A man going on a journey
called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.
In the man's absence he wanted to ensure that his possessions were still serving some purpose, bringing about about growth. Since he would not be around to act directly to this end he bestowed on his servants the dignity of acting as his representative. The talents they received were not ordinary wealth, but symbolic representations of the power of the master himself. He called each servant to participate in some measure in his own creative work.
To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one–
to each according to his ability.
It might be easy to assume that he gave the one with more ability more to work with. And perhaps so. But he never said as much. It could also be that he gave the most to the one who needed the most leeway and room to work and gave the least to the one who ultimately could have made the most return with it.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them,
and made another five.
Likewise, the one who received two made another two.
Those who received five and two talents didn't delve into introspection or comparison, so far as we know. They just set to work. Neither seemed to do especially better than the other. It was rather that each coin actually used was able to generate an additional coin, as though the master's power were present and effective when his talents were utilized.
We can see from the master's response to the two who made money that he didn't think that he himself was making profound distinctions between any of his servants. What he give them he considered to be "small matters". The gifts were thus more about demonstrating faith in small things so that they could in turn signal their readiness to attend to those that were more significant.
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said,
'Master, I knew you were a demanding person,
harvesting where you did not plant
and gathering where you did not scatter;
so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.
The servant who received one talent did not fail because he lacked sufficient resources. Rather, it was his perception of the hostility of the master that led to fear and inactivity. Thinking the master was out to get him probably led him to regard his only receiving one talent as a preliminary judgment against him when there was no other evidence to indicate this was so. He thought, probably, that the master had low expectations of him and was looking to confirm that validity of these expectations by only offering one talent with which he might fail. In such a case the servant thought that by doing nothing he could at least rise above such and expectation. But the master was not operating in the expectation that the servant would fail. He knew that his money was capable of generating return if it was in any way put to use, even if it were simply put in the bank to accrue interest.
Fear makes us foolish, and false perceptions of our Lord and master prevent us from cooperating with him in the building of his Kingdom in the ways that he desires. We tend to look for excuses to be lazy and inactive, justifications for acting similarly to the wicked servant with our own talents. But we should instead be motivated by the great dignity that the Lord has bestowed on us by allowing us to share in his own work. He shares this work with us not as a way to accuse and ultimately punish us, but as a way to prepare us to share what he truly desires to share: his joy.
I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.
The master's joy was synonymous with great responsibilities. And it was for this reason that only those faithful in small matters were equipped to share it. But this fidelity never required more of the individual than he was given by the master. The master really could harvest where he did not plant and gather where he did not scatter. This was not to be a cause for fear, but a reason to trust in his abundance in our lives.
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
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He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God (see Second Corinthians 9:8,10-11).
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