‘…one talent at a time’

November 19, 2023

Scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 25:14-29

Today’s story is an interesting parable. Like so many we read in the gospel accounts, this one can be viewed in several ways. On the one hand it simply seems to be a condemnation of the servant who was given only one talent, and an exaltation of the other two…as though stewardship of the master’s money, in order to make more money for him was the only intended goal. A critique of laziness or slothfulness, and a lifting up of clever money management. Which I suppose on some level has merit. However, the usual slant to this story is that the Master is seen as the Lord, and the one given only one talent is seen as a sinner…which takes no notice of the fact that a closer reading indicates that the Master may in fact be a harsh and cruel person, and the one who is being portrayed as ‘lazy’, is in fact acting out of real fear!

        All of that is in there, and in truth it does not seem so out of place in a modern context…in today’s world there are lots of people who would fit into the Master’s role as well as many who are effectively paralyzed by fear to some degree. But, as I said, there are other ways to view this parable and I do not want to rehash the interpretation I just recounted. For I feel that there may be another, more positive way to listen in and to hear ways this strange little story might help us in our own walk forward in faith. And I say that because for the first time I noticed a small little phrase I had never seen before as I read through our passage, one that turned my focus in a whole different direction.

I probably missed it in the past because it was in the very beginning of the passage, and I most likely read right past it. In fact it is at the end of the very first sentence, where after doling out the talents it says that the Master gave to each one, ‘according to his ability’! In other words, the Master gave one of the servants many talents because he knew in advance that he would go out and double his money, whereas to the one whom he knew was afraid and fearful of him, he only entrusted one, knowing full well that he would probably not do much at all with it!

Which, at least for me, seems to make the whole ‘throw him out in the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth’ pretty harsh and unfair. And that, made me wonder how I might understand all of this in a different way, perhaps even in a more positive light. How do we deal with what the Lord entrusts each one of us with? And is it really important how much we are given? Does having more of anything make us better than someone else? Or is it really about being sure to use whatever we have in such a way that it becomes a part of what the Lord intends for us? All of these questions started swirling around for me as I pondered the current state of our lives and the things that tend to not only motivate us, but also serve to shape our views of ourselves, and of others around us.

        And as I thought through all of this, several common phrases as well as scripture verses came to mind, which helped to shape a new understanding for me. The first of these was the phrase ‘bloom where you are planted’. Now this well-worn one has been used in a number of ways to encourage someone to make the most of what they have, and to do so right where they are. Not to be always yearning for something different or seemingly better, but rather to be content with what you do have and what you do have control over, therefore making the most of what you have been given.

Which actually can be quite a challenge for some…for those who are sure that there must be more out there somewhere…for those who feel that what I have right now may be fine, but will it last, will it hold me? Which picks up on the aspect of fear which we saw in the one given a single talent. It also ignores the fact that the Lord knows what he has given us, knows our need, and knows that it is fully sufficient for what we have been asked to do. So yes, it is good to ‘bloom where you are planted’, as well as to keep in mind who it is that is doing the planting!

The passage also brought to mind, at least for me, a long-held notion that the goal of a ‘good Christian’ was to do a big thing for God…to make a big splash in a big fishtank…to strive to be a ‘giant of the faith’…or at least a ‘notable follower’ of Jesus. Many times I have heard people say I could have done so much more…or perhaps to question why I seemed to be okay with serving a small church in a small town such as our own.

And over time I have realized that serving faithfully really has nothing to do with any of that. That the call for each of us, is to do all we can, with all we have, right where we are. That sharing the love of God is done person to person, and that the ‘greatest change’ starts with the most humble and personal acts of love and compassion one to another. I know I say it a lot, but Jesus told us that the only way others will ever know who it is we follow…is by the way we care for and love each other.

Those who loom large in the history of our faith, those whom we admire and aspire to imitate, did not start out trying to do a big thing…but rather did what was right in front of them. It was only later on that it was recognized as being something great and powerful in the plans and purposes of God. These did not go out seeking to make a big splash for the Lord…rather their witness and ministry was recognized afterwards as being extraordinary, even world-changing. In truth, the vast vast majority of those who seek to follow after and to serve the Lord are called to do so in very ordinary, unglamorous, even quiet but sincere ways.

And so, in light of this, I think what is really needed is for each of us simply to do the task for which we have the tools, and for which we have been prepared for by the Holy Spirit. Everyone has a gift, in fact probably many gifts, some larger than others, some seeming to be very small and insignificant. But I tell you in all sincerity, that every gift brought to the table, every gift lifted up and offered has use in the plans of God. As I have also noted in the past, there is a unique, one of a kind ‘you-shaped hole’ in the plans of our Lord…we simply have to let ourselves fill that ‘hole’ in…no matter how big or how small.

And of course, we need to remember the very interesting and sometimes troublesome fact that so often what God thinks you may be capable of, does not in any way feel like what you feel ready for! God always has a larger role for us than we think we can fulfill, but, and this is critically important…that is only because God is planning on walking along beside us…giving us not only provision for the journey, but just enough light for the next step along the path.

As I think through all this, what I hear in my heart, is that there is no gift, no talent too small to be used in the service of our Lord. And also that no one, absolutely no one, is exempted from being a part of what the Spirit is seeking to bring about through the gathered witness of our faith together. Be it a certain skill such a prayer or music, or proclaiming the word, or managing any of our various outreach ministries seeking to serve our wider community…or even seemingly small and insignificant gifts, such as the willingness to listen to another, or a hand offered in friendship, or a smile given that brightens the room…all of these great and small have both their place and time in the plans of God…and any of them that are withheld or not offered due to fear, or simply an unwillingness to give deprives and temporarily thwarts the purposes of the Spirit.

For a smile not ‘smiled’, leaves the life in the room less blessed…

…A song not sung, does not offer the soul nourishment it might otherwise have extended…

…A prayer not prayed, shorts both the pray-er as well as the one or the intention for which the prayer is sorely needed…

…A hug or a hand not extended in love, may serve only to prolong one’s sadness or loneliness…

…A cry that falls on ears not ready to listen, cannot receive the comfort, justice, or provision it is so dearly lacking…

…And finally…an opportunity to participate in community not offered…deprives both the individual and the community itself…a community which the Lord formed to thrive and to grow in the first place…

…for each of these…truly is one talent.

So, let us be generous in sharing the gifts we each have been blessed with…gifts both large and small…

…and to do so as though we are drawing on a vast storehouse of the richest of treasures…

…for indeed we are!

amen