Parable of the Talents [November 13, 2011]

The Sunday Gospel [November 13, 2011]

Matthew 25:14-30

14“It will be as when a man who was going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.15To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately16the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.17Likewise, the one who received two made another two.18But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.19After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’21His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 22[Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; 25so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ 26His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? 28Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. 29For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

Reflection

“For everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” ~ v. 29

Let us take a look at today’s parable of the Talents and ask ourselves some questions: Who is the “master” in the story? Is he the “Lord” – the heavenly Father or the Lord Jesus? But he seems like a dishonorable character. The third slave’s description of the master is unsettling: he is arrogant, opportunistic, greedy, “harvesting where he did not plant and gathering where he did not scatter.” He is one tough master. And so we think again. Jesus may just be plucking out of life a greedy character who seeks to enrich himself further.

What about the servants? Who is worthy of imitation? In the story, the master praises the first two servants for doubling the talents entrusted to them. Are we supposed to follow their example? Are they not as ruthless as their master? Does the master approve of them because they follow his ways? And what about the third servant? Not a few people would say that it is he who does the honorable thing. The audience of Jesus may have realized that what the third servant does with the money is both legal and safe.

What is the parable telling us? In what way does it disorient us and lead us to a different outlook? The story focuses on the third servant who is condemned as “wicked and lazy” and whose talent is taken away from him. The opportunistic and hard-nosed master expects him to take a risk and to obtain results, not to play it safe by hiding the money on the ground. It is easy enough to dismiss this as a greedy person’s point of view. But in life, one who does not take risks may eventually lose out. “Use it or lose it,” goes a saying. Lose what? Talents, skills, opportunities, connections – the list is endless.

And this may well be true of eternal life. Jesus teaches that whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever would lose his life will save it (Matthew 16:25). Jesus himself may be regarded as a model of “reckless living.” He is careless of his reputation: associating with sinners and outcasts, healing on the Sabbath, criticizing the religious leaders. Is he not telling us by word and example that one cannot save anything without taking a risk?

Following this parable is the parable of the Judgment of the Nations where Jesus teaches that we will be rewarded or condemned  for what we do or fail to for the poor and the needy (Matthew 25:31-45). Connecting these two parables, we realize that those who do not take a risk, those who try to save by not caring for the poor in need will lose everything. But if we do the “sacrificial losing” called for in the process of serving others, we will find ourselves saved for eternal life.

Credits: Fr. Gil Alinsangan, SSP; From the Mountaintop

Source: The Reflection is from Bro. Abel Navarro (you can visit his blog at http://myblogabelnavarro-abel.blogspot.com/).