Tax Collector's Guide to Stewardship 3 - Matthew 25.14-30

The denominations of money used in Matthew's gospel are larger than Luke. Matthew tells Jesus' parable of the talents; Luke recounts the parable of the pounds (not to be confused with this pound) and the widow's mite.

Based on the larger denominations of money, Matthew's community was probably wealthier than Luke's. Matthew's community has the resources to give. Jesus warns Matthew's readers about the consequences of their stinginess; he minces no words.

The parable also calls people to take risks for the kingdom.

As a wealthy people, Matthew's gospel speaks a tough word to us today, even and especially in a harsh economic environment.

The parable of the talents is much discussed, for its obvious English double entendre. The English word talent, meaning abilities, derives from the monetary unit, not the other way around.

Tax Collector's Guide to Stewardship 2 - Matthew 13

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells two parables about two small items: a mustard seed and yeast. Jesus' parables teach us through commonplace images.

Once the yeast goes into the dough, there is no going back. The bread may not rise or bake properly, but the bread will never be the same. We live in a Wonderbread culture, where food magically appears in grocery stores. Unless your family bakes, you may have begun to lose your connection to this image of yeast. Yet, real dough takes time to rise. The kingdom of heaven is not instantaneous.

The Mustard Seed parable has most recently dominated conversations on CNBC about the market. Investment theories can come from anywhere. Although Jesus parables may make some sense when discussing the market, we must also recognize that Jesus meant to talk about the Kingdom against the backdrop of money and resources, in a world that lives and breathes stuff, rather than talking about stuff in a world that lives and breathes the Kingdom.

How is the Kingdom like a mustard seed? How is the Kingdom like yeast?