XV
Talent?
‘I was afraid and so went and hid your talent in the ground’ Matt 25:25
You’re probably familiar with the parable of the talents. In it the Master entrusts his 3 servants with ‘talents’. ‘Talent’ meant large sum of money, but it’s a good word to consider. Upon his return from a trip the master learns from each of his servants what they did with ‘their talent’. Two of them have used what he gave them and returned with more than they started with, they have done well and he is pleased. One has buried his talent, he has done nothing with it and the master is furious.
This story was re-written hundreds of years later by a theologian, and in it his 3rd servant spent all his money on drink and high living. For the theologian, these kinds of sins, rather than mere laziness, seemed more ‘worthy’ of the master’s scolding. However, looking at the original passage tells us something else. The master didn’t scold the servant for attacking his character (‘I knew you were a hard man’ v24) or binging, his rebuke is for wasting his talent, wasting his gift, burying it, letting the potential go unrealised.
The servant says ‘I was afraid’. Isn’t it so often the case that ‘fear’ is the cause for sin? How often do we let fear get in the way? How often does it hold us back? How often does it keep us boxed in and contained? Fear causes me to falter. Fear causes me to keep the deepest things to myself, fear causes me to go so far with God or relationships, but then to withdraw, fear causes me to doubt myself and God, fear causes me to wait for someone else to volunteer before I raise my hand, fear causes me to stay safe rather than take a risk, fear causes me to stay in the boat rather than walk on water.
In Luke 2 v10, the account of the birth of Jesus, the angel says to the shepherds, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people, today...a saviour has been born’.
This story was re-written hundreds of years later by a theologian, and in it his 3rd servant spent all his money on drink and high living. For the theologian, these kinds of sins, rather than mere laziness, seemed more ‘worthy’ of the master’s scolding. However, looking at the original passage tells us something else. The master didn’t scold the servant for attacking his character (‘I knew you were a hard man’ v24) or binging, his rebuke is for wasting his talent, wasting his gift, burying it, letting the potential go unrealised.
The servant says ‘I was afraid’. Isn’t it so often the case that ‘fear’ is the cause for sin? How often do we let fear get in the way? How often does it hold us back? How often does it keep us boxed in and contained? Fear causes me to falter. Fear causes me to keep the deepest things to myself, fear causes me to go so far with God or relationships, but then to withdraw, fear causes me to doubt myself and God, fear causes me to wait for someone else to volunteer before I raise my hand, fear causes me to stay safe rather than take a risk, fear causes me to stay in the boat rather than walk on water.
In Luke 2 v10, the account of the birth of Jesus, the angel says to the shepherds, ‘Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people, today...a saviour has been born’.
See, when Joy is there, fear has to leave. The angel say’s ‘Don’t fear, because Joy has come’, Jesus is born, the saviour is here, a reason to celebrate! When Joy turns up at the party, fear has to leave and go home.
In church the other day someone said faith was spelt r.i.s.k. Perhaps we do need to accept that there is always going to be an element of risk when following God and using his ‘talents’. Mary took a risk when accepting the Angels message; the shepherds took a risk when they made their way from the hillsides, leaving what they knew, to follow God’s call. I’d hazard a guess that the two servants in the parable were taking a risk when they invested or handled the money the master had entrusted them. In all these cases, there was fear, but...how great was the reward? What joy did God give them for stepping out? Had not God had Mary in his hands all that time? And the shepherds as they travelled and gave what little they had? This much is true -> we all have a gift. We have all been given talents for God’s glory. We have been made by the Father and therefore have all been given unbelievable potential, a part to play in furthering God’s Kingdom. We are not called to be Billy Graham or Matt Redman but only ourselves. The person God made us to be and who God died to redeem. What do you think?
In church the other day someone said faith was spelt r.i.s.k. Perhaps we do need to accept that there is always going to be an element of risk when following God and using his ‘talents’. Mary took a risk when accepting the Angels message; the shepherds took a risk when they made their way from the hillsides, leaving what they knew, to follow God’s call. I’d hazard a guess that the two servants in the parable were taking a risk when they invested or handled the money the master had entrusted them. In all these cases, there was fear, but...how great was the reward? What joy did God give them for stepping out? Had not God had Mary in his hands all that time? And the shepherds as they travelled and gave what little they had? This much is true -> we all have a gift. We have all been given talents for God’s glory. We have been made by the Father and therefore have all been given unbelievable potential, a part to play in furthering God’s Kingdom. We are not called to be Billy Graham or Matt Redman but only ourselves. The person God made us to be and who God died to redeem. What do you think?
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