It is really good to be back with
you. I missed you last week. I have to tell you that I love the Gospel of
Matthew. This is my favorite Gospel of the four (quick quiz, what are the
four?). There is just so many rich stories in here. While my wife felt stuck
with the bridesmaids (and I heard about that one), it might feel like I got stuck
with the one about investing and burying the mason jar with cash out in the
back yard. I don’t feel like that is the case. I like this parable.
This parable tells the story of the
“man who went on a journey…” We don’t know much about this man. We don’t know
what he does for a living BUT we do know that he travels, and he has slaves (so
there is a little bit of prominence there) and he gives talents to those
slaves. This is a very trusting man because he gives these talents and then
goes away. So one might assume (and I know what happens when we assume, but
play along with me here) that he is VERY trusting and smart, he must know
everything about these slaves. If he is willing to trust them and leave then he
must know something about them.
There is a way that we can know that
he trusts them. In Jesus time, a talent was a financial amount of currency. 1
talent was worth 6000 Denarii which, to make the math short and simple, was 20
years of salary; that is equivalent to about half a million dollars in today’s
currency. That is a lot of money; the likes of which some of us may never see
in one place at one time. That is how we know that this man trusts his slaves
in our parable.
The slaves are not given any
instructions as to what to do with this money. There is no mention of what he
wants them to do with the talent(s). With no instructions he leaves and the
salves go on their merry way. Jesus doesn’t give us any more information other
than the slaves go off and make trades and deals and increase what they have so
that when the man comes back there is even more to give back. I am not sure, in
today’s world, that any of us would be willing to part so easily with this
money; without restriction, limitation, or instructions.
So here is my burning question. Who
is the “man” in this parable? Is this man, God? Sometimes, we like to
automatically assume that it is God. SO, let’s go down that road. If this man
that gives out all this money is God, then why don’t we call this parable, the
parable of a foolish God? God knows who these slaves are. He gives talents
according to their ability. This all-knowing and all-seeing God knows the
hearts of these slaves. God knows enough to give one slave five talents,
another two, and the last one he gives one talent (which is a lot of money).
Wouldn’t God know that this third slave is going to bury it in the yard because
this one is not a risk taker; this slave likes to play things safe? So why
would God throw this person out into the darkness…the outer darkness where no
light can get and allow him to weep and gnash his teeth. Why would the God we
know allow that to happen; because it flies in the face of who we know or think
we know God to be?
I find this assignment of God to the
strict and unforgiving to be troubling. Throughout our bible, we do see places
where God is angry, where God casts out and punishes; BUT even after those
times, God, Immediately promises love and restoration. In this parable it
appears to be so final and that goes against what we hear and witness in scripture
and through God’s Word and the actions of Jesus Christ. We have proof of that
by witnessing the path that Jesus is on which is the path to the cross; to be
sacrificed for our sake and for our sin. A sign of God’s love and commitment to
and with us.
Whether this man is God or not is
not the lesson that is being taught to us here this day. It is not even about
the money. To think of talents only in monetary forms restricts us and does not
allow us to be open to God. This parable is a metaphor to all the gifts that we
have been given. It asks us to see the possibilities that we all are
different in so many ways.
This parable is a metaphor to the
various gifts that we have been given by the glory and blessings of God. This
parable points out that we are all different. We have different vocations and
we all have different hobbies, likes, and dislikes; and it is because of that
that makes this whole world frustrating and interesting. I can’t imagine how
boring it would be if we all liked the same thing, television shows, music
(that could start a war right there), hymns, worship styles, friends, and the
list goes on and on. Being blessed with so many people who have so many
different gifts allows us, as the body of Christ, to use those talents and have
different forms of ministry all located within the same building, community,
and world.
Jesus is telling us this story so
that we think about the talents that we have been given. Think about those
things that we have been blessed with. I am not talking money BUT I am talking
about who has gifts for teaching, singing, being an acolyte, outreach,
visitations, leading youth, working together as a community, and all those Good
things that God put into us and DO. That
third slave is a lesson to us in two ways: First, we are to know that we all
have gifts. Sometimes it may not be readily seen by us (because we are our own
worst critics), but God did not create garbage. God creates Good things and
every one of us has gifts that are still useful, no matter what age, income,
social status, and so on. We figure out those gifts through our interactions
with one another. God put us all on this earth to help each other out and one
of the ways we can do this is by helping to see and looking for the gifts in
others and lifting those up; so that, we can see those gifts.
The way this third slave is a lesson
is that Jesus tells us to go and do. God does not want us to be like that third
slave and go bury out talent in the backyard. God wants us to go out and use
that talent that God has given us and try it out; whatever it is. Go out and
put your craftwork to good use. Make something for people, use your carpentry
skills, farming skills, banking skills, caring skills, teaching skills…whatever
gift you have share it with others for the glory of God. Go out and DO…use the
gifts that God has blessed you with; because if you bury those blessings then
you aren’t using the gifts that has given you. They sit and they waste away
because they are not being used.
There is one drawback to this
encouragement of using the gift. Some might be afraid that they think they have
a gift and they may fail. Martin Luther says, “Sin boldly, but believe and
rejoice in Christ even more.” Don’t get the wrong idea…THAT DOES NOT MEAN TO
SINK ALL YOUR MONEY INTO A LOTTERY TICKET HOPING IT WILL BE THE ONE! It does
not mean to go out and do whatever sin you want! It means that when we try to
do something because we feel called and find it does not work out, then that is
okay! God does forgive and God puts us all together in this world to help each
other when we fall; and most of all, Christ is there…God is there when we fall
short of God’s grace and glory.
The other burning question that I
have about this text is: “What does it mean for the church?” If all the things
apply to individuals then how does it apply to this church? It applies in the
very same way. This congregation is made up of many different people with many
different gifts and passions and these are all gifts from God. It means that we
are called to use the gifts that we have been given to DO things for the glory
of God and if we don’t succeed at them then we try something else. It is
important for us to think about the gifts we have here. You would be surprised
at the gifts that I see in all of you at any given moment; from our youngest
people (just because you are young doesn’t mean you have nothing to offer) to
our oldest (God is not done with us because we retire).
So where does God call us to use our
talents as Immanuel Lutheran Church? What can we do to use the gifts that God
has blessed us with to give glory to God and to share the love of God in our
homes, church, in Manchester, and in the world?
AMEN!
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