Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
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Fear
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Conscientiousness
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PRAY...
PRAY...
Have you ever watched the cartoon Tom & Jerry about the cat and the mouse?
I used to laugh so hard at that cartoon.
I just loved the way the cat seemed to always get in trouble as we went after the cute little mouse.
And the old adage that while the cat was away the mice will play held true in the cartoons at least.
And didn't we find it true when we were kids?
Did we not do things when mom and dad weren't home that we knew we weren't supposed to do?
Is the stereo-typical picture of a teenager frantically cleaning the house before his parents get home that far from the truth?
I'll be honest, I never threw wild parties when mom and dad were away, but I did do other things I shouldn't have done.
And for fear of giving any of the kids here today some bad ideas, I'll refrain from giving the details.
It is just the idea of trying to get away with something in the absence of authority that I want to get across.
It seems almost human nature to push the boundaries of our authorities.
Yet, if we would live within those bounds, we would find our lives much easier.
But I daresay we are always pushing it when we think no one is watching.
Have you ever watched the cartoon Tom & Jerry about the cat and the mouse?
I used to laugh so hard at that cartoon.
I just loved the way the cat seemed to always get in trouble as we went after the cute little mouse.
And the old adage that while the cat was away the mice will play held true in the cartoons at least.
And didn't we find it true when we were kids?
Did we not do things when mom and dad weren't home that we knew we weren't supposed to do?
Is the stereo-typical picture of a teenager frantically cleaning the house before his parents get home that far from the truth?
I'll be honest, I never threw wild parties when mom and dad were away, but I did do other things I shouldn't have done.
And for fear of giving any of the kids here today some bad ideas, I'll refrain from giving the details.
It is just the idea of trying to get away with something in the absence of authority that I want to get across.
It seems almost human nature to push the boundaries of our authorities.
Yet, if we would live within those bounds, we would find our lives much easier.
But I daresay we are always pushing it when we think no one is watching.
In the parable before us today, we will see one servant who is trying to get away with something while the master is gone.
This parable has 4 people in it.
One of them the master and 3 servants.
2 of those servants are obedient, the third is less than obedient.
As we look at the parable this morning, we are going simply look at the servants and the master and see what they have to teach us today.
Reminding you of the context.
It is Holy Week, the week leading up to Jesus' death on the cross.
He has taken His followers out of the city of Jerusalem and into an olive grove on the mountain to the east of the city.
From there they could look down at Jerusalem.
The city was in view, but the hustle and the bustle would have been hard to hear.
Jesus is delivering what is usually referred to as the Olivet Discourse where He is sharing with the Disciples what they should expect once He is gone.
He has already made the point that He will be coming back, but it will probably be a long time until He does.
In the 1st 13 verses of the chapter, we see two people preparing for a great day in the parable of the virgins and the lamps.
We see the foolish people who give up too early or try to coast on someone else's work.
And we see the prudent people that must remember that their prudence cannot work for anyone else.
Both types of people fell asleep waiting for the bridegroom to come, but when it was time to wake up, only the prudent were prepared.
In our passage today, we are going to look at the servants and the master and see what is expected of us and how we will be held accountable to those expectations.
The servants
1.1.
Vv 16-18;20;22;24-25
Mt 25:20
The Servants
1.2.
Let's begin by talking about a talent.
What exactly is a talent?
Is it a skill?
Is it a natural ability?
Is it a spiritual gift?
Is it the Gospel itself?
Is it an ancient measure of money?
What exactly is a talent?
All of the above.
In modern language, the word talent usually refers to a natural ability or a skill at something.
But in the ancient world, it was a monetary thing.
It was a measure of money.
But how much money?
Well, some of the ancient manuscripts we have say that a talent is worth about 6,000 denarii.
A denarius is what one day-laborer was paid for one day's labor.
You remember when Jesus gave the parable of the vineyard owner who hired people throughout the day and paid them all a denarius at the end of the day.
It is what one day's work was worth.
So, a talent can mean 6,000 days of work.
What does that look like?
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