We have so many public schools in henry county. They all have sports events going on all the time. I love seeing the young people compete, but sometimes it’s hard because I get blasted with memories of my own childhood. I am sometimes reminded of my successes when I won and got a ribbon. But more often I’m reminded of my failures.

As we near the end of the church year Jesus wants us to examine ourselves, as we look forward to the end times and the return of Jesus. One parable Jesus told about the end times was Matthew 25:14-30. This parable is also parable about successes and failures.

4 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

Jesus’ Parable tells about “talents” a master gives to his servants. The master is Jesus. The servants are people, which includes us. In Jesus’ time, the “talents” were often money, and servants were to use their talents wisely. In the parable the master commends the wise servants and harshly judges the unwise servant who hid his talent.

The God who through the Holy Spirit so generously gives us our spiritual blessings also gives us gifts to glorify Him. Just like different students have different gifts in school, so do we. If God has given us musical gifts, we are to use them to sing and play to His glory. If God has given us artistic gifts, we are to use them to share the beauty of His creation. We are to use our minds to learn about His Word and to be the best students possible and to develop abilities to serve others. We use the talents God has given us to learn in school, to help our parents at home, to serve in our community and to bless His church. In every place, we use our talents wisely to serve Jesus.

It’s easy when we look at our own “talents” to only see the talents we don’t have. This is a form of burying our talents. In the spirit of thanks, it would better if we reexamined our various talents that God has given us and how can we use them to give thanks to God!

Jesus wonderfully invites us to share our God given talents with the world as we wait for his return. The best talent we have been blessed with is faith in Jesus. For this reason we can look forward to being with Him when He comes again. It will be exciting to hear Jesus also say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servants.”[1]

Dear Jesus, all that we are and all that we have is Your gift to us. Thank You for the talents You have given to each of us. Help us to use those talents to give You glory and help Your kingdom to grow. Amen.

[1] Part of this message came from LCMS 2020 –21 CHAPEL TALKS FOR LUTHERAN SCHOOLS WEEK 14: Proper 28.