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)

Today’s Gospel reading is about using our talents wisely.  Almost all of us believe Jesus, through Matthew, is telling us to use our God-given talents wisely, especially to help others.  Yes, we should, but this reading clearly tells us that talents are a form of money.  In fact, a talent was worth about 20 years of wages for a laborer!  So, what’s it all about – the message?

Jesus begins his parable by saying, “A man going on a journey.”  Who was that man and where was he going?  We only know from Luke’s version of this same parable. He was a man of noble birth going to a distant place to have himself appointed king of his own people.  Then he would return. 

Also from Luke, we learn his compatriots disliked him and did not want him to be king.  That’s critical information, and we don’t find it in Matthew’s version.  Although, in Matthew we discover this man was a demanding person harvesting where he did not plant and gathering where he did not scatter.  No wonder his compatriots disliked him.  No, they hated him. 

This guy was a tyrant and greedy.  He expected his servants to grow his money.  He didn’t give them anything in return.  And if they didn’t do what he told them – make his money grow – then they were useless servants to be thrown into the darkness outside where there would be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Oddly enough the "hero" of this Gospel is the servant who buried the talent and not the ones who helped the greedy, cruel master grow his money.  He was the one who risked being thrown into the darkness.

Who is this despicable character to which Jesus refers?  He’s Herod – the powerful arrogant and hated King Herod!  Jesus cleverly condemns Herod without naming him.   Herod had gone to Rome to get himself crowned by the Roman occupying army and nation.  

The message of this Gospel surprisingly is not about using our human talents wisely.  It’s about the opposite of the kingdom of God.  That’s Jesus’ world in which he lived. It was a world based on power, violence, investments, interest, exploitation, dominance, occupied territories, nationalism, arrogance, terrorism, slaying enemies without justice or recourse. It was about the rich getting richer and the poor becoming destitute and miserable by the decisions made by those in power, the last part of the Gospel reading.

This is a powerful parable with a message for us today – seek the kingdom of God – stand against injustice even if we have to carry Jesus’ cross on behalf of others.  In other words, beware the kingdom of Herod where there will be “darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

Deacon David Pierce