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed…so I was afraid…and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.
Notice that his words are rooted in the agrarian economy of his time.
- How might we translate those words to an industrial/technology economy?
- That you used artificial intelligence to write your high school themes and pretended they were original?
- That you scammed people by sending them fake online payment notices?
- That you learned to buy or sell stocks based on inside information before it was made public?
Jesus did not have those higher-tech options…so he put the story in terms that people…of his time…could understand…
- People who believed that they lived in a limited goods society in which someone winning financially…inevitably meant someone else losing.
- Understood that way…this is a story that calls each of us to be as brave and clear-headed as the third servant…who is…the hero of the story.
What does all this mean?
- It means we are compelled to be discerning about the systems at work in our world that are unfair and harmful.
- It means we are compelled to pay attention to the way Jesus asks us to live.
- Jesus talked about that in the Sermon on the Mount…
- Jesus talked about that in the Beatitudes…
- Which had nothing to do with being given money from a slaveholder…
- So…the amount could be doubled…
- And then…be praised by someone who thinks people are marketable commodities…tradable goods.
Now remember that the third servant was fearful in the face of doing the right thing…
- When does fearful in the face of doing the right thing…come to inspire the reproach?
- You wicked and lazy slave!
How is it that even our virtues turn on us?
- And our good intentions land us in outer darkness?
The servant explains his actions by saying:
- I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground.
- It is right for the servant to be afraid of one who has the power to say:
- As for this worthless slave…throw him into the outer darkness…where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It is right to be afraid of such a one…
- All the way up until that one stands before you…
- In the person of Jesus…risen from the dead…and says:
- Do not be afraid…go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee…there they will see me…
Those brothers…would be the ever so fearful…careful…and cowardly disciples.
- In the end…things are different than stories of the end might have led us to expect…
- And instead of being cast into outer darkness…
- The ones…the disciples…who were afraid and hid…
- Are cast out into all nations…to make disciples…
- They are called and sent…and accompanied…by the Holy Spirit…
- Low…I am with you always…Jesus says…to the close of the age.
Not even our fear and cowardess can foil the mission of the one who is God with us…Emanuel.
- Even the best intentioned of us will be made altogether new…
- Do not be afraid…he is going on ahead of you…to Galilee…there you will see him…
Hymn of the Day: Light Dawns on a Weary World – ELW 726
Prayers of Intercession
United with the great cloud of witnesses, we offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all of creation.
A brief silence.
You build up the church as a community of faithful witnesses throughout the generations. Enliven the worship, outreach, and service work of our congregations and ministries with the hope of your good news. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
As the nights grow longer in the northern hemisphere, make us mindful of the earth’s need for rest. Provide for fallow fields and hibernating animals; show us how to curb human impact on vulnerable lands and species. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Rescue all nations and peoples from violence, displacement, or famine. Disrupt complacency among national and local leaders. Recommit our communities to transforming the systems that divide and oppress into those that empower and unite. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In your embrace, we find refuge from all trials and troubles. Care for families who are separated or estranged, accompany all undergoing medical procedures or mental health treatment, and reassure any who are ill or despairing especially: John & Lisa Mountain, Judy & Terry Vernon, David Beazley, Margaret Miller, Shirley Treichler, Hope Garrett, Chad Rudzik, Stacey Bryant, Pam Hendry, John Shaffer, James Johnson, Scott Boyd, Gloria Miller, Jules Follett, Julia, David Stangle, Mike Stonecypher, June Morris, Doris Ross, Susie Franks, Charles Travers, Chloe Johnson, Karen Liniewicz, Laurie Lampert, Sharon Asp, Terry Cox, Ardelle Mampe. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Bless all who serve in congregational leadership: council members, finance committees, volunteer coordinators, and property teams. Encourage healthy stewardship of time, talents, and resources for the mission of the gospel. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
The faithful of every age trust in the hope of your saving grace. In thanksgiving for the ways our ancestors have journeyed before us, we remember all who have entered eternal life in you. God, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
Into your steadfast love, faithful God, we entrust all for whom we pray, in the name of Jesus, your beloved.
Amen.
Pray with me:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Blessing
The holy Trinity,
Father, ☩ Son, and Holy Spirit,
bless you with wisdom to welcome the reign of God,
today and always.
Amen.
Sending Hymn: Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ – ELW 674
Dismissal
Go in peace. Encourage one another.
Thanks be to God.