This morning we heard the ancient parable told by Jesus of the talents. A man
went away and put three servants in charge of all he owned.
The setting for this parable in the Gospel of Matthew is the Mount of Olives.
Jesus is talking quietly with his disciples, giving them final words of advice
before he joins them in the Last Supper. He seems to be telling them: be strong,
be ready, stay focused.
He tells them the story of the ten bridesmaids who wait to go into the
wedding. But some of the bridesmaids were not ready – they brought lamps, but no
oil, and so they leave to buy oil. While they are gone, the groom comes, and
those who brought both lamps and oil go into the wedding. But those who had left
to buy oil were too late. They did not go to the wedding. Jesus seems to be
telling his disciples: get ready.
This morning we hear the story that follows the tens bridesmaids: the story
of three servants that are trusted with talents.
Paul wrote of the different talents we are each given:
1 Cor 12: 7-11
1 Cor 12: 27-30. Paul told them:
“Now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it. And God has
appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then
deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of
leadership..... Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all
work miracles? Do all posses gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all
interpret? “
When we think of talents in the church, we sometimes think of Paul’s
descriptions of gifts. Much of the time, we seem to focus not so much on gifts
as on contributing what we can, or as we have time. The altar guild prepares the
Lord’s table, the thrift shop members work incredibly hard to provide clothing
for much of the community, some of our members work with children to teach them
about God, others work with teenagers. Some serve as readers or acolytes. Some
fix and build just about anything and everything. Some serve on the vestry to
help guide the parish. Some visit the sick. Many pray. Some are out in the
community working to bring special services like hospice and literacy to those
in need.
In today’s story, a man is going on a journey and he leaves talents with his
servants: the first servant is given 5 talents, the second 2 and the third is
given one talent. He does not tell them what to do, he just goes. The servant
that was given five talents traded with them and made five more talents. The
servant that had been given two talents did likewise, and made two more talents.
But the servant that just given just one talent buried it for safekeeping,
because he was afraid. When the man came back, his servants gave him the talents
– the first that had been given five gave back ten, the second that had been
given two gave back four, but the third that had buried his talents just gave
back one. The man was furious and threw him out of the house.
That he was thrown out of the house is curious. It was common practice of
safe-keeping to bury money. He buried it, it was safe, and he returned it.
Jewish law forbade the charging of interest, so he did not invest it. But the
man was furious.
As we examine this story, the first question we need to ask ourselves is:
what was a talent? Was it the same thing we imagine? A talent was a measure of
money equal to 6,000 silver coins in Biblical days. Basically it would be the
sum total of what one might earn in 20 years of hard work. Perhaps $¾ million.
So the first servant was given something like $4 million, the second $1.5
million, and the third $¾ million. It is highly unlikely that a servant would be
trusted with that kind of money.
Perhaps that talent, that 6,000 silver coins, is meant to represent something
other than money. With what might Jesus entrust us that is more valuable.
"There is a legend that recounts the return of Jesus to glory after His time
on earth. Even in heaven He bore the marks of His earthly pilgrimage with its
cruel cross and shameful death. The angel Gabriel approached Him and said,
"Master, you must have suffered terribly for men down there." He replied that he
did. Gabriel continued: "And do they know and appreciate how much you
loved them and what you did for them?" Jesus replied, "Oh, no! Not yet. Right
now only a handful of people in Palestine know." But Gabriel was perplexed. He
asked, "Then what have you done to let everyone know about your love for them?"
Jesus said, "I've asked Peter, James, John, and a few more friends to tell
others about me. Those who are told will tell others, in turn, about me. And my
story will be spread to the farthest reaches of the globe. Ultimately, all of
humankind will have heard about my life and what I have done."
"Gabriel frowned and looked rather skeptical. He well knew something about
human beings. He said, "Yes, but what if Peter and James and John grow weary?
What if the people who come after them forget? What if way down in the
twentieth-century people just don't tell others about you? Haven't you made any
other plans?" And Jesus answered, "I haven't made any other plans. I'm counting
on them."
Perhaps those greater gifts, perhaps those talents, have something to do with
the story of Jesus, something to do with the gospel. When Paul is recounting the
talents of those in the church in first Corinthians, he concludes, “But strive
for the greater gifts. I will show you a still more excellent way.”
If we accept that the parable is really about spreading the Word of God, then
the man’s furor becomes understandable. If we replace the word ‘talents’ with
the phrase ‘love of Christ’, perhaps we can understand why it should not be
buried, or hid away for safekeeping.
Jesus had no other plan to spread his word. When Gabriel asked, ‘What if they
don’t spread the word?’ Jesus said, ‘I’m counting on them.’ Twenty centuries
later, He still has no other plan. He's counting on you and me. His early
disciples adopted His priorities and devoted themselves to reaching the world.
Christ counted on them, and they delivered.
And so, I can only conclude by suggesting that we ask ourselves: what have we
done with that talent, that $ ¾ million, that love of Christ? What have we done
for him lately?"
