According to the gospel of Matthew 25:14-30, investment is seen as a wise choice. One simple way to look at investing is using the money you have to make even more money. At first glance of the parable of the valuable coins in Matthew 25, it would seem this is exactly what the author is referring to. Once we take a deeper look, it becomes clear that this passage is about more than money. It starts off by saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like…” We are meant to automatically think about how this scripture refers to the kingdom of heaven. As money is a valuable resource and provides for people’s needs, we understand that heaven is also a valuable thing. We are not meant to keep heaven to ourselves, but we are meant to share heaven with others. When we take the aspects of heaven that are the most real to us, i.e., peace, love, comfort, hope, stability, courage, Jesus, and we share those things with others, then we are like servant number one and servant number two. We are investing in the multiplication of light in this world. As we see with servant number three, who chose to bury the coin, Jesus speaks firmly against keeping what you know about heaven to yourself.

Here at Sewickley UMC, we have a lot of opportunities to invest the kingdom of heaven in other people. As we roll into August, we begin to look largely at what our Children’s Program will be like for the coming year. One of the greatest investments we can make is in the children of our church. We are being faithful with who we have and, like the parable of the valuable coin, Jesus will multiply the gifts we are given to be responsible for. Matthew 25:21, 23, “You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much.” Through sharing with our children our valuable resources of time, energy, skills, knowledge, love, and commitment, we aren’t just investing in their lives, we are investing in the church, we are investing in the future of leaders, and we are investing in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Therefore, I ask you as a parent, as a pastor, as a voting member in our country, will you step up and offer the kingdom of heaven to those children whom God has given to us to care for? Will you remember the commitments you have made at their baptisms to help them walk in the way of Jesus? Will you give of your time, energy, skills, money, resources, faith, etc. to multiply that which is good in the world, starting with the nurturing of those who are in our midst? Will you be a part of our Children’s Program? If you are wondering what that would be like, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. If you feel a little pull in your heart, a conviction of your Spirit, please don’t ignore it.

In the famous words of a much loved Sunday school song, “this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.” Please make a commitment to shine your light over our children.

From one light to another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman