25th Sunday after Pentecost “Faithful With The Gospel”
November 19, 2023 Matthew 25:14-30
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Ah, ‘The Parable of The Talents’. Jesus’ Parable of the Talents is not really about the talents, is it? No. It’s a parable about the servants, and how they handle the assignment of the master – with the riches he gives. It’s a story that helps us ask how WE should live as Jesus’ disciples, so that we are prepared for the end when our master returns. The two chief things that Jesus’ disciples are to do ARE: to extend His gospel kingdom, and care for those in need. What could be more important than those two kinds of fruit in your life of faith?
To the master, it doesn’t matter how many talents each servant was given; each needed to be faithful with whatever was given. This parable is pretty simple to understand in its encouragement and its warning. The Lord has called US as His servants, and equipped each of us -in some way- to serve His kingdom while we wait for His return. If we are lazy, full of excuses, or disobey, & our living does not reflect trust in our Master, we will not be ready; and we will not be commended, but condemned.
Let’s not be too distracted by the other parts of the story: such as the master giving different amounts to the servants, or in trying to figure out how much a ‘talent’ is in monetary value today,
or in the complaint that the master is too demanding. Those are not the main thing of this story.
Jesus is asking you: How are you serving Him with what He has given?
+++++++++++++++++++++++
One year ago, in November 2022, Edwin Castro of CA was the single winner of the Powerball lottery of just over 2 billion dollars. The previous highest prize was 6 yrs earlier with one & a half billion == but that was hardly worth playing, since that prize had to be divided between 3 winners, so they each only got a measly $533 million – before taxes. Have you ever fantasized about what you would do if you had 2 billion dollars? You could spend over $55,000 per day for the next 100 yrs. Would you quit your job? Buy a new car or house? Take a vacation? ‘all of thee above’? How would you live?
For a moment, Jesus’ parable tempts us to imagine being in the place of these lowly servants;
we wonder what it felt like. Their master entrusted each of them with some of his fortune, and left it to them to decide what to do with it. The first was given about 80 years’ wages, the second with over 30 years’ wages, and the third was given the amount of 16 years’ wages to be used for the master’s kingdom.
What would we do with that wealth?
But ‘you’ is not the question: what does our Master expect us to do with His wealth? If this parable makes us think about winning the lottery, we’ve missed the point. Jesus does not use the word ‘talent’ here for talking about money. The treasure entrusted to you is far greater than all the money or gold on earth. This parable is all about HOW we are to live our lives of faith today, serving His kingdom; but not with money, and not even with ‘skills or abilities’ == not first & foremost. In these parables, Jesus is explaining what ‘the kingdom of heaven is like.’
Last Sunday, we heard His parable of the Ten Virgins = those ten believing Christians waiting for the Bridegroom to arrive, to joyfully go with Him in to the wedding feast. Five of them were prepared with the lamp-of-faith, with the oil-of-the-word & Spirit, as they waited thru the long night. Five were Unprepared, and ended up facing a closed door, & excluded from the wedding feast. The main point of that parable was to teach us to watch for His coming, and to be ready at all times, since we cannot know the day or the hour He’ll arrive. The HSp keeps us ready by us using the Word of God often – with its power of repentance, forgiveness, and daily guidance for abiding in Christ Jesus until He comes again.
So, that parable said: watch, & be prepared. But it didn’t really answer the question: How? How should we live our lives in order to be prepared for Jesus’ coming? Today, with the Parable of The Talents, Jesus gives part of the answer. And next Sunday, with the Parable of The Sheep & The Goats, He gives the other part of the answer. I’ve already mentioned those two parts a few minutes ago. They are the two chief things that Jesus’ disciples are to DO as they wait for Him to come: -1- we extend His gospel kingdom, and -2- we care for those in need in His name. That’s how we will be prepared for the day our Master returns.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Jesus said: God’s kingdom is like THIS: The master divides his property & business among three servants. Two of the servants took what was given & worked with it. When their master returned, they were able to give him back twice what he had entrusted to them. And he commended them for their efforts. The third servant was afraid of the master, so he hid it = making it useless & himself disobedient. And on that day, the servant gave his master back only what he had received. But his master condemned him for failing to do even the most basic thing to use & increase what he was given.
God’s kingdom IS like that. God is our Master, & we are His servants; but what is this ‘talent’ treasure we’ve been give? When we hear that word, we hear our common definition, as if it refers to all the different ‘life-gifts’ we have received from God.
Such as: /our skills & abilities, /our intelligence, /our physical strength, /our health & wealth. Now, we should use all those ‘talents’ in a God-pleasing, christian way. But what Jesus is really talking about must be more than that. Because, what happens if we lose those skills or abilities? What if they are taken away by age, or by accident, or by disease? If we no longer have any of those working talents, are we going to be a ‘worthless servant’, and cast out into the outer darkness?
The true property, richness, & business of God’s kingdom has to be much more than just the abilities & skills of men & women. God does give those gifts & abilities to us for earthly living, but he also gives them to unbelievers, who are not ‘servants’ of God’s kingdom. So, what Jesus is really talking about with the word ‘talent’ is the special treasure that God has given to His servants, who are His Church.
It is the unique treasure that is put to work for the building up of His eternal kingdom.
I think you know what is the most valuable of all riches that God entrusts to us. It is the message of the Gospel, by which the Spirit plucks up a soul out of condemnation & into His Kingdom; out of hell & into heaven. So, with being called into His service, with the saving Gospel of Jesus being given into your charge =both personally, & as His Church together= how will you work & invest the Gospel message in preparation for the day our Master returns?
+++++++++++++++++
So, my little illustration in the beginning, about Edwin Castro winning the lottery & $2 billion, and asking you what you would do with that money if you had won = that was a ‘ruse’, a head-faint.
It doesn’t matter what you might do with some fantasy-money. What does matter is that, as a servant of the eternal kingdom of God, you have been entrusted with the Gospel of mankind’s Savior. So, what kind of servant will you be with that treasure? Jesus does want us to ponder what we will DO. Spending $55,000/day for 100 yrs sounds inviting; but even $2 billion can’t buy entry into the kingdom of God. God has entrusted into your life & daily living the greatest treasure of the universe; and that’s no fantasy == it’s real.
The Son of God really did die on the cross, and He paid the blood-price for the sins of the whole world == your sins, and the sins of every single person you cross paths with each day. His treasure is for them, too. Jesus really did rise from the grave, which means that -in the promise in Christ- your body will rise from the grave too, so that the whole ‘you’ will live with Him in the kingdom to come. This is not make-believe; you really have been baptized into that priceless Gospel – so that its blessings are yours from your life-master.
Each day, you & I wake up in this new life in the Savior; with His cross, Jesus has taken away the guilt of all our sin. And now by His teachings & Spirit, He leads you in right & holy living, as His servant. While your Master does have high expectations, that third servant in the parable was wrong: our Master is not ‘hard’, or unfair, or cruel. That servant didn’t know his master as he should. God IS almighty & holy, yet He is more. He is also caring, merciful, & patient so that we can trust Him.
And that is the rich message of the Gospel.
++++++++++++++++++++
Our Master is real; our servant-position is real; the assignment we have with the Gospel ‘talent’ is real. And the question Jesus implies with His parable is also real: ‘In this new life, HOW will you work with the Master’s treasure so that it will grow His kingdom?
That 3rd servant, out of fear, wanted to hide it to protect it from the world. We certainly will guard the pure Gospel from error & false teaching, or from being watered down by the world. But we also understand that the Gospel of our Savior is the power of God unto salvation for the Jew & the Greek = that means: for all to hear. The Holy Spirit will protect the Good News; we are given it, to share it, to use it & to live it without fear.
That 3rd servant wanted to hide himself & his treasure from the risk of making mistakes. Maybe he didn’t want to put himself ‘out there’ because he didn’t’ think he was as good as the other servants. In fear of failing, or of sinning, he would do nothing; & in doing nothing, he would fail to be a servant. But if he would’ve listened to & known his master, he would not have feared being imperfect; the master knows that, & still called him into service; as He does with us.
Servants one & two knew & trusted their master; they received their master’s richness into their lives, and they went about his business. Likewise, our Lord has put away our fears. You & I have received His message in Christ Jesus of sin forgiven, death defeated, and new life to be lived. And we are no better than those around us. If we have received that treasure, anyone around us can receive it as well. Trusting our Master, we can live in this Gospel, and support its work. We won’t hide it away, because it will bear fruit for His kingdom.
And in the day of the Lord’s return, there will be nothing for us to fear. With our life in Christ, being faithful over our portion, our Master will say: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.’
Amen