The Gospel for Wednesday of the 33rd week in Ordinary Time is taken from St. Luke 19:28, verse. While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, a nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself, and then to return. He called 10 of his servants and gave them 10 gold coins and told them, engage in trade with these until I return. His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, we do not want this man to be our king.

But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called to whom he had given the money to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, sir, your gold coin has earned 10 additional ones. He replied, well done, good servant. You have been faithful in this small matter. Take charge of 10 cities. Then the second came and reported, you, gold coin, sir, has earned five more.

And to this servant too, he said, you take charge of five cities. Then the other servant came and said, sir, here is your gold coin. I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man. You take what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant. He said to him, with your own words, I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant.

Why did you not put my money in a bank that on my return I would have collected it with interest? And to those standing by, he said, take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has 10. But they said to him, sir, he has 10 gold coins. He replied, I tell you to everyone who has more will be given, but the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me. After he had said this, he proceeded on his journey to Jerusalem.

This parable holds a truth about the kingdom of God. So many of the followers of Jesus as they were working toward Jerusalem, thinking that this would be the day that Jesus would take over and run the world. And they didn’t understand what was going to be asked of them. And when they were asked to to die to themselves and to surrender themselves to God, it would be easy for them to be caught up in fear, which is what this story is about. A man asked to do something, but out of fear of making a mistake, he won’t do it. The kingdom of God cannot be that way.

We have to take risks. We have to imagine letting go of everything in order to find the fullness of truth that’s at the heart of this story. Fear is a very dangerous thing to be caught up in. If you want to live in the kingdom of God, please reflect on these images found in the scriptures and I will close with a prayer. Closing Prayer Father, the greatest risk that we can take with you is to misunderstanding the promise you make. For anyone who gives up what seems to be their life, they’ll find something a hundred times more effective, A hundred times more life giving.

Keep us in this position of always trusting and whatever you ask us to let go of is always something that robs us of life. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.