Thoughts for the Day

Jesus told this parable: ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master." And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As a child I lived in Belgium for some years, first in Antwerp and then near Lier. I can remember acres of parquet wood flooring in a second-floor flat with no outside space, before we moved to a house with a garden on an Army camp. At last there was space to use my roller skates - the old fashioned kind that gripped onto one's shoes, or came off with the obvious result of a tumble. I would climb the stairs on my skates and use the slate topped low walls as a skating rink! (It gives me shudders to think of this now!). I could race down the road on my skates, raise one leg and behave like a ballet dancer, and stop in an instant! Years later as an adult I put on some modern skates and promptly fell over. All the skill had gone!

The Parable of the Talents appears in both Luke and Matthew's Gospels (with only little differences) and has been interpreted by the Western church as being about our abilities and gifts - on a 'use it or lose it' basis. But it's also about taking risks, 'throwing our heart over the fence' as we might say if we were horse riders. God gives all of us gifts and talents. These gifts might be the ability to spread joy to others; or to understand the scriptures; or to listen with compassion to those in need; or to understand complex maths and teach it to others.

Whatever gifts we possess must be honed and worked on, for God expects us to use them to serve Him and His people. We are to take risks, but grow in confidence as we use these gifts. And, we should especially notice that if we don't use these talents they can whither and die, like my ability to skate. The penalty might be harsh when one day we are asked to account for the gifts God has given us.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You give us so many talents,
some of which we have yet to discover.
Help us to understand that we must use,
or lose, these gifts,
and that they are given not just for ourselves
but to honour You,
and to help Your people.
Amen.