31 August 2013 - surrender in action

31 August 2013 - surrender in action

In the gospel today we encounter the parable of the talents once again.

Let's take note of a few interesting aspects of it.

‘Master, you gave me five talents.
See, I have made five more.’

The first servant made the most.

‘Master, you gave me two talents.
See, I have made two more.’

The second servant made less.

Yet they both hear the LORD say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

This is because the the LORD expects much from the one who is given much (cf. Luk. 12:48).  It is not from their own abilities that these servants bear fruit.  They are given talents and it is only up to them whether or not to let these talents be used.  They do not multiply the talents themselves, either.  It is only to them to allow their use. Or, we might even say, to acquiesce to their use.

The only response which won't do is the response of fear:

so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.

It is a choice between trust in the master who gives us our talents or lack of trust (and therefore fear) in ourselves and our own lack of ability and consistency.

but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.

There is no servant in this parable who has not.  The third servant acts as though he has not and so ends up having his talent taken away.  But he was given a talent just as the others were.  Let us take heed.  Even if we feel like we have no talents we most assuredly do.  Let us put them to use.

Also interesting in this parable is the reward for the response of the first two servants.

Come, share your master’s joy.’

Yes!  This is a beautiful statement.  How we long to know the master's joy.  Don't we?  But wait- it is closely bound to the sentence that precedes it:

I will give you great responsibilities.

So, we share in his joy because of the responsibilities he gives us?  This is difficult to fathom.  But we must understand that the LORD is building us up.  He is raising us from children to maturity.  Responsibility in adulthood is not the opposite of joy but it's true locus.  Only here can we find consistent and lasting joy.

What are we to do with our talents?  Paul claims we already know:

for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another.

But he also tells us how to "progress even more":

and to aspire to live a tranquil life,
to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your own hands,
as we instructed you.

We need to set aside the many distractions that keep us from the simplicity of love to which the LORD calls us.  This simplicity even includes things which we may feel are beneath us such as working with our own hands.

We do this because we long for his presence.  The parable tells us that the master is "going on a journey".  But the psalm assures us:

for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.

It is his "right hand" which "has won victory".  His is the victory when we use our talents for him.  And celebration of that victory prepares the way for his ultimate return.

Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;