November 16, 2014
Pentecost 23
1st Thessalonians 5:5-11
Matthew 25:14-30
(prayer)
Today is the second of three consecutive Sundays when we are looking at teaching stories of
Jesus (parables) from Matthew chapter 25.
Jesus (parables) from Matthew chapter 25.
These stories all centre on an attitude that Jesus' followers are encouraged to have so that they can live in ways that are consistent with what God intends. They are all stories that aim to help us sort out choices.
Last week was a parable of bridesmaids and lamp oil. Next week, we will hear a parable of sheep and goats. Today, it was a parable of three servants' investments.
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The realm of God will be like this:
A very rich man was going away and he called three of his servants in to discuss a very important task. “While I am away, I want each of you to manage my money. I’ll give you each what I think you can handle.” The rich man gave each servant more money than any of them had ever seen in their lives. Two of them decided to invest the money for their master. It was risky, and it required a lot of work making trades and managing the portfolio but each hoped to increase their master’s riches. The third servant knew that his master was a harsh man and didn’t want to risk losing any of his master’s money, so he buried it in a safe place. When the rich man came home he called in each servant. The two who had invested the money had managed to double their investments. The master was pleased and rewarded them greatly. But he was not pleased with what he called the laziness of the third servant. “I gave you a job and you didn’t do anything - get out of my sight!”
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This is not my favorite parable.
I say that because I know that some people use it to justify out-of-control greed. Some people take this parable literally, instead of metaphorically. Forgive me if this sounds silly, but I have actually heard people quote this passage in Matthew to justify why they can be so greedy in the business world and not have that conflict with the gospel call to see others as neighbours, each as valuable as yourself - Love thy neighbour on Sunday and take advantage of every opportunity to make money at those neighbours' expense from Monday to Saturday.
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Money is not the subject of this parable of Jesus!
It is not an invitation for the followers of Jesus to all become venture capitalists.
We have to be careful how we read metaphoric language and remember that every symbol has its limits and that no one story of Jesus gives us the whole picture of his message or of God’s grace and justice.
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It is fair to assume that Jesus chose his words carefully - so that the central message he wanted to impart could catch his audience’s attention.
It is probably a good guess that most of the people who first heard this parable could relate their lives more to that of the servants than to the master. Now, Jesus’ message did breach all barriers of class, but he spent his times in the villages squares, where he was more likely to find a more ‘non-master class’ crowd of people. And that may be Jesus intent - he wants the hearers of his parable to see themselves as the 'servants' in the story. Jesus wants people to be thinking about how they might react if faced with a similar situation. In an ironic twist (given what I said earlier), Jesus’ style was to get them to hear the story literally, before he confronts them with the more-than-literal metaphoric meaning.
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First, let’s understand how much money we are talking about.
The master was handing out “Talents”.
A talent was unit of measurement that originated in ancient Babylon and was commonly used in Israel - it was a weight that could define the size of any commodity: grain, metal, water. A Talent was relatively large amount compared to smaller measures like mina, shekles and giru. In the context of this parable, the Talent referred to a monetary measurement of silver coins (approximately 26kg or 57pounds worth). It’s a lot!
The master was handing out “Talents”.
A talent was unit of measurement that originated in ancient Babylon and was commonly used in Israel - it was a weight that could define the size of any commodity: grain, metal, water. A Talent was relatively large amount compared to smaller measures like mina, shekles and giru. In the context of this parable, the Talent referred to a monetary measurement of silver coins (approximately 26kg or 57pounds worth). It’s a lot!
It was equal to several years worth of wages for a skilled labourer. I couldn't find a consensus in the research I did this week: seven to thirty years worth.
To Jesus' audience, it would be an unbelievable number.
[insert Dr Evil impression, here]
Just imagine how that measured up in the mind of a slave-servant - who was likely only paid wage enough to provide for daily bread.
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Five Talents was more than a labourer in Biblical times could make in a lifetime. Maybe, if times were good and you remained healthy, you could earn two talents for a life of work. One talent might be more of an average lifetime wage.
That’s where this parable of Jesus starts - even the third servant, who was entrusted with the smallest amount was given like what must have seemed to be ‘all the money in the world’.
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When their master explained what he wanted them to do, I picture three servants with their jaws wide open.
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Although there are three servants, there are only two reactions:
1. To carefully work with what was given;
2. To hide and ignore what was given.
In the end, the master rewarded the wise choice of working with what was given.
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The allegory in today’s reading is that 'we' are entrusted, by our God, with something of incredibly great value - the gospel writer may have meant his audience to think about the ministry of Christ’s church.
This ministry is (at the same time) both ours to hold and not ours at all - it is part of us and beyond us.
And even though it is more wonderful that we could ever hope to achieve on our own, we are tasked with the advancement of this gracious gift.
This ministry is (at the same time) both ours to hold and not ours at all - it is part of us and beyond us.
And even though it is more wonderful that we could ever hope to achieve on our own, we are tasked with the advancement of this gracious gift.
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Our own faith is what motivates us - to serve the greater purpose or to serve ourselves. That is the main difference between the servants in the parable: the first two seek to do work that will bring benefits beyond just themselves. The third one only thinks of the impact on his own life.
His focus is on doing as little as possible, taking below the minimal risks and hopes to simply survive the task, breaking even.
When we hear this metaphorically, we hear that this 'third servant response' is one where we have no desire to grow or nurture our faith - we hang on tight to what we have, hoping that it will be what we need when the moment comes.
His focus is on doing as little as possible, taking below the minimal risks and hopes to simply survive the task, breaking even.
When we hear this metaphorically, we hear that this 'third servant response' is one where we have no desire to grow or nurture our faith - we hang on tight to what we have, hoping that it will be what we need when the moment comes.
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What about all the moments between now and then?
To me that is a central aspect of this parable: that we are to care not just about the beginnings and the endings, but the life journey that spans the distance of time.
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If we read this parable too literally, God (the master) comes across as an overly greedy businessperson. The third servant noted that the master "reaped where he did not sow and gathered where he did not plant". A literal reading of that might suggest a less-than-ethical master.
That is not likely what Jesus is trying to say about God. I like the way that Douglas Hare puts it in his commentary on Matthew: the master is “a sharp dealer, who extracts far more from a business transaction than is his proper due.”
That is not likely what Jesus is trying to say about God. I like the way that Douglas Hare puts it in his commentary on Matthew: the master is “a sharp dealer, who extracts far more from a business transaction than is his proper due.”
We can say that, in the business of gospel, God is able to go beyond expectations - to achieve the maximum impact because of God’s gracious nature.
God is very good at what God does!
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This second Matthew 25 'choice parable' speaks the the wisdom of living an active faith, moment to moment. To extend the journey imagery, it is not so focused on the destination, but all along the way.
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The other scripture reading (from First Thessalonians) also lays out a choice - open faithful living or hiding away in secret, hoping no one will notice. The verbs in the last verse of what David read today are key: encourage one another and build up each other. What really stands out to me is that the Apostle Paul notes that this is not something new: 'indeed you are [already] doing [this]'.
Encouragement and Building Up are activities to do in this moment, not down the road.
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Faith is not something to be hidden. It is not to be stifled. This is true because we are not
in ministry alone. Faith grows as we connect with each other in the work of our Christ in the world.
in ministry alone. Faith grows as we connect with each other in the work of our Christ in the world.
So, lets find encourage in each other and let our spiritual longings find fulfillment.
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Let us pray:
It is easy, O God, to become complacent and comfortable. Help us to risk what will help us grow into our potential as Jesus' disciples. Amen.
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