Face Slapping Time
On this day, I have much to be thankful for, but a good night's sleep is not one of them.
For some reason, 3am is the time of the day when the mind snaps fully awake with a to-do list, a "let's-take-a-close-look-at-what-we-may-have-missed-and-let's-get-busy" list.
The parable in today's reading from Luke's Gospel is like that. It is a 3am slap in the face.
He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Do business with these until I come back.' But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to rule over us.' When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. - Luke 19"13-15
Jesus and his disciples are close to Jerusalem. They are surrounded by what one commentator calls a promiscuous crowd, people who will not be interested in following Jesus.
He tells a story that is similar to the parable of the talents that he told to the disciples alone. In this story, though, each servant is given the same amount of money, and when the nobleman returns in his glory he takes an accounting of their earnings.
What have they done with what he gave them?
Jesus is about to leave. He will soon be crucified and will no longer be with them. He is going off to that distant kingdom to be given his inheritance and power, to use terms the people hearing this would understand. And when he returns, he will expect the followers would have been working on their to-do lists, making progress, not just sitting around watching tv.
When the deadline is approaching, we get going, but sometimes, a little voice in our heads says, wake up and get this stuff done, now.
So, this morning, I got started on a few of those troubling things that plagued my dreamtime, but I can't let it stop there. I need to look at all my lists and check off what still needs action and what is past, done, or past-due.
Every once in a while, it is good to get a swift slap in the face, a reminder that time is not a resource we can claim to own.
It is a gift, something to be truly thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Slap!
More to come...