Matthew 25:14-30

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

Comment:

On the surface this may sound like an uncomfortable parable about greed and the importance of riches. (A 'talent' was a unit of money that represented a vast amount—more than a year's earnings for the average person.) But metaphysically, Jesus is offering an important teaching about our own relationship to God. The third servant lived in fear of his Source and believed the best he could hope to do was to avoid making mistakes, by hiding the talent and returning it untouched. There are still many people who believe in this understanding of God as a Power to be feared. But we are endowed with innate talents precisely so we can invest them, use them, and produce greater good. We're here in this human experience to be creative, not merely to be obedient out of fear. If we are afraid to risk because we're afraid to lose, what we are creating is a consciousness of fear. And the result will inevitably be that, as Job (3:25) discovers, "that which I greatly fear has come upon me." If we place our belief in a fear of loss, then loss is what we create. If, on the other hand, we accept the talents as a gift, and a rich opportunity—if we lovingly invest our gifts and energies to bring more of God's abundance into expression, then we will be richly rewarded as a result. It's not a question of judgment—it's all about consciousness. Choices have consequences. 

Blessings!

Rev. Ed