A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.
The nobleman left his servants in apparently hostile environment, since he himself was despised by his fellow citizens who did not want him to become king. This must have been an added layer of challenge for the servants who were called to use their gifts precisely in the economy of this hostile city. They were called to take risks in which they must have felt that they not only put their gifts at risk but also they themselves. Yet those who were faithful to the nobleman's words discovered that his plan was solid and his words were trustworthy.
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
It seems that the nobleman was grooming these servants for still greater things by the task with which he entrusted them in his absence. But he had high expectations for the servants precisely because he knew the value of the coins that he himself had given. He knew that they were able to work and generate value even in a hostile environment. The servants who understood spoke of the coins themselves as earning more coins. The servant who earned nothing failed because he was unwilling to allow the coin to work. He allowed his fear to overwhelm his trust in the gift of the nobleman even to the degree that it skewed his view of the character of the nobleman.
you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.
It was true that the nobleman had high expectations that these coins would be able to be generative and life-giving even in the midst of an unprepared field. Indeed they were so for the servants who trusted him. But the one who chose fear instead of faith saw what was meant to be a promise as only potential condemnation.
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.
Even in the condition of fear there were relatively safe options for providing some return on investment for the nobleman. Even his fear would not excuse the servant who did nothing. Ignoring the option of the bank could could only be explained by an indifference that resulted from contentment with the perceived bare minimum for self-preservation. It was ultimately a matter of choosing himself and his own temporary concerns over the task appointed for him by the nobleman. But as the nobleman was to return and become king this turned out to be exceedingly foolish.
The gifts of the Lord are so powerful that they are able to bring something from nothing. This is meant to be our confidence rather than a cause for fear. It was this belief that allowed the mother and son in today's first reading to go even to death knowing that this would not be the end of the story.
you will know that God did not make them out of existing things;
and in the same way the human race came into existence.
Do not be afraid of this executioner,
but be worthy of your brothers and accept death,
so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.
The Lord's gifts don't work based on our merit or ability. They work when we believe his word and put it to work in our lives. He trains us in this dynamic at smaller scales in order to make us fit for our royal destiny in his Kingdom. Are there ways in which we are failing even to regard or put in the bank those gifts which we have been given? Further, are there places where we can put them to work around us, even though the fields seem unprepared, and even though we ourselves seem too unskilled or inept? The more the circumstances are stacked against the likelihood of the success of these coins the more marvelous will be the return they bring.
Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full.
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