William H. Willimon - "One Tough Master?" (November 18, 1990)

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	(uplifting organ music)	0:02
-	Good morning and welcome to Duke Chapel	3:21
	on this 24th Sunday after Pentecost.	3:23
	We particularly welcome this Sunday our medical	3:25
	school alumni who are having their reunion weekend	3:29
	here with us.	3:33
	Now let us stand for the greeting.	3:35
	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.	3:40
Congregation	And also with you.	3:43
-	The risen Christ is with us.	3:45
Congregation	Praise the Lord.	3:46
	(organ)	3:49
	♪ Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim ♪	4:49
	♪ till all the world adore his sacred name. ♪	4:57
	♪ Come, Christians follow this triumphant sign. ♪	5:09
	♪ The hosts of God in unity combine. ♪	5:17
	♪ Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim, ♪	5:28
	♪ 'till all the world adore His sacred name. ♪	5:37
	♪ Each newborn servant of the Crucified ♪	5:48
	♪ bear on their brow the seal of Him who died. ♪	5:56
	♪ Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim ♪	6:06
	♪ till all the world adore his sacred name. ♪	6:15
	♪ O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree, ♪	6:25
	♪ As thou hast promised, draw the world to thee. ♪	6:34
	♪ Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim ♪	6:45
	♪ till all the world adore his sacred name. ♪	6:54
	♪ So shall our song of triumph ever be: ♪	7:05
	♪ praise to the Crucified for victory. ♪	7:13
	♪ Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim ♪	7:24
	♪ till all the world adore his sacred name. ♪	7:33
-	Sovereign God, to whom belongs all we have	7:51
	and all that we are, we pray for insight and will	7:54
	to use wisely all that you have entrusted to us.	7:59
	May we be worthy of others' trust, generous to those	8:03
	who are in need and full of encouragement for our sisters	8:07
	and brothers in the faith.	8:11
	Inspire us to such selfless service that we may	8:14
	be worthy of your commendation,	8:17
	"Well done, good and faithful servant."	8:19
	Amen.	8:22
-	Let us pray.	8:34
Congregation	Open our hearts and minds, O God,	8:37
	by the power of your holy spirit	8:40
	so that this word is read and proclaimed	8:43
	we might hear with joy which I say to us this day.	8:46
-	The first reading is taken from	8:52
	the book of Zephaniah.	8:55
	Be silent before the Lord God!	8:57
	For the day of the Lord is at hand;	9:00
	the Lord has prepared a sacrifice,	9:04
	he has consecrated his guests.	9:07
	At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,	9:10
	and I will punish the people who rest	9:15
	complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts,	9:18
	"The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm."	9:23
	Their wealth shall be plundered,	9:29
	and their houses laid waste. Though they build houses,	9:32
	they shall not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards,	9:37
	they shall not drink wine from them.	9:42
	The great day of the Lord is near, near and hastening fast;	9:46
	the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,	9:53
	the warrior cries aloud there.	9:56
	That day will be a day of wrath,	10:00
	a day of distress and anguish,	10:03
	a day of ruin and devastation,	10:07
	a day of darkness and gloom,	10:11
	a day of clouds and thick darkness,	10:14
	a day of trumpet blast and battle cry against	10:17
	the fortified cities and against the lofty battlements.	10:21
	I will bring such distress upon the people	10:27
	that they shall walk like the blind;	10:30
	because they have sinned against the Lord,	10:33
	their blood shall be poured out like dust,	10:36
	and their flesh like dung.	10:39
	Neither their silver nor their gold will be able	10:42
	to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath;	10:46
	in the fire of his passion the whole earth	10:50
	shall be consumed; for a full, a terrible end	10:53
	he will make of all the inhabitants of the earth.	10:58
	This is the Word of the Lord.	11:03
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	11:06
-	Please stand as we join in singing responsively	11:13
	Psalm 76, found on page 797 in your hymnal.	11:15
	(organ)	11:22
	♪ In Judah God is known, whose name is great in Israel. ♪	11:28
	♪ Whose abode has been established in Salem, ♪	11:36
	♪ whose dwelling place is in Zion. ♪	11:41
	♪ There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, ♪	11:45
	♪ the sword, and the weapons of war. ♪	11:50
	♪ You are glorious, more majestic ♪	11:56
	♪ than the everlasting mountains. ♪	12:00
	♪ The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; ♪	12:03
	♪ they sank into sleep; ♪	12:08
	♪ all the soldiers were unable to use their hands. ♪	12:11
	♪ At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, ♪	12:17
	♪ both rider and horse lay stunned. ♪	12:22
	♪ You indeed are to be feared! ♪	12:27
	♪ Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? ♪	12:31
	♪ From the heavens you uttered judgment; ♪	12:38
	♪ the earth feared and was still ♪	12:42
	♪ when God arose to establish judgment, ♪	12:46
	♪ to save all the oppressed of the earth. ♪	12:50
	♪ Surely human wrath shall praise you, ♪	12:55
	♪ when last bit of your wrath you bind around you. ♪	12:59
	♪ Make vows to the Lord your God, and keep them; ♪	13:06
	♪ Let us serve God where he lives ♪	13:11
	♪ to the One to be feared. ♪	13:13
	♪ Who gives us the Spirit among us, ♪	13:18
	♪ And makes the rulers of the earth afraid ♪	13:23
	♪ All glory be to you Oh God, and to Jesus Christ our Savior ♪	13:28
	♪ As Your Holy Spirit will set us free. ♪	13:35
	♪ As it was since time began ♪	13:42
	♪ Is now and to be forevermore. ♪	13:45
-	This reading is taken from	14:04
	Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians.	14:06
	Now concerning the times and the seasons,	14:10
	brothers and sisters, you do not need	14:13
	to have anything written to you.	14:16
	For you yourselves know very well that	14:19
	the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.	14:22
	When they say, "There is peace and security,"	14:27
	then sudden destruction will come upon them,	14:31
	as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman,	14:35
	and there will be no escape!	14:38
	But you, beloved, are not in the darkness,	14:42
	for that day to surprise you like a thief;	14:45
	for you are all children of light and children of the day;	14:49
	we are not of the night or of darkness.	14:55
	So then let us not fall asleep as others do,	14:59
	but let us keep awake and be sober;	15:04
	for those who sleep, sleep at night,	15:08
	and those who are drunk, get drunk at night.	15:12
	But since we belong to the day, let us be sober,	15:16
	and put on the breastplate of faith and love,	15:20
	and for a helmet the hope of salvation.	15:25
	For God has destined us not for wrath but	15:30
	for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,	15:33
	who died for us, so that whether we are awake	15:38
	or asleep we may live with him.	15:42
	Therefore encourage one another and build up each other,	15:46
	as indeed you are doing.	15:51
	This is the word of the Lord.	15:55
Congregation	Praise to God.	15:57
	(choir singing foreign language)	16:11
-	You will note that all of our scripture lessons thus far,	19:04
	including the Mozart anthem we have just heard,	19:08
	speak of the judgment of God,	19:13
	and today's assigned Gospel also speaks of divine judgment,	19:16
	but in a particular way.	19:22
	Hear the gospel.	19:25
	For it will be as when a man going on a journey,	19:31
	called his servants and entrusted to them his property.	19:34
	To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one,	19:37
	each according to his ability. Then he went away.	19:42
	He who had received the five talents went at once	19:47
	and traded them, and made five talents more.	19:49
	So also the who with two talents made two talents more.	19:53
	But he who had received one talent went and	19:56
	dug the ground and hid his master's money.	19:59
	Now after a long time the master of these servants	20:03
	came and settled accounts.	20:06
	And when he who had received the five talents came forward,	20:09
	bringing five talents more, saying,	20:12
	'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here,	20:15
	I have made five talents more.'	20:17
	The master said to him,	20:20
	'Well done, good and faithful servant.	20:22
	You've been faithful over a little;	20:24
	I will set you over much.	20:26
	Enter into the joy of your master.'	20:29
	And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying,	20:33
	'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here,	20:36
	I have made two talents more.'	20:39
	His master said to him,	20:42
	'Well done, good and faithful servant.	20:43
	You have been faithful over a little;	20:45
	I will set you over much.	20:47
	Enter into the joy of your master.'	20:49
	He also who had received one talent came forward, saying,	20:53
	'Master, I knew you were a hard man,	20:58
	reaping where you did not sow, gathering where	21:03
	you did not winnow, so I was afraid,	21:05
	and I went and hid your talent in the ground.	21:10
	Here, you have what is yours.'	21:12
	The master answered him, 'You wicked and	21:17
	slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I haven't	21:20
	sown and gathered where I have not winnowed!	21:23
	Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers,	21:25
	and at my coming I should have received	21:27
	what was my own with interest.	21:30
	Take the talent from him and give it	21:33
	to him who has the ten talents.	21:35
	This is the Word of the Lord.	21:39
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	21:42
	Well you know with whom we identify in this story.	21:45
	We're always on the side of the little, one-talent man.	21:50
	Maybe it's because few of us	21:54
	are overly endowed with talents,	21:56
	and maybe it's because we always like stories about	22:00
	the little guy who makes good.	22:03
	We love the story of the woman who went	22:04
	head-to-head with the IRS and won!	22:08
	Or the student who took on	22:12
	the mighty University administration and triumphed.	22:14
	We like stories about the little guy.	22:19
	Toward the end of his time with us,	22:24
	Jesus told us this story,	22:27
	the parable of the talents.	22:30
	And I think context is important.	22:34
	It is told toward the end of his life,	22:36
	just before Jesus launched out on a journey to Jerusalem.	22:38
	Just before Jesus left us.	22:44
	A man is getting ready to go on a journey, and he's rich.	22:49
	'Cause when he calls his servants to him and he	22:56
	distributes his money, he gives them a lot of money.	22:58
	A talent is the largest unit of monetary measurement	23:02
	in the ancient near East. We're talking about 75 pounds	23:07
	of pure silver, a great fortune.	23:11
	He gives one five of these talents,	23:17
	another he gives two talents.	23:19
	Couple-a hundred pounds of silver.	23:23
	The third servant gets only one talent,	23:27
	but I remind you a talent is a lot of money.	23:29
	It's about 15 years of wages	23:32
	he gives to this servant at one time.	23:36
	And then the master leaves town.	23:42
	Which probably increases our sympathy for the servants,	23:46
	for we find out now that not only is he rich,	23:50
	but he's an absentee landlord.	23:52
	He's living somewhere up in the northeast,	23:55
	while people slave for him in the coal mines of	23:57
	Appalachia, or the textile mills of North Carolina.	24:00
	Just when these servants could use his advice on investment,	24:06
	he leaves town, goes on a cruise.	24:09
	Servants one and two go out and	24:13
	wheel and deal with the masters money.	24:16
	But servant number three,	24:20
	the one with just the one talent does the cautious thing,	24:21
	the right thing.	24:24
	He's got only one talent, not two, not five.	24:26
	Still it's a lot of money, so he goes out and digs	24:30
	a hole in the ground and buries the talent.	24:33
	Stands guard over it, keeps it safe and sound.	24:38
	He doesn't risk his master's money like servants	24:42
	one and two, he buries it.	24:44
	And I remind you there were no banks in that day,	24:47
	burying was the only intelligent way to truly	24:49
	protect your property.	24:52
	In fact the rabbis ruled if somebody gives you some money	24:53
	and you go bury it in the earth and then	24:56
	somehow it's stolen, you're not liable.	24:58
	You did what was responsible and prudent and wise.	25:01
	You buried the money.	25:03
	By burying the money, the servant is assured of a positive	25:09
	judgment from his master, and a positive judgment from us,	25:12
	because he's acted wisely and prudently and carefully,	25:16
	the same way that you or I would have acted.	25:19
	What is more, this servant appears to have had a course	25:26
	in business ethics, because he of all the servants	25:28
	appears to be the only one who understands what great trust	25:32
	has been given over to him as steward of his master's money.	25:36
	It's not his money after all. He's got no right to gamble	25:40
	with his master's money in wild speculation.	25:45
	And what is more, usury, or the obtaining of	25:48
	interest from money, was still frowned upon in Israel.	25:52
	So he has done the right thing,	25:57
	he has done the prudent thing, the biblical thing.	25:58
	He buries the money.	26:02
	Well eventually the master returns,	26:06
	and he wants to know how things have gone in his absence.	26:07
	Servants one and two report great things have been done	26:11
	by them. They took the master's money, they invested it,	26:15
	they got great results.	26:19
	The master is thrilled.	26:22
	So thrilled he lets them keep all money,	26:23
	"Enter into the joy of your master."	26:28
	Well servant number three also has great results.	26:33
	"Here master. Here's the talent that you gave me.	26:37
	Here is your talent back all safe and sound.	26:40
	I didn't waste any of it. I didn't risk any of it.	26:46
	I didn't blow any of it on crackpot business deals,	26:49
	or loan any of it to my cronies.	26:52
	Besides, I knew that you were a hard man.	26:56
	The type of master who loves to	27:03
	squeeze blood out of a turnip.	27:06
	Who expects to reap where you didn't even sow,	27:09
	to gather where you have not scattered.	27:12
	I knew you were a hard man,	27:16
	and here's your talent all safe and sound."	27:17
	And the master says,	27:24
	"You wicked, slothful servant!	27:27
	Blood out of a turnip, my eye!	27:31
	If I were all that hard-hearted,	27:33
	then one would at least expected you would've put	27:36
	this talent in an insured CD at at FDIC bank,	27:39
	and then I would have at least gotten a measly 6%.	27:43
	Take what he has and scrape that dirt off of it,	27:49
	and give it to the one who's got ten talents."	27:52
	And right there is where we do not like this story.	27:58
	Because here the little guy has gotten clobbered	28:02
	for doing what was right, what was prudent,	28:06
	for doing what we would have done.	28:12
	We do not like this story.	28:16
	It is a story of how the rich get richer,	28:19
	and the poor get shafted.	28:21
	And if you know anything about Jesus,	28:24
	you know that he told much more palatable stories.	28:26
	Like they were passing the collection plate in the chapel	28:30
	on a Sunday morning, and all the rich	28:34
	were putting in bundles of bills and checks	28:36
	and American Express cards,	28:39
	and there was this one little poor widow,	28:41
	and she put in just a little coin,	28:43
	but it was all she had, and Jesus said,	28:45
	"She gave more than all the rest."	28:47
	We love that little story about the little guy.	28:51
	We love stories about the little guy who gets to go forward	28:58
	and the big guy who get clobbered.	29:01
	And we don't like this story that ends	29:05
	with this little man, this little man,	29:09
	clutching his one little talent,	29:11
	shaking, trembling, saying,	29:14
	"Master, I knew that you were rough.	29:15
	I knew that you are a tough man,	29:18
	sowing where you did not reap,	29:19
	gathering where you did not scatter,	29:21
	and so I did the cautious, prudent, the careful thing."	29:22
	And aren't those great Christian virtues:	29:27
	caution, prudence, carefulness?	29:29
	"You wicked little wretch.	29:33
	Take what he's got, give it to the others."	29:36
	By the way, if I should ever be so dumb as to give you $100,	29:42
	would you note I do not want you to invest it?	29:47
	I want you to go bury it in the ground.	29:50
	I would rather get back my principal with no interest	29:53
	rather than risk not getting back any interest or principal.	29:56
	And so what do you think of this master?	30:04
	That's the question that Matthew means to leave	30:08
	in our minds when we finish this story,	30:10
	"What do you think of this master?	30:13
	Who is this master?"	30:15
	About all we know about him in the beginning	30:17
	of the story is that he is rich.	30:19
	That he went away, that he finally came back,	30:23
	and that he risked a fabulous amount of money	30:25
	on three servants.	30:28
	And then gave all the money back to two servants	30:32
	while taking it away from the third.	30:34
	Our first inclination is to agree with the third	30:38
	servant's assessment of the master.	30:41
	"Master, I knew you were a hard man,	30:43
	reaping where you did not sow,	30:46
	gathering where you did not scatter.	30:47
	You're a hard man, you're tough."	30:48
	But come to think of that, that's only the	30:54
	third servant's opinion of the master.	30:56
	The master does not deny or confirm	30:58
	the servant's opinion of his business methods.	31:02
	Which leaves the matter for us to decide.	31:07
	What do you think of this master?	31:12
	When the story begins we're really not	31:20
	inclined to think bad of this master.	31:22
	He doesn't' seem like a hard-hearted business person,	31:26
	in fact, we're inclined to think just the opposite.	31:31
	I mean, how many hard-hearted business people do you know	31:35
	who would drop 15 years of wages on one of their employees,	31:38
	and with no strings attached, and then leave town?	31:42
	So as the story opens, you might say	31:48
	that this master is anything but hard-hearted.	31:50
	In fact you might say that he is soft-headed,	31:54
	lavishing nearly a thousand pounds of sterling silver	31:57
	on three servants, placing no restrictions	32:01
	on what they are to do with it, then leaving town.	32:04
	And when he returns for the accounting, for the judgment,	32:09
	oh that's when you expect the gavel to come down.	32:12
	That's when you expect the judgment.	32:14
	When this allegedly hard-hearted business man	32:17
	is gonna let his servants really have it!	32:20
	Which is exactly what he does for servants one and two,	32:24
	but not as they expected. He lets them have it.	32:26
	He lets them have all of it!	32:29
	He gives them all of the money!	32:31
	Not just the interest they have made but the principal too!	32:33
	"Enter into the joy of your master."	32:39
	Now I ask you,	32:44
	does that sound hard-hearted to you?	32:47
	No, it's only when that third servant comes in,	32:52
	our man, the little guy, when he stands up	32:55
	to render account, that we are told,	32:59
	and told by him, I remind you,	33:01
	"Master, I knew that you were a hard-hearted man.	33:03
	I knew that you were tough, reaping where you haven't even	33:05
	sown, and here's your talent, mister tough guy,	33:08
	all safe and sound, and would you tell me	33:12
	what a good little boy I've been?"	33:14
	Did the servant say, "Reaping where you did not sow?"	33:19
	What did he think that master was doing	33:25
	when he threw nearly a thousand pounds of silver at them?	33:28
	He was busy sowing.	33:34
	Is the master unjustified to expect,	33:39
	some harvest for such sowing?	33:43
	What do you think of this master?	33:50
	The dean was going away on sabbatical	33:57
	and he called the department chairs together.	33:59
	And to one he gave five departments, and to another	34:03
	two departments, and to another one department.	34:06
	And then the dean went off to study flora in Honolulu.	34:09
	(laughter)	34:13
	The one who received five departments got busy,	34:14
	wheeled and dealed and established five more departments.	34:18
	And this was the old fashioned way,	34:21
	not by dividing like psychology, but new departments.	34:23
	And so the one that received two departments	34:29
	established two more, but the one who	34:31
	received one department sat in his office	34:35
	and attempted to maintain the status quo.	34:37
	After a long time, the dean returned	34:42
	in a Hawaiian shirt, and he called all three	34:47
	before the academic council.	34:50
	The chair who had received five departments	34:53
	presented five new ones.	34:55
	"Well done, good chair," the dean said.	34:57
	"I'll make you an assistant dean.	35:00
	Enter into the joy of Allen building."	35:03
	(laughter)	35:06
	And he said the same to the one	35:07
	who had made two departments.	35:08
	The one who'd received only one department said,	35:12
	"Oh Dean, Dean I knew that you were a tough dean.	35:14
	I knew that you were hard. I didn't take any chances.	35:19
	I didn't hire anybody, I didn't establish any new courses,	35:25
	I didn't take sides with the NAS!	35:27
	I just kept office hours and I filled out reports."	35:30
	"You wicked, slothful chair!	35:36
	You heard what I did when I was out at Stanford,	35:41
	how I took names, knocked heads.	35:43
	You should have added to the faculty load.	35:46
	You should have set up new courses,	35:48
	you should have taken out ads in the Chronicle,	35:49
	found new majors so that when I returned,	35:52
	Newsweek would rank us above Princeton.	35:54
	(laughter)	35:57
	Hard Dean, my eye. I mean, for heaven's sake, this is Duke!	35:58
	You've got tenure for heaven's sake,	36:03
	I mean what could I do to you if I wanted to?	36:05
	Lord, deliver me from these academic bean counters	36:09
	and give me some people who want to wheel and deal.	36:12
	Take that department from him and give it to somebody	36:14
	who knows how to put this little college on the map!"	36:17
	"I knew you to be a hard man."	36:23
	Really now?	36:28
	Does he know the master?	36:30
	Who is this master?	36:34
	Is he a hard-hearted, tough miser of a master,	36:38
	who expects to reap where he hasn't even sown?	36:43
	Or is he an extravagant,	36:48
	reckless, wheeler-dealer,	36:53
	whose faith in his servants is exceeded	36:56
	only by his wild generosity?	36:59
	I remind you how this story started.	37:05
	He gave them all that he had, every cent.	37:08
	Is it reckless for him to expect them	37:15
	to be as reckless as he?	37:17
	And when they come back to render account,	37:21
	you think that maybe if he's pleased he'll let 'em	37:24
	keep a little of the interest they've earned,	37:27
	but no he tells 'em, "Keep it all!	37:29
	Keep the interest. Keep the principal. Keep it all!"	37:33
	It's enough to make you ask, "Who is this master?"	37:38
	The great Richard Niebuhr said,	37:44
	"Conversion occurs	37:48
	in that moment in your life when you realize that	37:51
	the God whom you once avoided as your enemy,	37:53
	is in truth your best friend."	38:00
	Jesus had some funny ideas about business.	38:08
	The sower went out to sow and he carefully placed each	38:13
	seed in the ground, he plowed all the furl...	38:16
	No, no!	38:18
	Jesus said a sower went out to sow and he began	38:19
	slinging seed in every direction.	38:21
	Just throwing seed.	38:24
	Well, some fell on rocks, and some was gobbled up by birds,	38:25
	but some fell on good ground and yielded much.	38:29
	You get that kind of result when you do that kind of sowing.	38:34
	"Master, I knew you to be a tough man, who expected to	38:40
	harvest where you haven't even sown."	38:43
	No.	38:48
	"Master we knew you to be a reckless man, who expected	38:52
	to harvest in exactly the same way that you sowed."	38:57
	And moving from sloppy agriculture to	39:05
	outrageous shepherding, Jesus says, "The Good Shepherd,	39:10
	the good shepherd will lay down his life for a sheep."	39:14
	You show me a shepherd who will lay down his life for	39:21
	a $9.95 plus postage sheep, I show you a dumb shepherd.	39:25
	Or else,	39:32
	an unbelievably extravagant shepherd.	39:35
	Who is this master?	39:44
	And what would your life be like	39:48
	as his servant?	39:51
	(organ music)	40:01
	♪ What does the Lord require for praise and offering? ♪	40:29
	♪ What sacrifice, desire or tribute did you bring? ♪	40:37
	♪ Do justly; Love mercy; Walk humbly with your God. ♪	40:46
	♪ Rulers of men, give ear! Should you not justice show? ♪	40:58
	♪ Will God your pleading hear, while crime and cruelty grow? ♪	41:06
	♪ Do justly; Love mercy; Walk humbly with your God. ♪	41:15
	♪ All who gain wealth by trade, for whom the worker toils, ♪	41:27
	♪ Think not win God's aid, if greed your commerce soils. ♪	41:36
	♪Do justly; Love mercy; Walk humbly with your God. ♪	41:44
	♪ How shall our life fulfill God's law so hard and high? ♪	41:57
	♪ Let Christ endue our will with grace to fortify. ♪	42:06
	♪ Then justly, in mercy we'll humbly walk with God. ♪	42:14
-	The Lord be with you.	42:33
Congregation	And also with you.	42:34
-	Let us pray.	42:36
	O, Eternal God,	42:49
	even as we hear your cry to do justly and love mercy,	42:51
	we acknowledge that we are too often afraid to step out,	42:57
	and to risk anything of value in our lives.	43:01
	We confess that we have hidden our talents	43:05
	and protected ourselves,	43:07
	we have placed our trust in silver and gold,	43:09
	rather than your saving love.	43:12
	Help us to be faithful in our use of	43:15
	whatever you entrust to us.	43:17
	Lord in your mercy,	43:21
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	43:22
-	God of all, you surround us with wealth	43:26
	more bountiful than we can comprehend.	43:28
	Air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat,	43:32
	and all that is needful for human life.	43:36
	We pray for those who know little of your bounty,	43:39
	for whom mere existence is a constant struggle.	43:43
	We acknowledge that their burdens	43:47
	should be our burdens as well.	43:48
	Lord in your mercy,	43:51
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	43:53
-	O creating God,	43:55
	You are present in every part of human experience.	43:57
	We hold before You the infant cuddled in a parent's arms,	44:02
	young women and men struggling to make life decisions,	44:06
	families seeking to resolve painful conflicts,	44:10
	the sick and the infirmed battling with	44:14
	weakness and incapacity,	44:16
	the dying soon to experience your new creation,	44:18
	Lord in your mercy,	44:22
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	44:24
	O redeeming God,	44:26
	we pray for those lands where brother and sister	44:28
	fight sister and brother,	44:31
	divided by arbitrary borders, ideology or religion.	44:33
	We pray for those lands where extremes of wealth	44:38
	and poverty are bitterly divisive.	44:40
	We pray for all government officials and military personnel	44:44
	involved in the Persian Gulf conflict as they prepare	44:48
	for war, that a non-violent resolution may be found.	44:51
	We pray for innocent victims everywhere who fall prey	44:56
	to senseless violence, especially for the people of	44:59
	El Salvador as they observe the anniversary of the	45:02
	murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and	45:05
	her daughter one year ago.	45:08
	Lord in your mercy,	45:11
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	45:12
-	O sustaining God,	45:15
	we pray for all who have grown bitter or	45:17
	weary in the journey of life,	45:19
	for those who weep and for those who can no longer weep,	45:21
	for those who feel the anguish and for those who have	45:25
	lost the capacity to feel.	45:28
	For those who live within prisons, on death row,	45:31
	in mental institutions, homeless shelters, shelters for	45:34
	battered women, runaway youth on the streets of our cities.	45:38
	Lord in your mercy,	45:43
Congregation	Hear our prayer.	45:45
-	O living Lord, we pray for the whole human family.	45:47
	You alone can give victory over the violence	45:51
	of the world, and of our hearts.	45:53
	Save us O Lord, give us the will and the power to share	45:57
	in your victory, for it is in Your Holy name we pray,	46:01
	Amen.	46:05
	As a forgiven and reconciled people,	46:09
	let us offer our gifts and ourselves unto God.	46:12
	(somber organ music)	46:20
	(choir singing in foreign language)	48:51
	♪ Praise God for whom all blessings flow, ♪	51:34
	♪ Praise God all creatures here below, ♪	51:41
	♪ Allelulia, alleluia, ♪	51:47
	♪ Praise God above, ye heav'nly hosts ♪	51:55
	♪ Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, ♪	52:01
	♪ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. ♪	52:07
-	We give you thanks O God for revealing	52:32
	Your power in the creation of the universe,	52:34
	for the victory of light over the darkness	52:37
	and truth over error,	52:40
	for the advancement of Your reign of justice and peace,	52:41
	of holiness and love, and for the revelation of	52:45
	Your kingdom in our midst by your son, Jesus Christ,	52:48
	who came on earth to accomplish your will,	52:51
	in return we offer you our souls and bodies	52:54
	to be a living sacrifice,	52:57
	send us out in the power of your Holy Spirit,	52:59
	to live and to work to your praise and glory,	53:02
	this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ,	53:05
	who taught us to pray with confidence,	53:08
Congregation	Our Father, who art in heaven,	53:10
	hallowed be thy name.	53:13
	Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,	53:15
	on earth as it is in heaven.	53:18
	Give us this day our daily bread,	53:21
	and forgive us our trespasses,	53:23
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	53:25
	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	53:28
	For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,	53:32
	forever and ever. Amen	53:36
	And now go forth in peace,	53:41
	encouraging and building up one another.	53:43
	Strengthen the fainthearted, lift up the weak,	53:46
	be patient with the anxious,	53:49
	and rejoice in all circumstances.	53:52
	The one who calls you is faithful.	53:55
	The God of Peace shall make you whole.	53:57
	♪ Amen ♪	54:03
	(organ)	54:24
	♪ O holy city, seen of John ♪	54:56
	♪ Where Christ, the Lamb, doth reign, ♪	55:01
	♪ Within whose foursquare walls shall come ♪	55:06
	♪ No night, nor need, nor pain, ♪	55:12
	♪ And where the tears are wiped from eyes ♪	55:18
	♪ That shall not weep again! ♪	55:23
	♪ Hark, how from men whose lives are held ♪	55:30
	♪ More cheap than merchandise; ♪	55:35
	♪ From women struggling sore for bread, ♪	55:41
	♪ From little children's cries, ♪	55:46
	♪ There swells the sobbing human plaint ♪	55:53
	♪ That bids thy walls arise! ♪	55:58
	♪ O shame to us who rest content ♪	56:05
	♪ While lust and greed for gain ♪	56:11
	♪ In street and shop and tenement ♪	56:17
	♪ Wring gold from human pain, ♪	56:22
	♪ And bitter lips in blind despair cry, ♪	56:28
	♪ "Christ hath died in vain!" ♪	56:34
	♪ Give us, O God, the strength to build ♪	56:41
	♪ The city that hath stood ♪	56:47
	♪ Too long a dream, whose laws are love, ♪	56:52
	♪ Whose ways are brotherhood, ♪	56:58
	♪ And where the sun that shineth is ♪	57:04
	♪ God's grace for human good. ♪	57:10
	♪ Already in the mind of God ♪	57:17
	♪ That city riseth fair; ♪	57:23
	♪ Lo, how it's splendor challenges ♪	57:28
	♪ The souls that greatly dare, ♪	57:34
	♪ Yeah, bids us seize the whole of life ♪	57:40
	♪ And build its glory there. ♪	57:46
	(organ music)	57:57

Item Info

Title:

William H. Willimon - "One Tough Master?" (November 18, 1990)

Description:

Sermon start time: 21:45. Sermon end time: 39:56.
Elaborating on the parable of three servants given talents to invest, the preacher argues that God wants us to take risks and invest in the Kingdom. Prudence may be a sign of lack-of-faith, which is not favored by God. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: “Who is this master? Is he a hard-hearted, tough miser of a master, who expects to reap where he hasn’t even sown? Or is he an extravagant, reckless, wheeler-dealer, whose faith in his servants is exceeded only by his wild generosity?”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r43b5wp6z

Date:

November 18, 1990

Speaker:

Willimon, William H.

Liturgical Calendar:

Ordinary Time

Biblical Book:

Matthew

Chapter and Verse:

Matthew 25:14-28

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0209
ref8865_pts
uachapelsermaud
duke:321570
dcrmv001200
ark:/87924/r43b5wp6z
01bbf9df-b8a1-4b45-a2f8-72be31c5872e

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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William H. Willimon - "One Tough Master?" (November 18, 1990)

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Duke University Archives