January 14, 2010
Sittin' on Your Talent
State and local governments often depend on grant funding to bringing a project to fruition. Recently I attended a meeting where a group of citizens wanted to reprioritize some grant funds for a specific need at the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration representative explained that you don’t just keep grant funds and decide where you want to use them. “When you take federal money you have to comply with the regulations. You can’t save them [funds] and if they aren’t used, they disappear back into the general fund.” Sounds like a modern day version of the Parable of the Talents. Obviously there were some regulations attached to the talents of money that the master entrusted to his three servants. One servant, the wicked and slothful one, decided to just sit on the funds. Sure enough, when the master returned the funds that he hid in the ground went back into the general fund…where they were then redistributed to the good and faithful servant. (Matt 25:14-29 ESV)
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Gail;
-----The seed of the Parable of the Talents is buried in the difference between the first two servants and the last one. What made them welcomed into the joy of their master and him not? It is much the same as what makes the state and local government in compliance with the grant terms, or out of compliance. The grant was for the completion of a project. If the local government had done nothing on the project, it would have been out of compliance. But in doing something, either grand or adequate, it would have been in compliance. The master entrusted his money to his servants for the purpose of earning more. The first two servants complied with that purpose by engaging themselves in service towards their master’s interests. But the third servant engaged in self preservation. His fear for his own security diverted him from serving his master’s purpose of earning to doing what the master could have done for himself by keeping the talent in his own purse. It was the servant’s failure to serve the purpose of the master that made him expendable.
-----The sermons and insights I have heard on this parable always have focused upon the first and second servant’s doubling of their master’s money. They then have made an object story for pushing the hearer to go do even more than he has been doing, usually in terms of either bringing more people into the church or giving it more money. But we must not fail to notice that the five talents, the two talents, and the one talent were all given according to the abilities of each servant. The master was not pushing the last servant two earn two talents with his one, or the second to earn five with his two. He expected each to simply go do what they could with what they were given. This nature of his directions is evident in the master’s suggesting his satisfaction had the servant simply put the talent in the bank and earned some interest. The master was being understanding of the inabilities the frightful character of the servant produced. For he was willing to recognize a means by which the servant could have felt secure, yet could have achieved the objective as well.
-----We must never forget this other lesson in the Parable of the Talents. It was only with the third servant the master expected increased ability for entrance into his joy. And his expectation was not for him to be able to double up as did the other two. Paul reveals to us at Rom 12:4 that the measure of faith each of us has is assigned by God. He also reveals, as does Peter, that our abilities through this measure of faith are varied. Some do well at convincing others of the gospel, but have little money to spare. Others are very generous with their money but could not convince a lost soul to drink water in the desert. Many just do well at spreading smiles and being kind, gentle, and merciful. All are talents of the kingdom. All can produce earnings by at least the rate of interest. Yes, Jesus waters and adorns His tall, strong palm trees; He fans His burning fires. But He refuses to break His bruised reeds or quench His smoldering wicks. Just go do for Him what you are able and be thankful for His graciousness.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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