In the beginning of Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the master sets a pattern of parallelism: he gives each servant some talents to invest while he is away. At his return, the master should receive back his possessions with interest. The story should then come to a happy end with the master praising his faithful servants for a job
Several years ago we had a woodpecker living in one of the beautiful big pecan trees in our front yard. There’s one thing I know about woodpeckers: they peck wood. So it was no surprise to me to constantly hear this little guy hard at work on my tree. Very rarely did I see him, but I heard him—like a small pernicious jackhammer—destroying my tree.
The night of the first day of the week had worn slowly away. The darkest hour, just before daybreak, had come. Christ was still a prisoner in His narrow tomb. The great stone was in its place; the Roman seal was unbroken; the Roman guards were keeping their watch. And there were unseen watchers. Hosts of evil angels were gathered about the place. H
