We went out of town this weekend and asked a friend to feed our fish. I didn’t think twice about it while I was away. No big deal, right?

But what if I had a couple of million dollars that I needed someone to guard while on a three year expedition. I would make sure that I chose a qualified caretaker. I would want experience, attention, and qualified results.

This week, our parable consists of a wealthy landowner and three servants. He leaves each a different sum of money and takes off. When he returns, he finds that two of the servants have doubled their money. The third servant, however, was paralyzed with fear. He buried the money, presenting it back to the master. No gain. No loss.

How will the master respond? Will he appreciate the fact that the money was not lost? Will he congratulate the man on preserving his wealth? The master’s response may catch you by surprise. He is extremely hard on the guy. He boots him out, calling out his laziness and incompetence.

What does this parable teach us about the Kingdom? How are we to understand what has been left in our care? Is God more concerned with maintenance or risk-taking investment? Join us on Sunday as we explore this parable together.