"But God said to him, 'Foolish man! This very night your life is
required of you, and who will have all the things that you have
gathered?' So it is with the man who lays up wealth for himself instead
of that which in the sight of God is the true wealth.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust
destroy, and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys, and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.
"No man can serve two masters: either he will hate one and love the
other, or else he will be loyal to one and untrue to the other. You
cannot worship both God and wealth."
Once as Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury of the Temple, he
watched the way in which the people put in their money. Many rich men
were putting in large sums, but a poor woman came and dropped in two
small coins worth less than a penny. He called his disciples and said to
them, "I tell you, this poor widow has given more than all the rest who
have put their money into the treasury, for they have given out of their
plenty, but she out of her poverty has given all that she has, even that
which is needed to keep her alive."
DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING TALENTS
"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who before going abroad called his
servants and gave what he had into their charge. To one he gave five
talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to what he
was able to do. Then the man went on his journey.
"The servant who had received five talents went at once and traded with
them and gained five more talents. In the same way the one who had
received two gained two more. But he who had received one talent went
away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled
his accounts with them. When the one who had received five talents came
bringing five more, he said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I
have gained five more.' His master said to him 'Well done, good and
faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things, I will put
you in charge of many things. Share your master's happiness.'
"The one who had received the two talents also came and said, 'Master,
you gave me two talents. See, I have gained two more.' His master said
to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful
over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Share your
master's happiness.'
"Then he who had received one talent came and said, 'Master, I knew that
you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where
you have not winnowed; so I was afraid and hid your talent in the
ground. There you have what belongs to you.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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