Parable of the Talents

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then 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.’ ²¹His 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.’ ²²And 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.’ ²³His 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.’ ²⁴Then 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 seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But 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? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For 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. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30

(The parables of Jesus are open to multiple interpretations, and the parable of the talents is no exception. A key interpretative choice for the reader is to decide who the "king" or "master" is in each parable. If we decide as a reader that the most powerful figure in the story is God, then different avenues of understanding open up than would if God is not the most powerful person. For this reflection, I will follow the tradition interpretation of God as the master in this story. Follow the link below for an alternative interpretation.)


Each of has been given gifts or talents by God, but not in the same areas or in equal proportions. For example, our genetics largely determine our physical attributes. I may wish to be taller but no matter what I do I cannot change my height. Similarly, I can work hard to increase my endurance or speed as a runner but I will never be as fast as Usain Bolt no matter what I do. This parable suggests we will be judged by God not for what we do, but what we do with what we have been given. For those who have been given more, more will be expected. But each of us is called to use whatever we have been given for God's purposes in the world.


When the master leaves for his journey he entrusts each of his servants with a different number of talents (a large sum of money). He doles out the talents according to their ability. The servant who received five talents had either more gifts or had previously demonstrated more ability in the past. The other servants received fewer talents but were each expected to use what they had been given wisely. When the master returned, the first two servants had doubled the master's investment. This pleased the master, and they were each given more responsibility. The last servant hid his one talent out of fear of the master. He was reprimanded and punished by being thrown into the outer darkness.


There are many different ways this parable could be interpreted. It could suggest God's encouragement to use our gifts in the world rather than inaction due to a lack of self-confidence. Or it could suggest sharing God's word and being willing to risk rejection by others. Some might also find justification for bold entrepreneurial business tactics that invest in high-risk, high-reward opportunities.


Whatever the specific application, the parable suggest using what we have been given for God's work in the world. For those given the talent to sing, sing for God's glory. For those who can speak or write, do so to lift up God's word. For those skilled at making things, build things to help others. For those with the gift of compassion, share you love with others. We all have been given gifts by God for specific reasons. We must decide how to use our gifts, but when we use them for God's purposes we participate in God's kingdom work. I can think of no better use.


Prayer: Thank you Lord for creating me the way I am and giving me the gifts I have. Let your spirit inspire me to share my gifts for your purposes, in Jesus' name, AMEN.


For another interpretation of this parable check out: Economic Oppression and the Seductive Lure of Debt

It's How You Use It

Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time? ⁴⁶Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. ⁴⁷Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸But if that wicked slave says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards, ⁵⁰the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know. ⁵¹He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24:45-51

This passage comes from the end of the gospel of Matthew among a series of apocalyptic and end-times parables and sayings. At this level, Jesus' words remind us all that we must be prepared for the second coming and because we will never when this will happen, we must live our lives faithfully. This kind of discourse was extremely popular in Jesus' day as many believed the end of the world was imminent. But, Jesus' words have meaning beyond warning us of the end, they also speak powerfully to our calling to be stewards of God's creation,


A steward is a caretaker of property who has been entrusted by the owner. This parable depicts slaves, or stewards, who are put in charge of the master's household while the master is away. The slaves have a choice: do want they would normally do if the master were home, or do whatever they want. Jesus says: "blessed is that slave whom his master finds at work when he arrives." While certainly we would all seek to avoid being cut into pieces and the weeping and gnashing of teeth, there are deeper and more rewarding reasons to work while the master is away.


God has entrusted us with all of creation. God has given each of us gifts, talents, and passions. How we use these gifts is our choice. We can use them for our selfish purposes or squander them. We are free to do this. Or we can use what we have been given to further God's work in the world. When we understand ourselves to be stewards of our gifts, rather than owners, we will be compelled to use them for God's work.


When we see ourselves as stewards, we understand we have a larger purpose in God's work in the world. We find our meaning and purpose by activating our gifts and talents for human need. This is good stewardship. This is why we were created. Not to avoid punishment, but to participate in the gracious, merciful and beautiful work of God in the world. We were made for this and God is counting on us. The choice is yours.


Prayer: Lord, help me to use the gifts you have given me for your work in the world. Help me move beyond my own selfish desires and self-imposed limitations and see my role in your redeeming work in the world. Use me Lord as your instrument of love, grace, and mercy in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Paying Taxes

Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. ¹⁶So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. ¹⁷Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” ¹⁸But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. ²⁰Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” ²¹They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” ²²When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away. Matthew 22:15-22

One of Jesus' favorite defensive tactics against his religious opponents was to answer questions with questions. In this story, he knows the Pharisees are trying to trick him and he does not fall for it. They are trying to get him to say something either blasphemous or treasonous. If he only speaks about paying taxes to the emperor and does not acknowledge God, then the Pharisees could claim he doesn't acknowledge God as creator of all things. On the other hand, if he gives all credit to God and doesn't encourage people to give to the emperor it would cause a revolt and he would run afoul with the powerful Roman army. Needless to say, Jesus outwits the Pharisees and other opponents at every turn.


The deeper truth is that all things are from God. Yes, we find ourselves under the rule and authority of human governments and leaders, but ultimately God is in charge. Jesus is not advocating revolt or not paying taxes, but he does remind us all that the final authority on all of these matters is God.


In Jesus' day, the tax system implemented and enforced by the Romans was corrupt and exploitative. Tax collectors took bribes and graft at the expense of people's property and homes. This left many wondering whether paying taxes was justifiable for those seeking to follow God. While, the revolutionaries would have wished a more forceful response from Jesus, his response acknowledges the precarious position of the Jewish people in his day as well as the ultimate authority of God. There may be times to protest unjust laws and oppressive governments when they are conflict with faithfully following God, but in this case Jesus mission to the cross superseded it. In our time, we acknowledge the authority of the state in our lives, but seek to live by the higher authority of God.


Prayer: Lord, help me to live in the tension of earthly and divine authority. Let me know the difference between following the law and following God's law, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Possessed by Possessions

Then someone came to him and said, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” ¹⁷And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” ¹⁸He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; ¹⁹Honor your father and mother; also, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁰The young man said to him, “I have kept all these; what do I still lack?” ²¹Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” ²²When the young man heard this word, he went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Matthew 19:16-22

The story of the rich young man exemplifies the difficulty of following Jesus and the gravitational pull of wealth and possessions. This story is situated toward the end of Matthew's gospel, after he had developed a large following and well earned reputation as a healer, teacher, and prophet. The young man comes to Jesus seeking guidance for a righteous life. His dialogue with Jesus reveals that he has strived to keep all the commandments. He asks: "what do I lack?" Jesus then tells him if he wishes to be "perfect" to go sell all his possessions and give the money to the poor. This was too high a burden for the man and he "went away grieving." He went from Jesus upset because he knew he was not righteous and he would have to give up everything to become righteous.


Jesus' question to the young man bears further examination. Jesus asks: "If you wish to be perfect..." The word "perfect" here does not suggest a life without moral blemish, rather a complete and whole life; a healthy life, filled with God's presence. He cannot be whole with God with an abundance of possessions and wealth. The issue for the young man is the power and control his possessions have over him. His possessions possess him, and unless he can exorcise himself from their possession, he cannot be right with God. Anything apart from God can have the power to possess us. This is the nature of idolatry. For the young man, it was his possessions and wealth and the lifestyle they afforded which led him away from God. Others who have an abundance may not face the same call from God, but many people do. Money and things get elevated to a special status and have the spiritual capacity to capture our attention and spirit.


After the young man left, Jesus and his disciples engaged in further dialogue about the power of wealth and possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” ²⁵When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, “Then who can be saved?” ²⁶But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:23-26

Jesus plainly states the difficulty for wealthy people to be righteous before God. Wealth here is most likely defined as having slightly more than the basics to live, rather than a life of luxury. To this assessment, the disciples ask: "then who can be saved?" This is the question the rich young man did not understand. Jesus tells the disciples, and us, that for humans it is impossible but with God all things are possible. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot fulfill the law on our own or be righteous. The rich young man asks Jesus: "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" His focus is completely on himself rather than God. It is only God who can make us righteous. On our own we will hoard our possessions and wealth and relegate God to an afterthought. But, by the grace of God and the power of Spirit, we have been made righteous and can live with and for God.

Prayer: Lord, help me to put you first in my life and not be possessed by wealth or possessions. Let me always remember the bounty you provide each day, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Where Your Heart Is

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ²²The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; ²³but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! ²⁴No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Matthew 6:19-24

We live in a consumer society that defines success, directly or indirectly, based on the amount of possessions or wealth a person has. This is mindset is instilled in us at a very young age and is reinforced through extremely effective advertising and marketing. The siren call of materialism sucks us in before we are even aware of it, and without a lifestyle of active resistance, we will find ourselves living an empty and idolatrous life. The problem of materialism is there is never enough to satisfy our appetites. There will never be a time when a person can be content or at peace. Instead, we race after the newest and best thing, mortgaging our financial futures for fleeting pleasure and losing our soul in the process.


Materialism is not new to the human condition. Jesus knew how people struggled to find peace, contentment, and spiritual purpose. His prescription is strong medicine for the sickness of affluenza: generosity. Jesus instructs us that we cannot serve God and wealth. We have to decide because both will compete for first place in our lives. The only way to move beyond our materialistic appetites is through behavior modification.


We cannot think our way to change we must act our way to change. Jesus says: "where your treasure is, your heart will be also." He doesn't say put your treasure where your heart is, but the opposite. Wherever we invest our wealth will get our heart. This is a natural connection. If all of my money is in the stock market, I will monitor it very closely. By contrast, if I invest in a local charity or service organization, I will be more likely to volunteer or serve. The antidote to the idolatry of materialism and greed is generosity. We cannot wait for our hearts to decide to be generous however, we must give first. Becoming generous through giving will change our hearts and change our lives. This is the only cure and Jesus, the great physician, knows our hearts and what we need to become whole. Let us give generously and allow God to change our hearts!


Prayer: Lord, give me the courage and strength to be generous with all you have given me. Change my heart and allow me to keep my focus on your purposes in the world, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

An Intimate Meal

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ²There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. ³Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, ⁵“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” ⁶(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) ⁷Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” ⁹When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus. John 12:1-11

After Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, they were both in grave danger. Jesus was recognized by many as the Messiah God had promised. People were believing and trusting. The Jewish religious leaders were threatened by Jesus and had made the decision to destroy him. Lazarus was a problem too, for as long as he was alive there was indisputable evidence of Jesus' ministry. So Lazarus must be destroyed as well.


Amidst this backdrop, we find Jesus, Lazarus, Mary, and Martha enjoying their last meal together. The meal celebrated Lazarus being raised from the dead and Jesus as the Messiah. This was a jubilant occasion shared between friends who loved one another. It was also known by Mary that is was the last chance to say goodbye to Jesus. As they gathered around the table, she took expensive perfume and anointed Jesus' feet and wiped them with her hair. This was an act of service and love. It also acknowledged Jesus' journey to the cross. She was anointed him in preparation of his burial. In ancient Israel, dead bodies were anointed with spices and ointment to cover up the smell. Mary anoints Jesus in advance because she understands what God is up to. She understands Jesus must travel to the cross to achieve God's plan. And just as Lazarus was raised from the dead, so will Jesus be raised.


As theologically important as this moment is, I am more deeply struck by the tenderness shared between Jesus and Mary. Yes, Jesus dies for our sins and by defeating death and the grave opens up for all people the promise of eternal life. This is the essence of the gospel and cannot be overstated. But in this story it is the intimacy and closeness between them all (except for Judas) that is striking. Mary doesn't just accept Jesus as her Messiah and Savior, she loves him. She cares for Jesus and seeks to serve him. Her outpouring of love is directly related to her gratefulness. She knows what God is doing and the only fitting response is love. So it should be we us as well. God has given us grace, mercy, and love through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Yes, we should have faith and believe, but God wants more than our intellectual assent to theological propositions. God wants our heart and our love. May we love God with all our heart, mind, and spirit!


Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with love for you. Help me to believe and trust your promises are fore me and are real. Help me to live my life for you and share your love in the world, in Jesus' name, AMEN.