These words come to us from St. Matthew's gospel in the passage we refer to as 'the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14-30).."And while we often take talents to mean here our gifts, what God has entrusted to us, I think here it is meant to mean something more. As the parable goes, the master leaving to go on a journey entrusted to his slaves his property, to one he gave five talents, to the other two and to the third one, according to their ability. This tells us the master knew something about those to whom he had entrusted his property, perhaps more then they realized. The first two slaves immediately went and traded their talents and they not only increased their value but they doubled it. When the master returned some time later to collect what was his, he was overly delighted they had done so well, saying, "well done good and trustworthy slaves; you have been trustworthy in a few things I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master." The third slave however, didn't fare out so well, instead of investing the talent entrusted to him as the other two, he had hidden, or buried the talent in the ground. The master of course when he returned to collect from this slave what was owed him, he was you might say a bit perturbed, saying, "you wicked and lazy slave you knew did you that I reaped where I did not sow and gathered where I did not scatter, then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers." Well if the parable were to end there we could interpret it as God wanting us to use our God given gifts, all that we have been entrusted with more efficiently, or wisely. The parable doesn't end here however, it goes on with the master saying, "take the talent from this slave and give it to the one with the ten talents, for to all those who have, more will be given and from those who have nothing even what they have will be taken away." Now perhaps we are a little perturbed, for that doesn't sound like the message Jesus normally speaks through the gospel, now does it!..In fact it seems quite opposite to what Jesus might say, "the first shall be last, and the last shall be"(matt 20:16). And we know this gospel is really not about money, finances or material wealth or even our talents, but rather it is about God and what He was doing through Christ Jesus. Through out His life, death and resurrection, Jesus had proclaimed the truth of the kingdom. A truth, as the invitation speaks, invites us to "enter into the joy of your master." If we receive it as the free and life-giving gift it is, like the two slaves who invested the talents entrusted to them, we too can have life and have it abundantly; or if we so choose, we can like the third slave, reluctant to take a chance, out of fear of what might or might not be, dismiss God's invitation, or bury it in some back closet for some future day, and miss out on God's gracious offer to new life now.
Will this is just my effort to add some "Light on the Word" and perhaps shed a little light into the world. A little longer getting back here then I had hoped. I do love to reflect and share my thoughts on the 'Word' so hopefully it won't be so long next time, before I get back. Blessings to you as you sojourn here and may God's peace be with you always. Rev. Hannah+
