Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest." 

 

- Matthew 25:14–30 

 

In our recent readings, Christ has been discoursing on the "end times" to His disciples.  In yesterday's reading, He told the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, to illustrate how we need to remain prepared for this time:   "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!"  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Ener into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest."  On today's parable of the Talents, my study Bible comments that this parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  It's hard to overestimate the indicated value of the talents named here; my study Bible comments that even one talent was a great sum of money.  In today's money, one gold talent (a measure of weight) would be estimated at approximately $2,270,000.00.  In the parable, a talent represents the goodness which God has bestowed upon each person.  My study Bible comments that the amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  There is no partiality shown by God in the ultimate reward; here in the parable, all are invited to share the same joy.  The wicked and lazy servant, it notes, could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent, as idleness is as much a rejection of God as clear wickedness.  To bury the talent in the ground is a way to symbolize using a God-given gift for earthly pursuits.  The bankers are representative of other faithful people to whom one can turn to help use talents wisely -- since help was available to this man in the parable, my study Bible says, he has no excuse.  

As we consider the parable of the Talents, we might be inclined to ask ourselves what a talent means in context.  Certainly the modern use of the word "talent" comes from this parable; the original word is a Greek term, τάλαντον/talanton.  So, given the parable's meaning, we can think of talents in all kinds of ways to indicate the resources available to us and given by God.  Our intelligence becomes in this understanding a "talent," our capacity for hard work, even our capacity for prayer.  Whatever God-given resources we have become talents in this scope of the parable, for all that we have is given to us by God.  This parable lends to us also an understanding of the sacramental, in which what God gives to us is returned to God for God's blessing -- and so that it might be used in the ways that God deems most profitable.  In the elevation of the Eucharistic gifts in the Orthodox Church, the priest prays, "Thine own of Thine own, we offer to Thee, O Lord, in behalf of all, and for all."  In this sense, all the world becomes sacrament, becomes even "talents" given to us as good to be used, cultivated, nurtured, cared for as good stewards who are meant to understand what they are about.  In fact, everything available to us becomes a part of God's goodness given to us.  If we take into account this statement from St. Paul, that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28), then, in fact, all things -- even every event in our lives, nominally "good" or "bad" -- become part of the supply of talents we're given to do with what we can, to make profitable as we can.  In counting up our resources and gifts, let us not neglect the gift of time, which is such a part and parcel of our world, and gives us also the benefit of the possibility of repentance.  Time is what we have, albeit in a limited quantity, and a great part of Christ's warnings go to the effect that we must use it wisely.  The ultimate fairness involved in the eventual judgment of these servants and what they do becomes not a question of how much they produce, but how much effort they put into being profitable with what they're given in the first place, no matter the size or the amount.  It's not a question of having, therefore, but of doing.  Even when we look at the stories of Christ's encounters with people in the Gospels, we can see His emphasis not on what they have, but what they do, what they put into this spiritual struggle and journey.  In Matthew's Gospel, He encounters the woman of Canaan, a Gentile, who -- even though He wants to remain hidden -- continues to pester Him to heal her daughter of a demon.  He even hands her what seems an insult ("It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs"); but she responds in a way that manages to be humble and witty at the same time ("It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs").   Christ tells her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire" (see Matthew 15:21-28).  In St. Mark's Gospel, Jesus comes down from the Mount of Transfiguration with Peter and John, and encounters the rest of the disciples, surrounded by a crowd, with scribes disputing with His disciples over the healing of a young boy.  His father has brought the boy to the disciples, but they could do nothing.  Christ responds with a chastisement over the lack of faith evident in this failure:  "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me."  When Jesus tells the father he must have faith, the man pleads, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"   Jesus responds by healing the boy as the crowd comes running together again.  (See Mark 9:14-29.)  But both the Gentile woman, and the man whose son needed healing, even though they seemed "short" on resources, show evidence of making an effort even with what meager resources of faith they have -- and they are rewarded.   So let us take the parable of the talents in the context of Christ's prophesy of end times, and that we must always be ready for His return.  It's our efforts that count, and that's what He makes clear here.  He asks us to try with the earnestness we possess, with whatever we're given.  Let us be faithful, even over the "few things" we have.

 

 

Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

 

- Matthew 25:14–30 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been speaking to the disciples about "end times," prophesying both the destruction of the temple and also His Second Coming and judgment.  In yesterday's reading, He told this parable:  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went ad traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."  My study Bible comments that this parable is an illustration regarding the use of gifts which are given by God.  Jesus uses the talent as a measure of such gifts.  Across the ancient Greek and Roman influenced world of international trade, a talent (Greek τάλαντον/talanton) was a very large sum of money (it was a weight measurement for a pure metal, either gold or silver; approximately 75 pounds, according to one estimate).  My study Bible continues by saying that the amount each one receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  It notes that God doesn't show partiality in the ultimate reward -- as we should not ethat all are invited to share in the same joy.  But at the same time, and comparable to the parable in yesterday's reading about the Wise and Foolish Virgins, the wicked and lazy servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent.  My study Bible says that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  That he buried his talent in the ground suggests that he used his God-given gifts solely for earthly pursuits.  My study Bible also comments that the bankers represent other faithful people to help him use his talents wisely.  As help was available to to him in the Church, this man has no excuse.

Once again, today's parable is given as a warning and indication of the judgment to come at Christ's return.  The word for "talents" in modern English derives its meaning from this parable in the Bible.  This is the way in which common understandings come from Scripture, Biblical literature.  If we think of talents as being that which is of weight or substance, it simply adds to the understanding here.  For these talents are God-given, we are to understand, In some way, they come from the ultimate Source of weight or meaning, of substance, which is God.  Therefore, there is an even greater meaning pressing in upon us here:  those things that God shares with us that are of true weight or substance, of true value, are all the more important to use as God's will would teach us to use them.  For example, we are given bodies, beauty, attractiveness.  We can use such to profit through works that are (for example) pornographic in nature, or we may find that beauty, attractiveness, health can be part of the gifts we use in life to put to use providing beauty to the world, adding character and meaning to such, helping others, embodying prayer, building good things, and teaching good things, including helping children and families.  We can find that we have a writing talent, and of course we have choices in how we will use that talent.  We might have a talent for singing and music.  Our music can be music of the angels that inspires and brings beauty and well-being to others, or we can sing with lyrics that foster hatred and violence.  Whatever our talents, we all have ways to use them to our advantage or disadvantage -- or even more pertinently, in ways that produce abundance for the Kingdom, the things of the Kingdom, which would be also somehow connected to the fruit of the Spirit:  "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (see Galatians 5:22-23).  For these are the profits of a life invested in God's word and in the Spirit of God, in faith.  We have choices in terms of what we wish to show and to give to the world, or how we desire to commit to God's word, to faith in God's work as a disciple of Christ.  We all may practice acts of charity and compassion when we have opportunity, and the odd thing is that we will find out that God's gifts -- no matter how meagerly "talented" we might think we are -- suffice to bring great and generous good to others in ways that will surpass our expectations.  As St. Paul explains, God's grace is such that it works with even the things about ourselves we consider defective and insufficient.  After praying to be released from an affliction, he was told:  "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  "Therefore." writes St. Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-9).   Whatever our "talents," we should all remember that because we are given life, we always have things to work with, resources to use in our lives.  Even those seemingly most afflicted with handicaps have wonderful smiles and joy that radiate to others, delight to give to those who know them and love them.  But we also have ways to bear fruit that have to do with our devotion to the Lord and Christ's teachings that may be done without others even knowing, such as when we bear our own crosses and suffer through our commitment in His name, or seek in prayer to find Christ's direction for us, devoting our hearts and lives to Christ's mercy and love, even in the company of the saints of the Church (the "bankers" according to my study Bible).  Let us consider all the ways in which we may use our talents and enter into the joy of our Lord.

 

 

 

 

O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them

 

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 

- John 17:20-26 

 

Currently, we are reading through Christ's High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed at the Last Supper, after His Farewell Discourse to the disciples.  In yesterday's reading, we read that Jesus prayed to the Father, "While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

 

  "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."  In this prayer, Jesus has prayed first for Himself (verses 1-5), and secondly for the apostles (verses 6-19).  Only then does His High Priestly Prayer turn to pray for those whom You have given Me.  That is, all who will come to believe in Him through the word of the apostles, as He says here.  My study Bible comments, regarding those who will believe, that the Church in every generation participates in the life and glory of the Trinity.  Christians enjoy two kinds of unity:  with God and with one another, the latter being rooted in the former. 

 

"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  Note that this entire finish to Christ's High Priestly Prayer is rooted in love, and specifically the love of the Father and how that is the root of the communion of all.  From the love of the Father is the love between Christ and the Father, and that love in turn is extended to those who believe in His word (the apostles).  Through the apostles, this love becomes a part of the faithful to come, "that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."  There is nothing left out of this communion in the name of God, in which is rooted love and glory through God's word and faith in that word.

 

 As noted above, if we look closely at today's closing lines from Christ's High Priestly Prayer, we see everything couched in a communion of love.  It is clear that the Source of love is God the Father.  But this should not be confused with a kind of simple hierarchy that we understand on worldly terms.  For this love is not something that is limited, but shared, and shared deeply within a communion.  That communion is not only between Father and Son.  But it clearly also includes the Holy Spirit -- and beyond that, the apostles who bear Christ's word within themselves through faith and discipleship, and extends out to all those who will believe through their word.  Effectively, we have an entire universe, a whole cosmos, filled with this communion of love.  For, not only is God -- the Creator and Source of all -- love, but God's word that is extended, that finds itself in faith, bears that love to us.  That word bears God's name and Person, and these also can come to dwell in us, and through us even in the world that does not believe.  This is why, during Christ's Farewell Discourse, just before this prayer, Jesus tells the disciples, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).  So we have two things that we know.  The first is that God is love, and that Christ's word and the communion in His name, are couched and rooted in love, permeated in love.  The second is that the word we're given, the truth of God, even the glory of God, is going to be hated by some and rejected -- and in this, believers will also experience tribulation.  We have to remember that there are spiritual roots to all of these things, and that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:2).  But we take our peace and joy in this communion we can experience, in the word that gives us love and good guidance, and in which we can trust, even if there is tribulation.  As the faithful, we are called upon to know and to live these things, for we will surely experience them one way and another.  We know that Christ prays before going to the Cross, His sacrifice for all of us, for that love ("Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" - John 15:13).  For each of us, how that works out depends upon our own places in this great net of love, the communion between God and the faithful (and, lest we forget, this includes the celestial powers loyal to God, as well as the communion of saints).  Let us go forward with confidence in that love, find His victory for ourselves, and be prepared for the kind of life to which we're called, in His name.

 

 

 

 

You cannot serve God and mammon

 

 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

 

- Luke 16:10-18 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave a fourth parable, which followed that of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, and also of the Lost Son or Prodigal Son.  Those parables were directed to the scribes and Pharisees who criticized that Christ received and ate with tax collectors and sinners.  But yesterday's paralbe was directed to His disciples.  He said:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Given an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'   So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  My study Bible comments that the test as to whether God will bestow heavenly blessings (true riches) on a person is directly related to how that person spends money.  The money which we consider our own is actually another man's -- that is, it belongs to God, or at least to the poor.  My study Bible adds that in patristic teaching, a person's failure to give money to God's work is universally seen as stealing.  Theophylact calls it "nothing less than embezzlement of money belonging to someone else."

 

 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."  My study Bible says that the things which are highly esteemed among men include money, power, position, and praise.

"The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail."  We recall that Christ has also said that He Himself did not come to destroy but to fulfill the law and the prophets (Matthew 5:17).  He Himself is the fulfillment of both in His being, words, and actions, and it is He who preaches the kingdom of God.  A tittle is the smallest stroke in certain Hebrew letters.  Therefore, my study Bible says, the whole of the Law is affirmed as the foundation of Christ's new teaching. 

"Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."  Jesus cites an example which was actually hotly contested in His time, a source of disputes among the Pharisees themselves.  So in this context, it is an example that is meaningful to them.  Divorce and remarriage at that time also could involve abuse of financial practices concerning a wife's dowry.  My study Bible comments that in contrast to the easy access to divorce under the Mosaic Law, and because of the misuse of divorce in that day, Jesus repeatedly condemns divorce (see also Matthew 5:31-32, 19:8-9) and emphasizes the eternal nature of marriage.  Like all sin, there are forms of abuse that destroy community and relationship, including marriage, but this does not take away from Christ's emphasis and teaching.

We might wonder what Jesus' statement about divorce is doing in the middle of this discussion about money and our use of money ("unrighteous mammon").   As mentioned above, we should note that one issue of divorce involved tricky financial aspects such as a woman's dowry, especially if she divorced and remarried and later return to her first husband.  As the Gospel text notes, money was an important issue for the Pharisees.  But in the context of the Law, it's unquestionable for them that adultery is a violation.  Dispute may center around divorce, and the recognized financial concerns that went with it in the context of that period of time, but about adultery there was no question.  Hence, Jesus makes a clear point here.  One can quibble about the meaning of one thing or another, but in the wider framework He notes the man's responsibility in the marriage and in the context of divorce, and thus adds a deeply serious note regarding the nature of marriage itself.  Looking at today's reading from a modern perspective, we might easily see that just as Jesus calls upon us for a charitable use of our financial resources -- especially within the context of community and fellowship -- so He is also calling upon us to take the context of all of our relationships deeply seriously and within the spirit of charity.  As we give to community, so we also understand marriage to be something worth giving for, and involving sacrifice on the part of both parties.  In this sense, the convenience of money and our use of it does not override deeper considerations of God's understanding of the importance of community and relationships, and the extent to which we make sacrifices in order to ensure a righteousness of right-relatedness, to support community and love.  Taking His words on divorce in context, we may understand from His teachings that there is no greater consideration in making our choices in life than community and right-relatedness.  God's kingdom of love and the drive to salvation becomes an overriding goal that hovers over all of our choices in life, including what we do with our resources and even how we treat our spouses.  We nurture in life the things we put our resources toward.  In terms of the care of the poor, we might consider something as simple as the beautification or building of a Church.  Who benefits?  In a secular world, a public good such as a museum or a place to take children and family might have a costly admission that is impossible for many people.  But in a church, there is no admission, and the poor belong and share in the beauty and blessedness of the Kingdom as well as any wealthy patron.  This is Christ's ideal, and He emphasizes over and over again the need for His good stewards to care for the "least" among them, that this is the job the disciples must learn, for they will be the stewards in His Church, the leaders of His flock.  In an ideal sense, this is the way we may see ourselves as believers and servants who follow.  As He has said elsewhere, Christ's emphasis is on seeking the kingdom of God first, and that all things follow that (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:31).  This would include our resources of wealth, including our time and attention, and the nurturing of community and relationships, even the close relationship of a spouse.  For the kingdom of God is a blessed way of life, embracing all who truly desire it, and Christ asks us to build our communities and lives upon it.

 

 

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them

 

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servants; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and his your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

 

- Matthew 25:14-30 

 

In our recent readings, Jesus has been giving a discourse to the disciples in the end times, and His Ssecond Coming.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins:  "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.  And at midnight a cry was heard:  'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'  But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'  But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.  Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.  And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.  But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.  After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servants; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord.'  Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.  And I was afraid, and went and his your talent in the ground.  Look, there you have what is yours.'  But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.  So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.  Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.  For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"  In the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (given in yesterday's reading; see above), the concern given was with the lamps which should have been full of oil, an image correlated with mercy and the grace of the Holy Spirit.  My study Bible says that today's parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  Even one talent was a huge sum of money (a talent was a certain weight's worth of precious metal, usually silver but also gold).  Here it represents the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  My study Bible notes that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, for all are invited to share in the same joy.   But note that the wicked and lazy servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent; my study Bible comments that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To bury a talent in the ground is an illustration of using one's God-given gifts for earthly pursuits.  The bankers, according to my study Bible, represent other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him use his talents wisely.  As help was available to him in the Church, the man doesn't have an excuse. 

 

 In today's parable, there is a great deal of emphasis on the positive.  That is, on the positive action of doing something with the talents given by the man to his servants.  Again, it is imaged in St. Paul's expression of the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).  What do we produce with the things God has given to us?  How are we capable of expressing fruit of the spirit?  The word "talent," as one may presume, has come to have its present meaning in English from this story.  Its original meaning was as a weight measure for precious metal, value as currency or exchange.  But as we can see from the parable, the product of the talent(s) or investment of the master is all about what is a bountiful blessing for the estate of the master.  The servants don't keep the profit; it all becomes a part of the servants' profitable work for the master whom they serve, and the growth of that estate.  So we're mistaken if we assume that this is simply about doing something with the talents we're given, or making a profit or career for ourselves somehow; the parable is not directed toward a self-centered perspective.  With what does God invest us?  What gifts are we given from God?  We no doubt have many innate talents with which we might be born.  But we're also given a gift in baptism; and the greatest grace we're given is that of the Holy Spirit.  Certainly in the great communion of saints, some are blessed with particular gifts they're known for.  For example, St. Barnabas, one-time companion of St. Paul, who himself had brought Paul to the apostles (Acts 9:27), was named for his gift of encouragement or consolation (see Acts 4:36-37).  As he contributed this particular gift to the early Church and the growing ministry of the apostles, so the name they gave him reflected the great value of his contribution.  In this sense, we can come to understand the nature of the talents given by the master and what results we produce.  So often we confuse talent with something that is monetarily profitable, but this is not the point of the parable.  The point of the parable is how we share those gifts and make the estate grow, build it up and edify it.   Again, in these early passages about St. Paul, we read in the Book of Acts that when Barnabas first brought the then-named Saul to the apostles, no one would speak to him, for they were all afraid of him and his past history of persecution of the followers of Christ.  But Paul's testimony thanks to Barnabas, and his gift of speaking, soon came to the attention of the community.  Included in Paul's gifts was his relatively sophisticated knowledge of Greek, so that in the wider Greek-speaking world, and when Gentiles began to come into the Church, Paul would prove so greatly valuable.  In Acts 11, we read, "Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:25-26).  Of course, this doesn't simply mean formal gifts to the Church per se; to serve the kingdom of God, to serve our true Master, is in the ways in which we reflect the grace we're given and choose to live our lives with respect to the kinds of righteousness God wishes as part of God's will for our world ("Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven").  We can use our gifts as did St. Barnabas, to console and encourage others.  We can use our gifts as did St. Paul, to edify and spread faith in all ways, to help understand and explain, and to testify.  Note how it is St. Paul's very experience of conversion that become a part of the "talent" he's given to take out to the world and produce spiritual fruit, to expand the Kingdom in the world.  We can all participate in this kind of action -- of putting our faith and the love of God into action of our own in the world, in the ways in which we choose to relate to others, and the kind of gifts we reflect in the world.   Let us keep in mind that it is most important that it is a prayerful life that leads us to use our talents in ways that please God:  we may find that we're asked to contribute beauty to others through artistic talents of all kinds.  A beautiful garden can uplift even as we've seen many gardens dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, who through the Holy Spirit, gave birth to the greatest gift of all, the beauty therein reminiscent of what has been given to us all and reminding us of the prayer and beauty of Mary and her example to us.  There are an infinite number of ways in which whatever gifts we have -- even those which may be overlooked -- can be directed in prayer for the great fruitfulness of the spirit in this world.  For just as Christ was born into the world with the cooperation of Mary, this is how each of us may also cooperate with the Holy Spirit through our "yes" and our willingness to be profitable servants (Luke 1:38). 

 

 

 

 

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'   And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'   And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

- Luke 19:11–27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, on His way toward Jerusalem.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

  Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Let us first observe that the parable given in today's reading is given in response to the disciples' understanding that the kingdom of God would appear immediately as Jesus would enter Jerusalem.  So the parable is meant to illustrate this time in which we await Christ's second coming.

Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading."  This parable (similarly to the parable given in Matthew 25:14-30, in which the sums given are talents, the name of a large currency) is meant to illustrate the use of gifts which are given to us by God.  A mina was a unit of currency worth about one sixth of a talent, still a large sum of money.  My study bible says this money (or rather a unit of weight of precious metal) represents the goodness God has bestowed on each person.  According to Wikipedia, one mina would have been equivalent to the purchasing power of the wages of a worker for one quarter of a year.

"And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'   And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'   And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"   My study Bible says that the wicked servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring the gift of the mina given to him, as idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To put away the mina in a handkerchief symbolizes using one's gifts for earthly purposes:  the word for handkerchief, in the context of the time, was used either for wiping fluids such as persperation for the body, or even more to the point, it meant a death shroud for burial.  The bankers, my study Bible says, represent other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him use his gift wisely.  Since help was available to him in the Church, this man doesn't have an excuse.

When Jesus tells this story in Matthew's Gospel, He uses the currency of talents, which was a larger sum than the mina.  (This does not change the meaning of the story, however.)  But it is from this story that we get the current popular meaning of the word "talent" in English.  The gifts of God include all the capacities we have, whatever their nature.  That would include our energy, capacity for work, for thinking, creativity, and an unnamable number of additional capabilities.  The story clearly sets out our personalities and aspects of our talents as gifts.   That is, gifts which are given from God.  A good servant would be a disciple of Christ, who uses their lives and individual unique abilities for the kingdom of God, in pursuit of their faith.  Recently I read of a woman, Ann Russell Miller, who led a rather remarkable life.  When she was young, she wanted to be a Roman Catholic nun.  But she fell in love with a man and was married.  He became the Vice President of Pacific Gas & Electric Company, a public utility that served the state of California.  She had ten children, was a socialite known for her entertainment skills, many friends, and philanthropy.  She also smoked, drank, and played cards.  But after her husband died, she realized her ambition to become a nun.  After giving away all of her possessions, she became a cloistered nun, known as Sister Mary Joseph.  She is quoted as saying that she had devoted her first 30 years of life to herself, the second 30 to her children and that the last third of her life would be dedicated to God.  But I would venture to say that such a life is possible to have been lived faithfully all along, with each season of life devoted to that which she felt God had guided her at that time.  It is but one example of the power of life and the gifts that we're given.  The variety and uniqueness of her life is a statement about the variety of gifts and uniqueness of each life.   Although in some ways one could call her life conventional, in other ways it certainly was not, and is stamped with the uniqueness of conviction to live with the fullness of capacities God had given her, whether that was to bear and raise children, to support others with philanthropy, and I would say even a life in which her many friends played a role.  I can't venture to know all of her personal motivations, but it would seem to me that each life must be carved out in the unique way one is led to use talents and capacities through faith, regardless of what that looks like.  This woman does not strike me as having buried her talent or "mina" in a handkerchief, a slave to the world and to convention or selfish materialism.  The saints that we know in the Church are each unique, with great potency of personality, and the expression of faith as borne out in their lives, and this is something important to remember.  To pursue a life of holiness is all about allowing God to help us understand how to express our faith in ways pleasing to God, and that simply won't look identical for every person, but will be a path that is meant to teach that the uniqueness with which our Creator has endowed us is meant for expression of our love of God in the world.   Ann Russell Miller became Sister Mary Joseph in one of the strictest cloistered monasteries, with very little contact with the outside world.  On the other hand, I offer the example of the various podcasts and internet posts of Sister Vassa, an Orthodox nun found at this site.   Although having been a committed nun from a very young age, Sister Vassa reaches out to the world through modern media, and expresses her faith in this way.  She also shows us the uniqueness of persona and a life lived in commitment and expression of her faith to the world in ways that benefit others.  I might offer one more unique life of a woman whom I know in Athens, Greece, who serves as the custodian of a tiny ancient church in the center of the metropolis.  She's an extremely humble person, but thousands of people come to her and speak of their lives and their unique problems.  She offers each a space of sanctuary, prayer, and seems to know each one personally, with a great gift of love and consoling.  As Sister Mary Joseph, the former Ann Russell Miller prays for the world inside the sanctuary of the monastery; Sister Vassa lives a life of prayer, and also uses her unique position to help teach others about prayer.  My friend whom I shall not publicize sits through all the prayers and hears the problems and circumstances of so many who come to pray and find sanctuary and faith in the tiny but powerful church, and her heart offers wisdom.  These are just three examples of lives lived in pursuit of faith and the use of capacities and talents in service of that faith, and each woman is striking for her uniqueness and individuality in doing so.  Let us contrast the mina hidden in a "handkerchief" in the parable -- possibly meaning a shroud covering one who has died -- with the vibrant, expressive, and creative variety of the  lives of these women who serve as but two examples of those who lived in ways that expressed their faith.  It remains my observation that the energy which God gives us in faith serves as a kind of light of uniqueness, each set of potential "talents" having its own expression that lights up the world with color and variety and intelligence.  Let us remember our own capacity for love will also be expressed in unique ways as given by God and is part of a "talent set."  Let us consider what it means to be a good servant, each in our own way with what we've been given.

You cannot serve God and mammon

 

 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."

 

- Luke 16:10–17 (18) 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus said to His disciples:  "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods.  So he called him and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you?  Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.'  Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do?  For my master is taking the stewardship away from me.  I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg.  I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'  So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, 'How much do you owe my master?'  And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.'  So he said to him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'  Then he said to another, 'And how much do you owe?'  So he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.'  And he said to him, 'Take your bill, and write eighty.'  So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly.  For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.  And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home."

 

 "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?"   This comment comes in the context of the parable of the Unjust Steward which Jesus has immediately given to His disciples (see yesterday's reading, above).  It refers to our use of the things of this world in the service of our faith, including "unrighteous mammon," our wealth.  According to my study Bible, the test as to whether God will bestow heavenly blessings (true riches) on a person is directly related to how that person spends his money.  The money we consider our own is actually another man's, that is, it belongs to God, or possibly to the poor.  It says that the patristic writers universally see a person's failure to give money to Gods work as stealing.  In the words of Theophan, it is "nothing less than the embezzlement of money belonging to someone else." 

 

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  This is a continuation of Christ's discussion about how we use our material resources and how we live our lives.  We are always servants, in all that we do, and we must choose which master we serve in how we use our material wealth and what we do with it.

 

 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."  My study Bible comments that the things which are highly esteemed among men include money, power, position, and praise.

"The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery."  Jesus makes a powerful statement to the Pharisees about the New Covenant.  The kingdom of God has been preached by Christ, and He has taught His apostles to do so as well.  When He sent out the Twelve on their first apostolic mission, He sent them to preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:2).  When He sent out the Seventy on their apostolic mission, He taught them to say to the people in whatever city they entered, "The kingdom of God has come near to you," and if they were rejected there, to say, "Nevertheless, know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you" (see Luke 10:8-12).  Within this context, the emphasis here is on the New Covenant's fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, a deep manifestation of the true spirit and aim of the Law.  In His own time, the Pharisees and others hotly disputed the laws and regulation concerning divorce.  Again, in the context of property and wealth, part of those disputes centered upon the monies that a wife brought with her into marriage, and how these could be abused by certain divorce practices.  But in His talks about marriage as a sacred institution, Jesus emphasizes what is given in Genesis as a picture of love which is meant to be eternal (see Matthew 19:2-10).  In each of these cases, the emphasis remains on the choice to serve God or mammon; the kingdom of God is meant to be a deeper manifestation of covenant with God, governing all that we do.

What does it mean that we are part of a covenant with Christ that forms His gospel of the kingdom of God?  Jesus makes a profound statement when He says, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  What this is telling us is that the one master we choose to serve must govern all of our lives.  There is not one pocket of life in which we make an exception, and other compartments where we can honor God.  But the gospel of the kingdom of God teaches us that the presence of the Kingdom is everywhere; there is no place where it should not be, or where we should not live according to its laws and teachings.  Even when it comes to where and how we spend our money or use our possessions, it's our faith that needs to be honored in what we do.  This means a prayerful life, in which we seek to honor God and find God's way for us in the world.  The past few readings have emphasized the powerful mercy of God that governs the laws of heaven.  This is found in the seeking out of the lost sheep and the lost coin (see Tuesday's reading), the rejoicing over a soul lost to God that has been found again (in the parable of the Lost Son, or Prodigal Son, in Wednesday's reading).  In the parable of the Unjust Steward, in yesterday's reading, above, Jesus taught the disciples about their own mission as sinners among other sinners, as "sons of light" who must deal as shrewdly as the "sons of this world" in terms of their work as servants of God who seek the souls for the kingdom of God.  In all things, as disciples of Christ, we're meant to keep in mind the priorities and prerogatives of God, and especially God's love and mercy and longing for all beings to return to God and to covenant.  In this covenant of the Kingdom, Jesus emphasizes in many different ways the reality of its presence, and that we seek to live this Kingdom even here in this world.  In the Lord's Prayer, He has taught us to pray to Our Father, "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Luke 11:2).  In our dealings with others, we will either serve that will or the will of mammon which governs the way we deal with material wealth.  But a consciousness of God's mercy and love must permeate the choices we make, a sense of whom it is we serve must always be with us in the reality of the presence of the kingdom of God.  It is our top priority, our covenant.  Jesus says to the Pharisees, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God."   Well, He speaks to us as well, for we are each capable of being modern day Pharisees, in this sense of hypocrisy and love of money.  He is not criticizing wealth itself, nor the beautiful, bountiful things of this world.  But He is aiming at how we use what we have, the blessings we're given -- so that we remember the One who sustains and blesses and honor God with how we steward what we're given.  For the kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:20-21).  Let us always strive to remember and honor that presence.

For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

 

- Luke 19:11-27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, on His way toward Jerusalem with His disciples.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.  And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.  So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way.  And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house."  So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.  But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner."  Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold."  And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

 

 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Therefore He said:  "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' "  My study bible has a long note on this parable, which is similar to one found in Matthew 25:14-30.  In Matthew's version, Jesus uses "talents" to illustrate the parable, which were a Greek currency.  Here, Jesus uses the "mina" which was a Hebrew unit of currency.  Both the "talent" and the "mina" were equivalent to a certain weight of precious metal, gold or silver.  In the ancient world, by Christ's time, both were used to measure the value of something for exchange.  It is from the "talent" used in the parable as reported by Matthew that we get our modern understanding of the word talent as a gift or innate ability given by Creator.  Here in Luke's version we note that each begins with the same sum; illustrating that God does not show partiality.

"But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'  And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.  Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'  And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'  And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'  Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'  Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.  For I feared you, because you are an austere man.  You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.'  And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant.  You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.  Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'  And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.'  ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.')  For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"   This wicked servant bears responsibility for ignoring his talent.  My study bible says that idleness is as much a rejection of God as is outright wickedness.  To put away the talent in a handkerchief is to waste it:  a handkerchief is used for "waste products" of the body such as sweat, blood, spittle, or food when eating.   There is another meaning to this also.  In the parable of the Talents, the wicked and lazy servant buried his talent in the ground.  The word used for "handkerchief" here can also the head cloth, in which the dead were wrapped for burial.  So there is an association here with using God-given gifts for "earthly" pursuits.  The bankers, my study bible says, represent other faithful people to whom the servant could have turned to help to use his gifts wisely.  This help is also available in the treasury of the Church, its saints, its teachings, the Scriptures old and new.  That the citizens hated this ruler, and sought to overthrow him, symbolizing Christ who is about to enter Jerusalem at the beginning of what we know as Holy Week, and will be rejected by the nation.

So, the question is here, what do we do with the gifts we're given by God?  Each one of us, the parable seems to say, is gifted -- or rather, invested -- with something by God.  God invests in us God's wealth of gifts to give:  intelligence, or talent, athletic ability, strength, physical health, our looks, a capacity to hear and appreciate beautiful music, or poetry, or even a gift to sit in a church and appreciate the beauty that is there in the sermons, carols, hymns, liturgy, icons, worship services, or even in the silence where we may find our own prayers to God.  All of these things are capacities which we do not create ourselves, but with which God gifts us.  If we look at the parable in the way that it is given, we may come to conclude that, in fact, God invests these things in us.  Each of us has something that we bring to the table, so to speak, precisely because God has invested these things in us.  There are times when our capacity for love of a spiritual life enables us also to make the best of what we might nominally call a "bad" thing, but which in the hands of the capacity for revering and finding God and the Spirit's work in our lives, become a good thing.  It is up to us also to find these hidden gifts in all circumstances, for they are also gifts of God.  A child with Down's syndrome comes to be revealed as an extraordinarily loving member of a family, tying others together in the beauty of that love, for example.  An elderly parent or grandparent becomes a focal point of care, encouraging through the lens of our faith not only a shared responsibility but an expression of love and revelation of the capacity for meeting a challenge with sacrifice and ingenuity, a cause of joy in the fulfillment of giving a gift of life and peace through infirmity.  We do not know where all of these gifts lie hidden in the fields of life, for they are ours to discover through the use of the gifts with which God graces us, and most especially that is true of the gift of faith.  Faith may reveal all kinds of hidden treasures and profits we may make through any and all things, so we perhaps might call faith the greatest gift of all.  When times becomes difficult, it might present us with a scenario in which it is especially hard to be appreciative of blessings.  At this time, as possibly at no other, it is the great gift of faith for which we are truly grateful, and from which we seek -- for His sake -- to multiply profit for the kingdom of God.  Faith is indeed a gift, a talent, we need to use in order to multiply, and not to bury or squander our capacity for things not worthy of such a great price.

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

- John 17:20-26

In recent readings for this week, we have been going through Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed at the Last Supper, just prior to the time He would be arrested (beginning with Thursday's reading).  Yesterday, we read that Jesus continued:   "I pray for them.  I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are yours.  And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them.  Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You.  Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.  While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name.  Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.  But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.  I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one.  They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  Sanctify them by Your truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth."

 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."  My study bible says that those who will believe includes the Church in every generation.  All the faithful participate in the life and glory of the Trinity.  It says that Christians enjoy two kinds of unity:  with God and with one another, where the latter is rooted in the former.  As we bear witness through our own capacity to reflect the light of Christ, so "the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."   We hear in the prayer Christ's desire that all faithful "may be with Me where I am" so that we may behold His glory from the Father.  My study bible comments that the ultimate goal of Christ's prayer, and even of life itself, is for the love of the Father to dwell in each person.

In this prayer, frequently called the High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed first for Himself, then for the apostles, and finally for all those who will come to believe in Him.  We note first the tremendous unity He expresses.  Several times He prays "that they all may be one."  But each time, it is with a particular property of the relationship Christ has with the Father.  First, through the word given first from the Father, which He has given to the apostles and which they in turn will give to the world.  Next, through the glory which the Father has shared with the Son, and in turn the Son shared with His followers.   And finally, a depth of unity through love.  We note, also, how glory, perfection, and love are somehow united in Christ's prayer.  We are meant, in Christ's words here, not simply to participate in His life, but in the fullness of life in the Father as well -- a kind of unity not possible except through God's work in us, through grace and the life of spirit.  It is also at the Last Supper that Jesus teaches the apostles that He will pray to the Father and the Father will send the Spirit:  the One who "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you . . . and testify of Me" (see John 14:16, 26; 15:26).  In this sense, we know that Father, Son, and Spirit all dwell in us and work within and through us to create a unity that is not possible except through this spiritual reality.  Through it all, there is an expression of deep love that is the true flavor or character of this unity.  Jesus wants us all to be with Him, He wants us all to be one with Him, but most of all He wants us to know the Father's love that He knows, and to be unified through that love.  In that love is, in fact, all the rest of our faith and its work in us.  It is that love that grows us in the spiritual life, in closeness to God, and more deeply toward the glory and the perfection of which He speaks in this prayer.   It is that love, in effect, that reveals to us the possibilities we contain for its expression, through the fruits of the spirit, through growth in humility, compassion, forbearance, and all the rest -- and into a capacity to discard and forego, even sacrifice, whatever it is that stands in the way of that growth.  This is the process into which He consecrates the apostles, and us in turn, which is revealed through this prayer.  It is this process which St. Paul reveals through his letters, when he teaches that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23)."  But, knowing the true reality of Christ's prayer, St. Paul teaches as well that without love, there is nothing else.  In 1 Corinthians 13 St. Paul gives his beautiful sermon left to us on the reality of love, and how love ties all the rest.   St. John, our Evangelist, leaves us a letter in which he teaches that God is love (1 John 4:8).  In all this, there is something of which we can be certain, and that is the power of love as given to us as a gift, and working in us to reveal what love is and does, and teaching us how to dwell and live and to better express and know this love.  The mystical reality Christ teaches in His prayer is the mystical reality of love, which we can learn through faith.  If our childhood is imperfect, if those whom we know are not kind, if strangers do not stand to give us anything that is love, then we have no need to despair -- for love is a gift of God through faith, and we grow in that love and that unity through our faith.  This is the promise of Christ, and it is His prayer, for all of us, none excepted.  The life of Christ -- and of the Trinity -- is ultimately the life of love which contains all else.  As St. Paul says in summing up his chapter on the gift of love:  "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).  These are the gifts we need for our life -- and through faith, and Christ's prayer, no one can take them away.  We are invited in to grow and participate "as one" in this life.  It is an open gift we have simply to receive and enter.  Our mystical union is always open; we just take the first step with faith and especially through prayer when nothing else is available.  Lent is the time for prayer, for making room for this faith to take root and a deeper hold within us, to exercise our capacity to choose for God, and to choose against whatever it is that gets in the way of our faith.  Let us take the time to make that room and let our lives grow in God's love.   As Christ reveals here, the world will not show it to us, but we must engage and grow with Him to learn and to know that love for ourselves.