Three servants—two called “good and faithful,” the third fired for being “wicked and lazy.” A “talanta” was a lot of money—up to 20 years of a typical worker’s wages. But in Jesus’ story, the servant with two talantas was as faithful as the one with five. Jesus said our faithfulness to God shows in our willingness to use whatever resources of energy, time, skills, money or other assets God gives us to bless others and build God’s kingdom.

• What resources has God placed in your life? How are you using those resources to serve the Kingdom of God and bless others? Are there any resources you have “buried in a hole in the ground,” so to speak? If so, how can you begin to use them actively for God’s purposes?
• The apostle Paul wrote that “it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). To the Galatians, he wrote that living selfishly destroys our freedom, and that serving each other in love is the divine antidote for selfishness (cf. Galatians 5:13-14). In what ways have you seen the Spirit work through your commitments to God and others to grow the fruit of generosity in you?