Story Time

When my kids were young, we would read many stories. One that I can remember years later is Goodnight Moon. Probably because it was read so many times by us as parents and our kids when they were just learning to read. It’s a very calming story that helped them get ready for bedtime. And it sticks in my mind decades later. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus tells us many stories, called parables, to help us understand qualities of God and his kingdom and help them stick in our minds.

In Matthew 20:1-16 we hear the story of the landowner who hired workers at various hours of the day to work in his vineyard. Yet, at the end of the day, paid them all the same daily wage. This story shows us how charitable our God is with the graces, mercy, and talents he gives each of us. They are not something we earn by who we are, what we do, and how long we do it, but something, out of his love and generosity, that he gifts to each of us.

But we don’t just keep these blessings to ourselves. In Matthew 25:14-30 Jesus tells the story of a man going on a journey who gave talents to his servants, each according to his ability. Two of the servants traded and made more. One of them, however, hid his talents. When the man returned, he was pleased with the two who had traded and made more. But with the one who hid his, not so.  Calling him wicked and slothful, he had him thrown out into the darkness.

What we do with our talents matters. This story makes it clear that God has expectations of what we do with what he gives us. This is not just about things and money, but the generous mercy, love, forgiveness, compassion, and all the blessings he pours upon us. We are expected to trade (share) them. And in another story Jesus tells us with whom.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells the story of a king who comes to judge nations. He separates them, sheep on his right, and goats on his left. The sheep are invited to enter the Kingdom prepared for them, while the goats are cast into the eternal fire. All due to how they treated the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned, and the least of the king’s friends, in their lifetime. This story shows us that we are to share the blessing God gives us with those around us who are in need, especially the least, the poor, homeless and those living on the margins of our society.

This brings us back to our first story. In it the landowner hired workers at all hours of the day to work in his vineyard, some early, some later, and some much later. Whatever our stage in life, God is always sending his graces and blessings upon us. We are never too young, too old, too poor, too insignificant, or our life situation so grave that we cannot receive what he has prepared for us and share it with those around us.

The stories Jesus tells stick in our minds.  They help us never forget that God blesses us at every stage of life and in every circumstance, and remind us to share our blessings through mercy, love, forgiveness, compassion, and service to others, especially those most in need.