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

 

 "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.  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 of the end times to His disciples (beginning with this reading).  In yesterday's reading, He told another parable regarding our own conduct and disposition during this "time of the end" in which we await His return:  "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.  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 explains that this parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  Let us bear in mind that, contrary to the meaning of the word "talent" in modern English (which grew out of the hearing of this parable), a talent originally indicated a great deal of money.  In Christ's time, it was a particular weight for measuring precious metals, silver or gold.  It was the largest unit of weight.  In modern terms, one silver talent was equivalent to the wages earned by a common laborer over the course of twenty years.  So, even one talent was a great sum of money.  But here Jesus uses the term to represent the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  My study Bible comments that the amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  It says that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, for all are invited to share the same joy.  (That they share the same joy is in tandem with Christ's parable of the Workers in the Vineyard; Matthew 20:1-16.)  The wicked and lazy servant, however, could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent, for idleness is as much  rejection of God as outright wickedness, according to my study Bible.  To bury his talent in the ground is an image 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 is left with no excuse.

 

 The term talents, and talent, has come down to us with a particular meaning in modern English thanks to this very parable as told by Christ.  The great sum of money that a talent represented (in Greek τάλαντον/talanton; plural τάλαντα/talanta) should not be underestimated.  This was far more than the average person could hope to have, and was a sum only kings or other very wealthy people could deal in for great projects.  So, when Jesus uses this word, we cannot overestimate the kind of wealth such gift or endowment represented.  It frames for us the significant weight or substance (literally and figuratively) Jesus gives to the gifts that God endows us with, and so, we should never underestimate the weight or value of our own God-given gifts we're born with.  For this is Christ's perspective.  If you will, it is clearly God's perspective on us as human beings.  Sometimes, it seems to me, we simply don't realize what talents we actually have.  A talent doesn't have to be something that is easily visible to others like a talent for performance such as dance or voice.  Neither does it have to be something that makes a marker of achievement like an intellectual capacity for particular subjects, or a skill set such as carpentry.  If we look at the history of the saints in the Church, there are those notable saints who had talents or gifts for all kinds of things valuable and essential to the Church.  A very famous saint, one completely instrumental and essential to the very early Church and its foundation is St. Barnabas.  Barnabas had a particular gift for consolation.  His name is translated as Son of Encouragement a quality so important to others in the Church at the time that it is recorded for us in the Book of Acts (see Acts 4:36).  Such a gift was so valued that the name that we know him by was given to him with that meaning.  We might think about talents as those things that can be translated into high visible achievement and the garnering of wealth as a result, but this is not the way that talent -- nor profit, for that matter -- is to be understood in the parable.  For how do we measure the profits gained by the Church from St. Barnabas' talent for encouragement of others, for consolation?  A talent, therefore, is not necessarily something tangible or material, but rather denotes something we can use and contribute in the Church as a whole.  Do we have a talent for listening to others?  This is often effective consolation in and of itself.  Do we have a skill for working in a kitchen?  How often can Churches use that kind of help?  Are we capable of a smile when others need it, or words of encouragement?  Sometimes a helpful word in the right ear directs help to a person who might not even be aware of just who made a person their beneficiary.  Clearly, even anonymous help is still the use of our talents to benefit the Church as a whole, by helping even one person in an indirect way.  Most of the time we don't need a perfect voice to sing in a Church choir, nor to enthusiastically join in participation during a service.  And so often, simply being willing to ask the question, "How can I help?" is in itself a gift to someone feeling alone with their suffering.  Although a talent was an undreamed of sum of wealth for the average person in Christ's time, Jesus is telling us that our gifts -- the things God has given us, which we might take for granted, or even of which we may be entire unaware -- are worth great sums in value and substance in His Church.  And since we can recognize this from His parable, it behooves us to consider what we might have that, even if often unvalued in a worldly sense or overlooked by others, actually function as great talents which create profit in the Church, by which we become benefactors to the kingdom of heaven.  When Jesus is telling the apostles about the end times, He describes a time when "because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12).  There are many who lament, in our modern Western societies, the loss of what is called common courtesy, in the ways in which not so long ago society more or less functioned with basic rules of politeness even between strangers.  Those of us old enough to remember a particular saying will recall being told, "Good manners cost nothing."  But a particular small word of politeness can almost move mountains in today's world when wrath or rudeness has become common; perhaps it will save a person's bad day to be treated with just that much respect.  When it comes to financial donation, even a small sum can help an institution that's struggling, or a person who needs help.  Having worked in a food pantry for those who needed some groceries, I can testify to the value of even one good word of encouragement for people who are struggling with poverty and need hope to keep trying.  We can't always be certain of outcomes, but God wants our participation.  We're to be engaged in this Kingdom, to do what we can with the things we might not even know we have.  In a very materially oriented world, there are so many ways in which we can overlook the great gifts God has given us, and count ourselves impoverished in some sense of that word.  But God knows what we have; let us not let it rest "in the ground," but meet the challenges of life with our active work and engagement, not undervaluing the Lord who gives us good gifts, nor ourselves to whom God has given them.  For this, too, is part of the struggle of faith and grace. In a time of personal suffering, even our woundedness can be given over to God in the mysterious ways that this combats the evil in our world, even as our Lord suffered on the Cross.  St. Paul writes that in a time of struggle in prayer with an unrelenting illness, he was told by the Lord, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."  St. Paul writes, "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Sometimes we just don't know what the Lord can magnify, even when we start with but a little (Matthew 14:17; 15:33).  Let us not forget the valuable gifts we might overlook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.  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 

 

After Christ has been speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem (including the temple) and the end times, including judgment at His second coming, He began to teach parables regarding this time in which we await His return.  In yesterday's reading, He 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 wee 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.  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 on this parable that it illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  A talent was a measurement weight of precious metal, gold or silver.  Even one talent was a huge sum of money, equaling the wages of twenty years' work for a laborer.  Here the wealth represents the goodness which God has bestowed on every person.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities, my study Bible says (see Romans 12:4-7).  In the ultimate reward, however, God shows no partiality, as all are invited to share the same joy (verses 21, 23).  The wicked and lazy servant, my study Bible explains, could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent, because idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To bury one's talent in the ground is an illustration of using one's God-given gifts for earthly pursuits.  The bankers 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 has no excuse.  

 

Today's parable is another about judgment; perhaps more specifically it is about the use of our time and God-given capacities while we live in this life and await the return of Christ (and the judgment which comes at the same time).  While we're  not all given the same amount to make use of, we all have equal opportunity to do so.  It's important to note that the lord of the servants does not make them compete with one another, but simply asks them to be faithful.  The reward is equal regardless of the difference in the final outcome of production.  To both the one who initially had five talents (and made five), and to the one who has two talents (and made two more), the lord's reply is the same:  "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."   Note that the lord doesn't use the language of production and profit; the word here is that the good and faithful servant has been faithful over those few things given him; by so doing each is rewarded as ruler over many things.  It's only the wicked and lazy servant, who does not bother even to invest the talent with someone who could have helped him who does not reap a reward.  Or perhaps we should say that he indeed suffers judgment; even what he has is taken away and given to others.  Jesus teaches, "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."   Note that the judgment upon the wicked and lazy servant is not simply that he is without reward, but rather that he is a debtor.  The language is such that he must not only give up what he has to the others who made the effort, but he's consigned to what sounds like prison or penal sentence:  "And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."   This is the language of exile and imprisonment.  Notice that the main thing that is being rewarded is not outcome nor profit, but faithfulness.  Being good, the servants who are rewarded are those who have been faithful.  And so, this is the message of judgment.  Our faithfulness creates a reward, a kingdom, the joy of our Lord.  Faithlessness, not even investing attention or time to those who can guide us, or with those who will carry out the work of being faithful to Christ's commands, is in fact a metaphor for indebtedness, as we do "nothing" with what we've been given; there has been no good faith effort involved at all.  This is the way we are to await His return, alert to the opportunities to faithfully use our capabilities in life, whatever they may be, and not to bury our lives focusing only on the earthly.  The value is in our faithful choices; the lives we're given have a purpose, and that purpose asks us for a certain application or orientation, a way to the chances to act as a good and faithful servant in the ways in which we are able.  Let us be true to that purpose.  

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

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.

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

St. Philothei of Athens icon,  Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Greece

"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.  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 yesterday's reading, and in the context of His Second Coming and the end times, Jesus told 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 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 tells us that this parable is meant to illustrate the use of the gifts given to us by God.  A talent was a very large sum of money.  (According to Wikipedia, approximately 130 pounds or 59 kilograms of precious metal such as silver or gold.)   Here, the talent represents the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  It is because of this parable that "talent" has come to have its current meaning in English.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  My study bible says that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, as all are invited to share in the same joy in the parable.  It says that the wicked and lazy servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent, as idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.   To bury his talent in the ground, my study bible says, is an illustration of using God-given talents for earthly pursuits.  Bankers represent other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him use his talents wisely.  Since help was available to him in the Church, it says, the man has no excuse.

What is a talent?  In ancient times, a talent (from τάλαντον/talanton in the Greek, pl. talanta) was a measure of weight.  It later came to be monetized, assigned as a measure of money or wealth.  What seems to be indicated in the parable is just how much freedom is given to each servant in the use of the talent or talents entrusted to them.   Each one must find their own opportunities for using it wisely and growing it; each must think on his or her own in terms of how this will be done.  The opportunity for creativity, use of skills and intelligence, and diligent hard work is wide open.  So it is also with using our own talents.  There is nothing written in stone about how we are best to serve God.  We are each given capabilities, each has a unique life with unique opportunities, and most especially the ability to think and to create:  therefore each one is entrusted with initiative.  Plus, let us take note that there is help available in the figure of the bankers in the parable, which my study bible says indicates the Church.  We always have those around us who can help to pray for wisdom, discernment, and inspiration, who can give advice from experience.  And these "bankers" also extend to the saints who pray with us, to the whole history of the Church and those who have served.  There is plenty of wisdom and help to go around, to which we also may contribute with our own lives and our own efforts.  As human beings, we are endowed with these marvelous gifts of creative capacity, talent, ability, hard work, intelligence -- and we are also gifted within the Church and its wealth of such who are fellow faithful as well as those who have come before.  When we pray, we pray with the entire communion of saints, including the angels who also represent help in their ministry to us.  In this context, it becomes frustrating and confusing to be confronted with those who would insist that there is only one way to properly use a talent or a gift or to serve God.  Like the servant who buries his talent in the ground, we may come to encounter a type of moralism that does not recognize the true abundance of gifts were given nor the creativity and initiative within which God gives us the ability to live our faith and so contribute to the entirety of the Church.  Jesus addresses this very subject when He defends John the Baptist, and tells the people that "wisdom is justified by her children."  Note that in Luke's Gospel, that reads, "all her children."  (See Matthew 11:18-19, Luke 7:34-35.)   No one could be more different in outward appearance than Jesus and John the Baptist, in terms of each one's ministries.  The Jewish leaders condemn both, but for different, opposite reasons.  And yet Jesus puts the two into perspective as both justifying Wisdom in their works, each part of the outpouring work of the Holy Spirit in the world, each one in the lineage of God's work.  No two saints look exactly alike, each having the dynamism of unique personalities and ways of serving God.  It is the lazy servant who buries his or her talent in the ground and is afraid to do anything who fails in this parable.  Let us note that the returning master does not require our labors nor profits to be stupendous to give us a reward.  Our faith, even in a few things, is worthy.  He says to his profitable servants, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things."   The least each of us can do is to seek wisdom and understanding by studying the lives of the saints and the Scriptures, the history of the Church, and in particular through prayer and the experience of others who will also help to pray for us.  This is an active ministry that Christ offers to each of us in which to participate to the fullest of our abilities.  Let us remember that prayer is also a way of actively using talent and abilities and intelligence, of seeking wisdom through which we live and express our faith.  God calls us, by the examples in this parable, to the responsibility and capacity to contribute that involves initiative and a voluntary response to that which God has entrusted to us.  This is a high calling indeed.  For consideration of the wealth in the Church for how to use and invest our talents, I invite readers to contemplate the icon above of St. Philothei of Athens, who lived in the 16th century, when Athens was under Ottoman rule.   She was born into a wealthy family, and upon inheritance of this wealth she chose a monastic life for herself, taking the name Philothei which means "Friend of God."  She established monasteries and schools to train both boys and girls.  She also founded hospices, homes for the elderly, establishments for training in handiwork, weaving, housekeeping and cooking, and stalls for selling goods so that both those she helped and also her monasteries and charities could be self-sufficient.  Among the many charitable acts she initiated, she took in those who had been made slaves by the Ottomans, including in particular young women placed into harems who sought refuge.  She purchased freedom for many by paying ransoms and bribes, and helped them to escape to territories outside the city when they were hunted.  Her monasteries were continually raided and plundered.  She was beaten by authorities, which happened on more than one occasion, and also imprisoned for her active work in securing freedom for Greeks who had been made slaves by the Ottomans.   For this work she was increasingly hated.  She died a martyr due to injuries from one such beating by mercenaries (depicted in the icon) on February 19, 1589, and is commemorated on February 19.  A district of Athens is named after her, and in particular much of central Athens owes its names and history to the land she had converted for the use of her monasteries and charities for the people of the city.

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.  "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.  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.  The text explains to us the attitude and expectations of those with Jesus.  They believe in the contemporary understanding of what the Messiah would do, and surely Jerusalem was the place for the Messiah to enter as king.  So, their expectations of are an immediate manifestation of the kingdom of God, and the worldly reign of the Christ over Israel.

"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.'"  Jesus, of course, tells this parable about Himself as the nobleman, who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and was initially rejected by those over whom He would rule.  This is a parable about the time when He will be away, before He returns to the fullness of His kingdom at the Second Coming.  In Matthew's Gospel, this parable is told using a unit of money called a talent.  Both the talent and the mina were measures of weight, to which value was attached as weight of gold or silver, and later coins.   Our modern English understanding of the word "talent" comes from the interpretation of this parable.  Although a talent was worth far more than a mina, the understanding is the same.  The minas represent talents or gifts given by God.  They represent the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  That would include the qualities we may possess from character, skill, intelligence, capability -- and more specifically, our capacity for spiritual gifts.   My study bible says that the amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  It adds that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, for all are invited to share the same joy.   It is interesting that the master who returns tells those who have traded, "Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over . . ." because this parallels Jesus' saying when He spoke of choosing between God and mammon.  After telling the parable of the Unjust Steward, Jesus told the Pharisees, "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?" (see this reading).  If we think of talents, gifts, and capabilities as wealth, then we understand what it is to be faithful in little; that is, how we choose to live our lives in accordance with the Lord's teachings, regardless of what area of life we're talking about or what we are doing.  In this case, what was given to each was put to use, traded, even invested in something.  

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, my study bible says, could not evade responsibility for ignoring his talent (or mina) as idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  The bank represents the body of the Church, where others can help to bring out and make the most of whatever it is we may contribute.   As there is help available at this bank, there is no excuse.  To keep the money put away in a handkerchief seems to indicate a careless way to keep the money, and one heedless of its value.  The handkerchief is of course for personal use for wiping perspiration away or cleaning one's nose.  But another use for this particular piece of cloth is as a head binding for a corpse (John 11:44, 20:7).  Either way seems to indicate an ignorance of the things of God, and a devaluing of them.  Moreover, this suggests the burial of the talents as told in this story in Matthew's Gospel; a pursuit of the purely earthly.

How do we use what we have for the purposes of the Kingdom?  How do we glorify God by the lives we lead?  What do we consider wealth?  We first of all should consider what it is to be faithful, and remind ourselves of this saying of Jesus, asking what it means to be "faithful in a very little."  Jesus is perhaps contrasting the things of this world (those which are very little) with the greater things of heaven.  We must consider that whatever we have -- our bodies, our gifts and skills and talents, our intelligence, all that we have -- are gifts of God, including spiritual gifts.  To be faithful in this word in the Gospel is to be trustworthy, reliable, loyal, a kind of fullness of faith.  Its root is the Greek word for trust.  So, it seems to me, to invest our lives in the faith of Christ is to entrust whatever skills and talents we have to the Lord's direction.  The man who put away his money in a handkerchief, or a face-covering for a corpse, invested or entrusted his gifts to that which is dead and has no life, something used for that which is cast off or cast away.  But when we give ourselves and our lives to faith, we are entrusting ourselves in what is, in fact, eternal and timeless.  To be faithful in a little, then, is to invest ourselves in something that pays off in the long run, that rewards us with timeless gifts.  In guiding the ruler who came to Him to ask about eternal life, Jesus teaches him, "You still lack one thing.  Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me"  (see this reading).  The point is that whatever it is we truly invest ourselves in will determine what we reap, the "treasure in heaven" we possess or not.  In that sense, if the rich ruler had considered giving his money to the poor, this would have been an investment that gained him treasure in heaven.   There are all kinds of things in which we can invest ourselves in life and in this world.  There are a million ways to follow fashion, to entrust ourselves to one ideology or abstract philosophy or another.  There is the pursuit of worldly wealth -- of any sort -- as our number one goal or achievement.  But whatever it is we gain, we should consider this image of the handkerchief which is also used as a shroud for the head of a corpse.  In what do we invest that is of immeasurable value?  How do we live our lives as an investment in the faith of Christ?   Our choices become guided by whatever it is that we put our heart and soul into.  As Jesus puts it in naming the first and greatest commandment, it's what we choose to love with all our heart and soul and mind (see Matthew 22:35-40).  This then guides our relationships to everything else:  what we choose to do in life, how we choose to treat or love others, what we do with all that is available to us, personal wealth or talent or skill or character capacity.  So think about where you invest what you have.  What do you really put your trust in? What is it that is worthy of this precious thing that is your life, or your soul?  What direction do you want to guide you through all things and choices?  Where do you invest yourself?  Moreover and beyond, who exactly is most worthy of that trust?