Use Your Talents Well

Rev. Debbie Cato

Psalm 123 and Matthew 25:14-30

Peace Presbyterian Church

October 19, 2014

“Use Your Talents Well”

This is the third of four stories Jesus tells about the implications of the impending but unscheduled end times; the second coming of Christ. All four stories center on the return of the master or the bridegroom or the king.

All four stories warn about the judgments that will come when Christ returns, and how those who wait for His return, ought to spend their time. Jesus teaches us that there is a right way to wait, and a wrong way to wait. This story give each of us a chance to consider: Will we wait the right way; or the wrong way?

In today’s parable a wealthy man prepares for a long journey by entrusting his property to his servants. The return of the master is certain, but the timing is unknown. There are three servants and the man divides up his property between them according to their ability. The first servant receives five talents, the next servant two talents, and the third servant is given one talent.

Although the first man receives five times as much as the last, each receives a significant sum of money. A talent is equal to about 6,000 denarii. Since one denarius was a common laborer's daily wage, a talent would be roughly equivalent to 20 years wages for the average worker. Five talents, the largest amount given to any of the servants, is comparable to one hundred years’ worth of labor, an astronomical amount of money.

After being away for a long time, the master comes back and discovers what each servant has done with his property while he was gone. The first two servants use the master's talents wisely and as a result they double his money. Although the first servant earned more than the second, each has done remarkably well with what he has been given. They have performed according to their potential and they have been faithful in doing what the master required of them. 

The master's response to each is the same.

He commends the men for being good and faithful servants;

He entrusts them with more authority; and

He invites them to share in his "joy."

“Enter into my joy,” he tells the first two slaves.

Enter into my joy.

The third servant is not so fortunate. He admits that he was afraid to lose the master's money. To protect himself, he buried the talent in the ground. Although this may seem odd to us today, burying treasure was quite common in Jesus’ day. Sort of like us hiding our money in the cookie jar or under our mattress or in our underwear drawer.

Now, it’s important to notice that this third servant is not a bad man. He is prudent and careful with his master’s money. He’s not about to take chances. He doesn’t want to lose any of the money. It’s all there when his master returns – every penny of it He is proud of himself. “Here it is. All of it is safe and sound.” When I read this it seems like something I would do. Guard my bosses money carefully. Make sure I return every bit of it.

Yet, the master is furious.  He trusted this servant with a portion of his property.

He expected that the slave would use his abilities –

Abilities that had helped the master in the past –

In order to turn a profit; make more money for his master.

But this servant was too afraid to take a risk -- even though risky behavior was part of the master's business. Because he was afraid, he focused on his own well-being. In the end, his unfaithfulness to carry on the master's work cost him severely.

The master expected the servants to continue his business, to take risks, and to imitate his behavior. The point here is not really about doubling your money or about accumulating wealth. In fact, it’s really not about money at all.

It is about living.

                  It is about investing yourself.

It is about taking risks.

It's about Jesus himself and what he has done and what is about to happen to him in the last days of his ministry and life on earth. But mostly, it is about what He hopes and expects of his disciples – then and now – after he is gone. It is about being a follower of Jesus and what it means to be faithful to him. It's about continuing the business of the Master; taking risks, and imitating His behavior. And so finally – it is about you and me.

This parable provides a poignant picture of the divine generosity of the kingdom of heaven. A talent was originally a monetary term, referring to a particular unit of gold or silver. Historians of language believe that the modern understanding of a talent as a gift or ability was derived directly from this parable.

But in Jesus’ day, a talent was a unit of money approximating 20 years of earnings by a day laborer. Thus each of the gifts the master gave to each servant was enormous! To be entrusted with 5 talents was to be entrusted with more than a lifetime’s worth of average wages; an amount equivalent to nearly 100 years of earnings by a day laborer. This is a very generous master!

Then, the master goes away, to provide both the distance and the room needed for his servants to lead and grow and take chances and flourish.

The exceptional love of God is shown by the generosity of entrusting talents to his people;

It is also demonstrated by God’s willingness to self-limit so that we may exist and live creatively, in the image of God.

God offers gifts and space so that we may be beings who have a hand in shaping lives, communities, and futures.

It is as if there are times when God demonstrates love, not by doing things for us, but by letting us learn; by letting us use our talents.

It’s interesting that despite having been given no instructions, two of the servants know what to do once their master leaves. Using their own enthusiasm and energy, they multiply their talents for their own delight and blessing, as well as the master’s. The third servant neglects the opportunity and does nothing but bury the talent in the ground.

Faithful living is not static; yet like this third servant, we are good at knowing without doing. We are adept at holding on to a talent, knowing what we should do with it, but not doing so. We know what faithful living looks like, but we hesitate to live it. It’s risky. It’s uncomfortable. It's scary. It’s exciting!

So instead, we bury too much goodness,

Too much time,

Too much love,

Too much treasure, and

Too much talent in the ground.

In this parable, it is fear and distrust that paralyzes the third servant. His view of the master, who in giving him even just one talent keeps him fearful to the point that he rejects the master’s graciously given opportunity.

What we think about God and do in response to our master’s gracious trust is neither trivial nor incidental. We have real choices and power, with genuine consequences resulting from the ways we use our gifts and talents. What we do or fail to do shapes this world and our lives.

God gave each one of us different talents. Each of us must use them rather than bury them. Perhaps some of us feel our talent is too small to make a difference. But God doesn’t give talents that aren’t important; that aren’t needed. God gives us talents to bring about his kingdom on earth. God gives us talents and resources to benefit OUR master. We are to use our gifts, our abilities, our resources, to be faithful while we wait for our master – Jesus Christ to return.

This year when you receive your pledge package in the mail, it will include a survey asking each of you what skills; what talents; what gifts you have that can help us live into our Ministry Plan for 2015 – the plan we started to share last Sunday. The Plan that you will be hearing a lot more about in the weeks ahead. The Ministry Plan that your leadership believes is a reflection of the joy of the Spirit’s presence here at Peace. A Ministry Plan that needs your involvement; your talents.

What are the gifts, resources, talents, and abilities that God has given to you? How are you using them in a way that pleases God? That continues the work of Jesus? How will you using them as we move forward into this next season of life here at Peace?

What does faithfulness look like in a time of waiting for Jesus? In Matthew's Gospel, faithfulness is emulating the ministry of Jesus. Jesus has announced the arrival of God's kingdom by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, blessing the meek, and serving the least. Perhaps we are to do the same.

We will be asked to give an accounting of our use (or non-use) of our talents. Those who are found faithful will share in the Master's joy and hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

             What will you hear?

May His kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.