An Investment Opportunity (3rd Friday of Advent)

Yesterday’s parable focused on what kind of attitude we should have as we await God’s return. Today’s parable focuses on what we do with the gift’s God has given us in the meantime. As we read the Parable of the Talents, one thought jumps out at me immediately: God isn’t fair, at least not from my perspective. For all we know, the man given one talent was correct in his assessment of his master as being both corrupt in his business dealings and a mean employer. Worse, why does the employer give that employee’s one talent to the one who has ten and not the one who has four? Why not split it between the two? After all, hadn’t both been equally proficient in the handling of their money? So, if God is the boss and we are his workers in this parable, doesn’t that make God a mean jerk of a boss?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. I think that yes, we can safely say that God isn’t "fair" in our eyes. It is true that some people seem more blessed than others. For example, why do some people inherit millions of dollars when they are young, never having to work a day in their lives? Why do some people eat healthily, exercise daily, avoid alcohol and cigarettes and still die of a heart attack at 45? The truth is, we can’t answer such questions. However, we cant’ get into the trap of thinking that God should bless only those who truly deserve it. If that were the case, none of us would receive God’s blessing for we are all sinners.

No, I think that the point of this story is not to make sure that we are all equally blessed. Rather, we are to concern ourselves with what we do with the gifts that God has given us. The reality is that God has blessed all of us, despite us not deserving it. We all have some gift that we can use to further the kingdom of God. Yet many of us choose not to use our gifts in God’s service. Rather, we take the abilities and talents that God has given us and use them to make our lives easier. We forget who has blessed us in the first place and become proud of our accomplishments, thinking that we are somehow "hot stuff."

However, we know that without God nothing is possible. So what should we do? First, we need to be more thankful for the gifts that God has graciously blessed us with. Second, we need to make wise use of our talents. We need to ask: are we using our gifts to invest in the future that God desires for us? Are we spending our talents to advance the Kingdom of God? Or are we spending our talents foolishly, to garner fame and wealth for ourselves? Third, we need to remember that God will one day hold us all in account, especially those who have been given much. If we have done nothing with the gifts he has given us, then we will be thrown out in the cold. Of course, the greatest gift that God has given us is his own son, our Lord Jesus Christ. If we reject him, we have no hope for the future. A relationship with him is the wisest investment that we could make!

Matthew 25:14-30 (NIV)

"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. "

"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'"

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'"

"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'