What Are You Doing with Your Talents?

Matthew 25:14-30

This section of Matthew’s Gospel contains the Parable of the Talents. In ancient days, a ‘talent’ was a weight or coin used as money.

However, I would like to suggest that these talents in this text are of greater value than money; these are the ‘talents’ God has given us. These gifts may be physical or spiritual; each person has their own set of ‘talents.’

Matthew 24:14-18 reveals that all Christians are not blessed equally. Spiritually, we are all equal in Christ, but physically and materially, we receive different talents.

“Some are born kings, some into slavery; some born male, others female; some born wealthy, some poor; some born alive, some stillborn; some born normal physically, some born deformed; some born mentally handicapped; some born with ambition, some born indifferent; some born with five talents, some born with one talent.”[1]

Though we are all spiritually equal, we do not have the same opportunities and responsibilities. It may be similar to our spiritual gifts; some have four or five gifts; others just one or two. Matthew 25:15 says these talents

Are given according to his ability.

Regardless of the number of talents, we must use those talents to the best of our ability. We must be faithful to our gifts to develop the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom of God seeks those who are faithful. No matter the number of talents you receive, the question is, “are you faithful?” You must remain faithful to whatever talents given. When you do so, you will

enter into the joy of the master. (Matthew 25:23)

Those not found doing so and not having produced anything

will be cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 25:30)

In conclusion, examine yourself to see whether you are ‘in the faith.’ Examine if you are a faithful servant doing the work of God for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Look beyond personal interests, personal gain, and selfish thinking instead of believing and loving Christ. By doing so, you will desire to glorify and honor God. Allow the word of God to increase your talents through the Holy Spirit by loving your neighbor and making disciples of all nations.

The servant who received one talent did nothing with what he received. The gifts we receive from God include skills, abilities, family connections, social positions, education, experiences, and more. The parable’s point is to use whatever given for God’s purposes. The severe consequences to the unproductive servant show us that we should invest our lives, not waste them.

There are five lessons the Parable of the Talents can teach us about work, success, and wealth:

1. First, success is a product of our work. 
   In the book of Genesis, we see that God placed Adam in the garden to work it and take care of it. As Christians, we work God’s mission in the here and now.

Far too many evangelical Christians today see their salvation as simply a “bus ticket to heaven.” They believe it doesn’t matter what they do while they “wait for the bus.” The Parable of the Talents teaches us what we are supposed to do while we await the return of Christ.

We are to work, using our talents to glorify God, serve the common good, and further God’s kingdom. Biblical success is working diligently in the here and now, using all the talents God has given us to produce the return the God expects.

2. God always gives us everything we need to do what he has called us to do.
We feel sorry for the servant who received only one talent, but in reality, he received as much as a million dollars from the master and buried it in his backyard. He had more than enough to meet the master’s expectations.

Just as the master expected his servants to do more than passively preserve that which was entrusted to them, God expects us to generate a return by using our talents towards productive ends. The servants had enough to produce more – it is the same with God’s gifts. The Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10:

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We seldom associate this verse with our work, but we should.

3. We are not all created equal.
The most overlooked part of this parable is the second half of Matthew 25:15:

the master gives to each servant talents, “…each according to his ability.”

The master understood that the one-talent servant could not produce as much as the five-talent servant.

We want to protest this as unfair. Yet we know this is true from our own experience.

But even though we’re not created equal about the talents given, there is equality found in the Parable of the Talents. It comes from the fact that it takes just as much work for the five-talent servant to produce five more talents as it does for the two-talent servant to make two more. This is why the reward given by the master is the same. The master measures success by degrees of effort, as should we.

4. We work for the Master, not our selfish purposes.
The money given to the servants is not their own. The money they earn with the capital is not theirs to keep. The servants are only stewards of the master’s investment, and it is the quality of their stewardship that the master seeks to measure.

We should maximize the use of our talents not for our selfish purposes but to honor God. We should feel satisfaction and joy from doing our best with what God has given us, seeking to honor him.

5. We will be held accountable.
The Parable of the Talents is not about salvation or works of righteousness but about how we use our work to fulfill our earthly callings. It is about whole-life stewardship.

The unfaithful steward in this parable didn’t so much waste the master’s money – he wasted an opportunity. As a result, he was judged wicked and lazy. We are responsible for what we do for God with what we are given, and one day we will be held accountable.

But wherever we are in life, and whatever we are given, we have no excuse to be unprofitable. We are called to be responsible for our large or small opportunities.

If we are faithful to the Lord and live as faithful servants of His, we will hear these words:

“Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.”

Let us pray:

Dear God, we thank You for the gifts You‘ve given each of us. We pray that we will be faithful in using these gifts to show others how wonderful You are. Thank you for the gifts you have given to us and for the part you have given us to play as you orchestrate your plan for the world in which I live. Help me to play my part diligently, faithfully, and to the best of my ability always for your glory and the benefit of others. Grant that we will so live today that when we stand before you face to face, we will hear your welcoming words,

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.

Amen.

 

Delivered at Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Columbus, OH; 19 November 2023

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[1]      Extracted with variations from Jeremy Myers, Redeeming God

God Gave You Talents

Matthew 25:14-30

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey. “After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He gained five more. In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 

The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’

“The second servant also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’

“Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’ “His master replied, ‘You evil and lazy servant!  (Matthew 25:14-28)

Now, this scripture sounds like it is about money, but I would like to suggest that these coins (called ‘talents’ in ancient times) in this text are of greater value than money; these are the ‘talents’ God has given us. Each and everyone of us has their own set of ‘talents.’

Matthew 25:15 says

He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability..

Regardless of the number of talents, we must use those talents to the best of our ability. We must be faithful to our gifts to grow them as we are able.

We each should assess our lives to determine if we are increasing our talents or not.

1. Consider the gifts with which God has blessed us.
   Take some time this week and reflect on all the good gifts given us. Think about our family, finances, friends, possessions, opportunities, church, family, and more. Give glory to God and thank Him for His grace shown to us.

2. Consider our faithfulness.
   Ask ourselves how we have managed what God has given us. Are we generous and sacrificial; are we good managers of God’s resources? Are we wise or foolish? Are we investing in the kingdom of God or our kingdom?

3. Get to work.
   If we have not been a faithful servant in the past, we can start doing it now. Don’t despair about your history; live with determination for your future, resolve to be led by God’s Spirit, and be determined to live in faithfulness.

The irony of this parable is the man with the smallest amount of responsibility was the one who was declared wicked and lazy. The measure is not how much God has given us but what we do with it. In other words, there are no excuses.

Wherever we are in life, and whatever we are given, we have no excuse to not grow our talents. We are called to be responsible for our large or small opportunities.

Let us pray:

Dear God, we thank You for the gifts You‘ve given each of us. We pray that we will be faithful in using these gifts. Help us to play our part to the best of our ability. Grant that we will so live today that when we stand before you face to face, we will hear your welcoming words,

‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.

Amen.

Delivered at Street Church, Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Columbus, OH; 19 November 2023

 

When Is Enough, Enough?

Mark 10:17-31

Our Father, we thank you for your Word and for the eternal truths that guide us day by day. We thank you most of all for the living Word, Jesus Christ, and the sureness of his presence. Teach us how to turn unto you so that your thoughts may be our thoughts, and your ways our ways. Amen.

We hear in the gospel that a rich young man asked Jesus how he could be assured that he would go to Heaven. He was a very successful young man, having been very fortunate in his business dealings, and was probably a paragon of virtue in the society. In fact, the equivalent scripture in Luke 18:18-23 tells us

“he was a man of great wealth, having an abundance of earthly possessions that exceeds normal experience, and a ruler”

He was a very observant Jew, living according to the commandments of the Torah, remarking to Jesus that

“Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” (Mark 10:20)

So, one has to wonder why he wanted an assurance from Jesus that he would go to Heaven. He seemed to be sitting on top of the world. What did he feel he was missing?

Then came the shocker! Jesus lovingly told him

“You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

Was Jesus really asking him to go from a very wealthy, respectable member of the community to what amounts to a beggar – bereft of all his wealth and stature. Did he have to give up everything – all those possession and ‘good’ things he had worked so hard to accumulate? Well, this was just too much for him; he went away disconsolate and dejected.

You may recall Saint Francis of Assisi did exactly that. Born the first son of a wealthy and privileged textile merchant and landowner, he was destined to inherit the business, the wealth, all the power. As a youth, he was a rowdy drunkard and wanted to become a knight, a man of war. Through several sobering experiences, including a year’s imprisonment after being captured in a war against neighboring Perugia, Francis began to change. He kept hearing the call of God telling him to “rebuild my church”. Finally, in 1203, in a dramatic confrontation with his father in the town square of Assisi, Francis took off all his fine clothing, gave them to his father, and walked away to serve the poor and win people to a new vision of the church. Clothed only in a wool tunic and sandals, he traveled by foot to villages and towns, caring for lepers, and winning followers for Christ. He chose to remain a deacon to better bring the message of God to the people. He had twelve disciple-like followers and by his death he was already considered a saint. His love of nature and animals earned him the title “God’s Fool” by many. He was the first person ever to show signs of ‘the stigmata’, and after his death in 1224, immediately was canonized!

The Franciscan Order developed from his ministry, and his burial site at the Basilica of Saint Francis in Assisi is one of the most inspiring places I have ever had the privilege to visit.

So, today, should we sell everything that we own and give it to the poor just to assure our place in Heaven? Perhaps we should look at this teaching in light of the culture of today. We have all accumulated things in our lives that make it comfortable for us and our families and friends. We want to assure that those within our circle have every need that they require, so that their lives will be secure and comfortable, and they can achieve those things they want in their lives. But, if we sell everything and give aid the poor, wouldn’t we be abandoning our families and friends, shirking our responsibility as parents and citizens?

So, what does Jesus mean by ‘everything’ in this scripture? We automatically think He means all of our worldly possessions in exchange for our heavenly reward. Should we become like Saint Francis? But let’s look at this in a different manner. Maybe Jesus is really saying that we should rid ourselves of those things that do not bring ‘goodness’ and positive attachments in our lives. We all have habits, behaviors that we know are not good for us; frivolous, unnecessary; let us consider that these are the ‘things’ we should rid ourselves of.

Martha Bolton and Phil Callaway, in their book It’s Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens, tell about strolling through a mall one day laughing at all the things in the mall they didn’t need. They found, for instance, that they could do without:

• A water fountain for their cat.
• A cell phone that works underwater.
• Alarm clocks that project the time on your ceiling in the middle of the night (when you should be sleeping) but can’t be read during the daylight (when you should be getting up).
• Gas-powered blenders for the backyard.
• And, perhaps most interesting of all, pants that talk. These talking pants say “Zip me!”[1]

Each of us can probably think of other things less stupid, but also unnecessary:

• A TV in every room.
• 3 or 4 automobiles
• A wide array of PCs, laptops, tablets, cell phones.
• 10 magazine subscriptions, NetFlix, HBO, Amazon Prime, Showcase and STARZ.
• A toaster, air fryer, InstaPot, Cuisinart, hand blender and Bullet. (The latter is my personal ‘sin of commission’.)

There are many people who have basically given up all or most of their “riches” and gone to live in simplicity to serve others and follow Jesus. At once comes to mind Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Dorothy Day, and Oscar Romero (who will be canonized today by Pope Francis) – and countless people who are not famous, but beloved in their cities and countries. And we admire, applaud, and are grateful for them all. Our earth is a better place because they lived.

But in reality, let’s face it – most of us are not going to do that and I don’t think Jesus really meant for us to do that. I think the story of the Rich Ruler in today’s Gospel is another teaching tool to help us learn what it truly means to follow the way of Jesus. For me, it means to be willing to put the teachings of Jesus first – to put into practice every day, putting the love, compassion and service to everyone – not just friends and family and colleagues – but everyone: all races, all economic levels, strangers, people I do not understand or think I don’t like – EVERYONE!

We must examine our priorities when considering our neighbors or church community, our civic communities and the wider world. There is poverty and injustice and violence that we can do something about. There are children without homes, people living on the streets, mentally ill citizens who have been neglected by society, elders who either have no one who cares for them or are in facilities that abuse them all around us. Hunger and want are rampant, not only in the United States, but places like Yemen where there is no food in the entire country. Climate change has created vast deserts that used to be the bread basket of African countries and many are now surviving on starvation rations or leaves and berries.

These are things that we can do something about by re-evaluating our priorities. There is a distinct difference between what we actually ‘need’ and what we ‘want’. Addressing our ‘needs’ and using our time, treasures and talents from those resources which were our ‘wants’ to contribute to the welfare of others will go a long way toward fulfilling Jesus’ admonition in this scripture.

But let me remind you of something else, the Good News is not about money: Salvation is not determined by what we’ve given up for God, but what God has given up for us. We are not saved by our tithes, but by our ties to the Man from Nazareth. That is good news, isn’t it? It’s called grace, amazing grace. We have not given all we should, but God has given enough for everyone. The disciples were startled when they heard Jesus say that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25), and they asked,

“Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said (Probably very lovingly, because, once again they just didn’t get it), “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27)

In other words, salvation doesn’t depend on what we do, but on what God has done through Jesus Christ. God has accepted us as we are, and loves us as we are – and assures us a place in Heaven!

A young woman named Sharon was waiting to board a bus to New Jersey. She noticed a tall disheveled man trying to get on the same bus. He and the bus driver were arguing, because the man didn’t have the right amount of money. Finally, the man got out of line and stumbled against all the other people. Then he spied Sharon. He asked her, “Would you please give me some money so that I can get on the bus?”

What would you do in that situation? Sharon hesitated and said, “When I get on the bus I will see.” In the next 30 seconds as she walked up the steps to the bus and dropped in her $1.25 fare, she quickly thought through what she should do. She said the sort of things we say to ourselves. “Why should I help him? Why should he get a free ride? There are so many other people who have greater needs.” Sharon had noticed he was carrying some mail with a check on top. “He just needs to go cash that check. It’s probably a welfare check. He’ll just spend it on something ridiculous.”

On the other hand, Sharon reasoned, with a mind of faith: “Don’t you have any compassion? Where is your Christ-likeness? Okay, Lord,” she asked, “what should I do?” And before she knew it, she said to the bus driver, “Wait, don’t close the doors. Leave them open and let him in. I will pay for him.” The bus driver opened the doors, the man ran up the steps, looked at her and smiled and just said, “Thanks.”

God seemed to have spoken to Sharon and this is what God said, “Sharon, do you see? That’s what I did for you. No, that man didn’t deserve your $1.25. He didn’t do anything to earn it, but you gave it to him as a gift. And you did nothing to deserve my love either. I sent my Son for you. My Son died on the cross saying, “open the door, Father, let her in, I will pay for her; today she will be with me in Heaven.” And in that sobering moment Sharon realized again the grace of God in her life.

You and I are rich in many ways. Christ isn’t calling us to give up everything to follow him, only to give sacrificially. What matters most of all is not what we do for God, but what God has done for us. God has given God’s own Son to throw wide the gates of Heaven . .  . for all of us.

So, what can we do with our resources? In this time of stewardship focus at Saint John’s?

What can we do together – here – how can we combine our resources – not only financial, but time, energy and talents – to further the love and service of our Savior?

We have a beautiful and life-saving message for the world – for our friends and neighbors in Worthington and Columbus, for those in need either physically or emotionally. As an old agnostic once commented: “If I believed what you Christians believed, I would be willing to crawl through broken glass to tell the world about it”.

Together we can do so much – as a Beloved Community of people following Jesus, loving one another and serving others because Jesus opened the doors of Heaven to all of us.

Let’s all commit to give the extra dollar, go the extra mile with our time and abilities – to come together in generosity of all of our resources. So that together we can say ‘thank you’ to our God, for this amazing life we are given, say ‘thank you’ to our Savior Jesus Christ for showing us ‘the Way’, ‘the Truth’, ‘the Life’, and say ‘thank you’ by spreading that love individually and together at Saint John’s.

I leave you with some of the words attributed to Saint Francis:

O Divine Master –
Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord, we are assured of our place in Heaven by the grace of the death and resurrection of Jesus. But help us remember those who are less fortunate, who suffer, who are neglected by others. You have given us what seems like an impossible task with this Gospel passage. You have asked us to deny ourselves; even when our spirits are willing, the flesh is weak. You know our hearts- help us, with Your Holy Spirit, to examine our hearts and listen to your words. We desire to become more and more like You, less selfish and more selfless, willing to deny ourselves in order to follow Jesus’ teachings. This we pray. Amen.
 
[1]       Martha Bolton, Phil Callaway,  It’s Always Darkest Before the Fridge Door Opens, Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2006, p. 139
 
 

Delivered at Saint John ‘s Episcopal Church in Worthington and Parts Adjacent, Worthington, OH; 14 October 2018