December 23rd, 2023
Scripture
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. At once 16 the one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
--Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents. It is the third in a series of parables speaking of the return of the Son of Man and how disciples should live as they await his coming. Jesus tells of a man of great wealth who entrusts bags of gold to three servants, giving to each “according to his ability.” The first two double the money, while the third, in fear, hides his master’s money by burying it in the ground.
When the man returns, he praises the first two servants for their handling of his money, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” To the third, the one who hides away his master’s resources in fear of him, the man takes away the money and pronounces judgement, “throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This parable seems to reward those who do good work with the resources that the master has given them. Investing is risky, though, and the return on investment is beyond the control of the investor. What is rewarded is not the return gained from the investing of money, but rather the servants’ willingness to risk what they have been given because they trust their master. Their reward is to enter fully into the joy of the master.
Jesus tells these startling judgement parables to jar us out of our complacency, to wake us up to God’s grace and to trust in the goodness of God. We have been given all that we have and all that we are as pure gift. First, our very lives are a gift from God. We were created not to hold on to our lives in fear, but to share ourselves as a gift. It is in self-forgetting love that we live fully as humans created in the image of God. As we share our lives for the good of others, we take on the image of Christ, who poured out his life in pure love for our salvation.
Second, the source of true joy comes from sharing God’s grace. The paradox of grace is this: if we treat God’s grace as a possession, a limited resource to be held onto tightly, it slips through our fingers. But, if we risk sharing God’s grace with others, we step into the unending, overflowing wellspring of grace. The joy of experiencing the continuous flow of grace into our lives—and out of it to others—is beyond any temporary happiness the world offers.
Reflection:
· Consider your life as the beautiful handiwork of God, given as pure gift. Write a prayer of thanksgiving to God for this gift.
· What does your day look like today? How might you intentionally schedule an occasion to share God’s love with someone?
The Rev. Canon Betsy Randall
Canon to the Ordinary, Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma