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  • It’s Only A Talent Until

It’s Only A Talent Until

  • Posted by 杨牧师
  • Categories Pastor Yang's Sermons in English, 杨牧师的主日证道
  • Date June 14, 2019
  • Comments 0 comment

Text: Matthew 25:14-30

I think we all had experience looking under the couch in your house, or under your bed, or under the sofa cushions? What did you find? Children’s toy cars, lost pens, remote control, nail clippers, even money, especially coins. You may also have some joyful experience of finding something valuable in your basement or closet that you thought was lost. You may have found ten, or twenty dollar bills in your old coat pocket. What a pleasant surprise. But not until you find them, they are not useful and they won’t bring you joy. Eventually, they may be thrown away together with the old coats. They remain worthless and useless until they are found and reclaimed by someone. There are many hidden or buried things that need to be rediscovered and reclaimed. Children are excited to play treasure hunt. They also like to read stories like treasure cove in remote island or pirate treasure map. Real treasure hunters, who dig around the world not for loose change but for treasure troves buried in the ground or sunk under the sea, believe that only when hidden treasures come to light, do they have values. Unearthed treasure can make them rich. Do you know, there are also many lost accounts out there with billions unclaimed money. These lost accounts exist because some people have forgotten when they changed their job and moved or in other personal circumstances like getting married or widowed. If you have lost accounts, only when you rediscover and reclaim them do they really belong to you. Otherwise, lost accounts belong to the government.

Now imagine yourself discover and reclaim something even more valuable in God’s eyes. Last Sunday, Pr. Lehrer asked all of us to write down what you have done, what you have trained to do and what you do well or like to do. They are gifts and talents. Today, I would like to say that a talent is only a talent until it’s ‘unearthed,’ and reclaimed by the Holy Spirit to be used for God’s purposes. Only then does a talent truly become a spiritual gift. Talents are gifts from a very good God, to be sure. But often times, we claim them as our own. We hide them from God. We use them for our own selfish purposes and bury them in this world. Only when the Holy Spirit calls us and uses our God-given talents to work in the community of faith to benefit the whole world, do they become spiritual gifts. As it is said by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; etc. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” What is this same Spirit then? It’s not some kind of spirit in a philosophical sense or in other religious practice. From the context of these verses, St. Paul defines the Spirit clearly. It’s the Holy Spirit Who works in the body of Christ and in whom we won’t deny Jesus, but confess “Jesus is Lord.” Therefore, a spiritual gift in biblical sense is manifestation of the Holy Spirit to confess the Gospel and to be used in varieties of service and activity for the common good. A talent is just a talent until it’s used by God and for God and others.

The “talent” in today’s parable of Jesus, is not exactly what we mean by the word we have been used today. Back in Jesus’ time, a talent was a measure of weight. It meant about 75 pounds. But it weighed coins. So it was 75 pounds of, in this story, gold. Some people say, a talent meant more than $1000. Some other people say, it was about 15-20 years worth of work of a labourer at that time. Anyway, it was a lot of money. The master had entrusted his servants with something very valuable. He expected them not to keep it to themselves, but to use it and invest it as a faithful steward. Two of the savants in the story did exactly that. The 1st servant was given 5 talents. He traded with them, and he made five talents more. The 2nd servant who had two talents made two talents more. Unfortunately, the 3rd servant didn’t invest his talent. He hid it. He buried it. He didn’t use it at all. So, it didn’t grow. It became a hidden treasure like a treasure trove in a remote island or the lost coins under sofa, or forgotten bills in the old coat pocket or your lost account. It’s a talent nevertheless. But it’s worthless because it would not become what it was meant to be – an entrusted gift by the mater to be invested and to grow.

We know that this parable is one of the Kingdom parables taught by Jesus. Here, Jesus is this master. He is the Master, the Lord, and King, Who has entrusted all of us His gifts and will return someday to settle accounts with us. A “talent” here represents a God-given gift to us including our money, time and talent, a talent in ordinary sense. Some people say the talent here should also include the Word and Sacrament that Jesus entrusts to His church. I think that’s right. Whatever it is, one thing is certain. It means not to be buried or hidden from God, but to be used for the Kingdom of God, to increase for Jesus, the Master. What does it mean to be buried in the ground? The ground represents the world. Remember the parable of weeds in the field? In the same Gospel of Matthew, chapter 13, when Jesus explains the parable He says, “The field is the world.” I think the ground in today’s parable is also the world, because the whole point of “hiding in the ground” is to hide God-given talent from God and not to be used in His Kingdom. Then it begs the question, “Where do we hide God-given talents? Where are they buried?”   They are buried in the world. They are buried in the noises and busyness of this world and in the vanity of this world. As we pursue fame, money, and pleasure of this world, we are hidden from God and will not be fruitful, as Jesus says in the parable of the Sower, “the word of God is choked by the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches like a seed being choked by the thorns of the ground, and it proves unfruitful.” This is what happens when people selfishly hide their talents in this world. But then what will happen to this selfish, faithless, and worthless savant? He will be cast into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches will bury any God-given talent. It won’t become a fruitful spiritual gift until it is dug out, and reclaimed by the Holy Spirit and used for the Kingdom of God.

The things about buried talents and lost treasures remind me of other kingdom parables taught by Jesus, like the parable of treasure hidden in a field, or a merchant in search of fine pearls, or a woman looking for her lost coins. In these kingdom parables, the main character is God or Jesus. If the main character is God, then who is the treasure hidden in a field? Who are the fine pearls a merchant is searching for? And who are the lost silver coins that the woman who represents the church is sweeping the house with a lamp in her hand to seek diligently until she finds them? It’s YOU! It’s all lost and condemned human beings like you and me. Why? Because you are treasures, you are precious in God’s eyes. He has created you in His image and given you talents. Though you are buried in this sinful world, God still loves you. For God so loves you that he spares no effort to find you. He sells everything even His only begotten Son in order to purchase you back, as Dr. Martin Luther puts it, “not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.” God searches you out, and He reclaims you “as His own, who will live under Him and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”

You have God-given talents and gifts because He has given you your body and

soul, eyes, ears, and all your members, your reason and all your senses, and still takes care of them. Do not say in your heart, “I have earned everything myself because I am smart.” Even your brain with all that smartness comes from God. Unfortunately, because of our unfaithfulness and sinfulness, we bury those talents in this sinful world and hide from God. A talent buried is just a talent, not a spiritual gift until it is rediscovered, reclaimed and used by the Holy Spirit for the common good of the kingdom of God. But this is not the whole story. The whole story is that someone has already found you, not only your talents, but also your whole person.   God is so excited and glad to have found you that He hosts a party in heaven and there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

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杨牧师
杨牧师

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二零二二年圣三一主日 证道经文:约翰福音8:48–59 奉耶稣基督的名,阿门! 一些弟兄姐妹听我讲过关于“Me”和“We”的例子:如果你在一张透明纸或玻璃上写上英文“Me”这个字后,把它上下前后反转过来,你看到的将不再是“Me”,而是“We”这个字。在现实生活中,我们并不是孤独的人,在家里我们有妻子、丈夫、父母、儿女、和兄弟姐妹,在工作或学习的场所有同事、同学、老板,或员工等等。起初上帝创造人的时候说“那人独居不好”。现实生活中的人不会像一些科幻小说、电影或其它奇奇怪怪的文学作品中的主人公那样,抛下家人朋友,孤单一人去探索和冒险。今天是圣三一主日,上帝通过主耶稣与那些不信之犹太人的对话,向我们揭示出三位一体真神的本性;并告诉我们,这位真神上帝的本性是怎样使我们从单独的“Me”变成与祂来联合的“We”,使个体在主里合一。   人罪性里的一个特点就是以自我为中心。如今整个社会越来越远离上帝,人们也越来越追求自我和自我的实现,追求一种所谓自我“独立”的生活;要么不结婚,即使结婚,结婚的年龄也越来愈晚,且不愿要孩子。据BusinessInsider的统计,在1962年美国有一半21岁的年轻人就已经结婚了,而到2019年这个比例已经降到8%,现在可能又更少了。再加上所谓疫情的影响,人们多半呆在家中,如今的年轻人特别是Gen Z,也就是二十一世纪出生的人,他们感受越来越多的孤独、焦虑。就在上周,我看到一则新闻,一个在TikTok有177万粉丝,名叫 Cooper Noriega年仅十九岁的年轻人,在制作了标题叫“英年早逝”的节目几个小时后就死了。虽然现在还不知道原因,但警方基本上推测是自杀。我觉得这很可能与现在年轻人普遍的悲观情绪有关,然而与此同时还有另一个奇怪的现象,就是人们一方面自以为越来越独立,但实际上却有越来越多的人愿意随大流,并没有独立的思考能力。英文有个词叫“sheeple”,中文翻译成“羊民”,就是描述那些不独立思考而随大流的人。。一个社会里这样的人多了,就容易被邪恶的政权、或某个敌基督的人、或某种势力所利用。上周主日我们列举过历史上一些轰轰烈烈一起做大事的社会最后的悲剧。到底问题出在什么地方呢?你也许问,“羊民”们不也是联合在一起的吗?是的,但问题是与谁联合,与谁合一。如果离弃上帝,与世俗和魔鬼联合的结果必然是毁灭。   在今天的福音经文里,我们可以从主耶稣与那些不信的犹太人的争论中看到这个关于“与谁联合”的问题。犹太人指责主耶稣是被“鬼附著的”,意思就是魔鬼与祂联合的意思。但主耶稣却说,“我不是鬼附著的”,并反过来说他们才是说谎的,魔鬼是他们的父,也就是说他们才是与魔鬼联合的。主耶稣说,“我尊敬我的父。。我不求自己的荣耀,有一位为我求荣耀、定是非的。”“我若荣耀自己,我的荣耀就算不得什麽;荣耀我的乃是我的父,就是你们所说是你们的神。你们未曾认识他;我却认识他。”主耶稣的意思是祂与天父,以色列的上帝联合,这位真神会荣耀祂。主耶稣还说,“还没有亚伯拉罕就有了我。”原文中,主耶稣用的是“ἐγὼ εἰμί”,就是所对应的希伯来文上帝的名字“YHWH”,就是那自有永有的上帝。主耶稣是三一真神的第二位圣子,祂与天父联合,与天父并圣灵是一体的。那么,是犹太人说的对呢?还是耶稣才是对的呢?我们让事实来说话,主耶稣说,荣耀祂的是天父。我们看到,主耶稣使瞎子看见,瘸子行走,使长大麻风的得洁净,使死人复活,这是光明的工作,是生命的工作,是新创造的工作,是天父上帝的工作。而犹太人他们和所有不信之人的工作则是撒谎的工作,是破坏性的工作,比如:在经文最后,犹太人拿石头打耶稣,还想要杀祂。圣经说,魔鬼从起初就是杀人的;这一点在现实中的应用就是,虽然我们暂时不知道真相,但当我们看到一些人,无论他们如何号称自己是权威、是专家,但如果他常常撒谎,自己打自己的脸,你就知道他其实是属魔鬼的。如果一个人或一群人,无论他们号称自己是怎样地政治正确,但他们的行动是打砸抢烧,是威胁利用,是叫人恐惧害怕,孤独、沮丧、绝望等等,那么,他们也必定是属魔鬼的。相反的,主耶稣给我们带来的是光明、生命和喜乐。主耶稣说,“你们的祖宗亚伯拉罕欢欢喜喜的仰望我的日子,既看见了就快乐。”亚伯拉罕为什么快乐呢?因为主耶稣就是赐应许给亚伯拉罕的那位,是亚伯拉罕献以撒时用羔羊替代以撒的上帝,是在幔利橡树那里向亚伯拉罕显现,并应许他将从撒拉生出以撒的那位三位一体的耶和华上帝(注意:当时亚伯拉罕看到的是三个人)。亚伯拉罕的快乐是从三一上帝那里得到的救恩的快乐、新生命的快乐、复活永生的快乐!   圣经和正确的基督信仰告诉我们,三一真神的合一是独一上帝的三位在爱里的合一,是永恒的合一。为了人类的救恩,天父永恒的独生子,道成肉身来到了世上,使我们能通过祂,与天父上帝和好并联合;因为主在肉身中担负我们的罪死在十字架上,却从死里复活战胜了死亡与罪恶,为我们挪去使我们与上帝隔离的障碍。因此,通过耶稣基督,我们也能与三位一体真神联合,并彼此合一,成为一体,这就是教会,基督是我们的头。用简单点儿的话说就是,我们通过成了肉身的耶稣基督,才能真正彼此合一,走向光明与生命,而不是像那些彼此分隔,但都跟随魔鬼的“羊民”那样走向灭亡。这是三一真神与我们人类的关系和对我们的意义:在爱中,在生命里与祂合一,我们也彼此合一。   今天,求三一真神的圣灵感动我们,让我们能了解三一真神的本性,并祂与我们之间的关系,使我们得到三一真神为我们预备的救恩,并使我们在祂里面彼此相爱与合一。   奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名,阿门!

上帝造祂活的殿堂
20 June, 2022

北京圣保罗路德会 二零二二年五旬节 上帝造祂活的殿堂 证道经文:创世记11:1–9 奉耶稣基督的名,阿门! 当你看到全世界最高的迪拜哈利法塔大厦,或古埃及的金字塔,或看到故宫宏伟的建筑群的时候,你一方面慨叹它们的匠斧神功,一方面也许会想那些是谁设计的,又是谁建造的呢?今天是五旬节,就是从主耶稣钉在十字架并放入坟墓之中后的那个安息日开始算的第五十天(七个主日,七七四十九,加一,因为安息日是个周六)。从今天旧约的创世记和新约使徒行传的经文里,我们也看到两个“建筑”,一个是人造的,一个是神造的。在五旬节,我们庆祝上帝所建造的殿堂—就是主的教会,这个建筑超出所有的砖瓦和墙垣;实际上,超越一切的建筑物,分布在整个世界,又集中在同一个主,同一个信仰,同一个洗礼,同一位上帝之中。通过圣灵,上帝将你和万国万民都建造在这个建筑里,这个建筑就是主的教会。   首先,上帝的灵建造了第一对父母亚当和夏娃。虽然上帝用的是尘土,就像人们所造建筑的砖瓦最终也都是尘土一样,但是祂将生气吹在亚当的鼻孔里,使他成了有灵的活人。上帝也造了女人,使男人与女人合而为一,二人成为一体,并使他们与上帝和睦同住。然而当人犯罪堕落之后,人想为自己建造宏伟的建筑,那些建筑已经不再只是为人们居住之用了;就像迪拜大厦、金字塔、或故宫,也正像今天旧约经文创世记第11章中的巴别塔。他们说“来吧!我们要建造一座城和一座塔,塔顶通天,为要传扬我们的名,免得我们分散在全地上。”想想迪拜大厦、金字塔、和故宫的主要目的之一,不也是为了传扬他们自己的名吗?出于骄傲,人要使自己的名不仅传扬到整个世界,还要记载在历史的记录册上。人自我为义,要挑战上帝,所造的塔要能通天,想要与上帝同等,这不就是魔鬼的思路吗?并且人不服上帝,不服上帝的公义,要靠自己的努力通向天堂,这不也一直是人的宗教观念吗?罪人一直想要聚集在大城市,过奢华淫乱的生活(甚至现在不只是性乱了,而是乱性的生活,不生育,堕胎,杀婴的生活),而不愿意按照上帝吩咐的“生养众多,遍满地面”。于是,上帝变乱他们的口音,使他们的言语彼此不通,他们就停工,不造那城了。经文中一再强调,上帝在巴别塔那里变乱天下人的言语,为的是使众人分散在全地上,从而使人能遍满地面。此外,我们还能听出另一个原因,就是为了防止人们犯更大的罪。上帝说,“他们成为一样的人民,都是一样的言语,如今既做起这事来,以后他们所要做的事就没有不成就的了”。当上帝说这话的时候,有人以为上帝是小气,不愿意人做成一番大事;但事实上,上帝说这话是为了防止人类乱来,犯下更大的罪而导致人类的毁灭。其实历史常常重复着类似的悲剧,比如五八年轰轰烈烈的“大炼钢铁”,人们合力做大事的时候,也是为所谓的“三年自然灾害”(其实是人祸)埋下炸弹的时候;如今美国许多类似“文化大革命”的思路和改革,激发人们要轰轰烈烈做大事以改变美国的热情,但实际上这已经为将要来的灾难埋下了炸弹。。   然而,感谢主的是,吹气息进入亚当鼻孔,使他成为有灵活人的那一位上帝的灵,在五旬节降下,降在教会之中,也使教会有了生气;那像舌头如火焰般显现出来并分开落在他们各人头上的圣灵,充满他们,使他们按照圣灵所赐的口才说起别国的话来。这从某种意义来说扭转了巴别塔的悲剧,人们可以彼此沟通了;然而,这是圣灵所赐的口才,是为了教会,所以教会的人们能通过圣灵的恩赐,彼此沟通,并能聚集在一起,共同做大事,就是圣灵要教会做的大事。圣灵的恩赐通过圣道圣礼,使我们这些本来分散在世界各地的人能聚集在主的教会之中;我们共同做的大事就是传讲主的福音,共同建造上帝的殿堂—就是主的教会。通过教会所传的福音,人们得到罪的赦免和复活的生命;所以,这个殿堂是活的殿堂,因为教会是主的身体,是由有复活生命的人所组成的;复活的主是活的,祂的身体(就是教会)也是活的,是有生命的。“首先的人亚当成了有灵的活人,末后的亚当成了叫人活的灵”(林前15:45)这末后的亚当就是耶稣基督。   使徒保罗鼓励提摩太时说,“无论得时不得时,务要专心传道”,“因为时候要到,人必厌烦纯正的道理”(提后4:3)。为什么呢?因为无论得时不得时,圣灵都通过圣道福音以不同的形式将万国万民建造在上帝活的殿堂里。是的,即使是在不得时的时候,因为在不得时的时候,上帝可以像炼精金一样,将信徒的信心炼得更加纯净,这也是建造上帝殿堂的一部分;因为被火烧过的砖瓦更加结实!   所以,求主在五旬节降下的圣灵常在我们里面激励我们,让我们的身体成为主的圣殿,使我们通过圣道圣礼连于耶稣基督,生活在上帝活的殿堂–教会之中;也赐给我们口才,能将美好的福音传达给更多的人,使他们的罪也能得到赦免,并得到永生,使他们也能通过耶稣基督被建造在上帝活的殿堂里!! 奉圣父、圣子、圣灵的名,阿门!

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Third Sunday after Pentecost 6/25-25
24Jun2022
父所生的智慧
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