Talents

Jesus told his disciples this parable: A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 

Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. 

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, “Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.” His master said to him, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.”

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, “Master, you gave me two talents.  See, I have made two more.” His master said to him, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.  Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.” 

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, “Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.  Here it is back.” 

His master said to him in reply, “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter?  Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?  Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.  For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (Matthew 25:14-30)

Our traditional understanding of this parable is that we all have talents so we must use them wisely, especially in the service of God – to do God’s will.  But there is another interpretation best understood in the context of Jesus’ time and the unscrupulous behavior of landlords, those with the wealth especially in the form of land and crops of those lands – crops used to feed residents in towns and cities.  When the powerful and wealthy seized land for debts unpaid, the poor became servants on what was once their own land.

Talents were money in Jesus time.  In the parable, servants were given money and told by the master to make that money grow.  Two servants did while one purposefully did not.  Why not?  I suggest we focus on what the parable says about the master.  The servant boldly said, “I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.”  The master lived off others’ toil and land he had seized.   Gathering where he did not scatter suggests this interpretation.

Moreover, the master admitted: “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter.”  Guilty as charged.

Consider that the rich master said: “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”  The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.  The poor (have nots) are labelled wicked and lazy by the haves.  Jesus seems to be addressing social justice issues relevant to his time – and certainly to ours.   

Finally, the master orders, “And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” The master clearly is cruel and unforgiving.  His servants must do as they are told else there is punishment such as being thrown outside and being abandoned.  

“Come, share your master's joy.”  How many of us would share the master’s joy at our expense, the expense of our families, and even our country?  We should only serve masters who are kind, compassionate, forgiving, charitable, and understand the will of God.   

Those who stick up for and protect us are the masters – or leaders – we should follow.  One such master is Jesus, our Christ, who never abandons us.  He plants; he scatters; and we joyfully harvest.

Deacon David Pierce