Fractured Christmas Bible studies, take 1

If you’re like me, you just love the Christmas season. So much joy, so much fun. A time to see relatives, a time to see loved ones, a time to see people that you only see once a year but that’s okay because you don’t really like them that much anyway. . . just kidding. I thought I’d take a few moments at this special time of year to share a few passages with you, maybe to help us remember what Christmas is really all about. Today will be the first installment.

Sometimes I will provide commentary and reflections, and other times I will just let the passage speak for itself. Today’s entry comes to us from the book of Hesitations, Chapter 7.

Hesitations 7:5-13

5 And behold there were three workers of the field, each with a sum of money they had earned; the first had 10,000 denarii, the second had 5,000 denarii, and the third had 1,000 denarii.

6 And the owner said to the first, “The expected one has come. Therefore, go out and buy gifts for a bunch of other people.”

7 So the first worker went out and spent 20,000 denarii to buy gifts for all of his relatives, loved ones, and others (many of whom he did not even like). Thus the first worker incurred 10,000 denarii of debt. One month later, the first worker realized that he could not repay the debt.

8 In the same manner, the owner told the second worker to go; and behold, the second worker took his 5,000 denarii and spent 10,000 denarii on gifts for his relatives, loved ones, and other people that he did not really like.

9 Thus he incurred 5,000 denarii of debt. One month later, he too realized that he could not repay the debt.

10 Then the owner told the third worker to buy presents in the same way. But the third worker bought only one gift, of great value, costing him 2,000 denarii.

11 And he took the gift to a great party, where the gift changed hands seven times before finally being claimed by his sometimes-friend Matthias the shepherd.

12 Then the owner called the three workers together, saying, “You have spent more than you had, and lo, before there are leaves on the trees, you shall not be able to repay your debt. Go and do likewise next year.”

13 And behold, there stood a youth at the side of the owner, who was the owner’s servant. And the youth said, “What does any of this have to do with the expected one?”