Proper 28 :: Zephaniah 1: 7, 12–18; Psalm 123; I
Thessalonians 5: 1–11; Matthew 25: 14–30
This is the homily
by Fr. Gene Tucker that was given at St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania on Sunday,
November 19, 2017.
“BEING
A CITIZEN OF THE KINGDOM: RISKY BUSINESS”
(Homily text: Matthew 25: 14–30)
This
morning, we hear the last of Jesus’ parables that the Gospel writer Matthew
provides to us. The Parable of the Talents is a teaching about the taking of
risks.
The
parable before us this morning is the middle of three teachings that Jesus
provides which all have to do with the nature of the kingdom of heaven. Last
week’s parable, the Parable of the Wise and the Foolish Maidens, dealt with the
need for those in the kingdom to be ready for the Lord’s coming at any moment.
Next week’s teaching will put before us some concrete ways in which the
citizens of the kingdom can bring the kingdom into being. This week’s parable
is all about taking risks for the kingdom.
Before
we look at the parable in some detail, it’s worth noting that this parable is
responsible for the use of the word “talent” in the sense of being something a
person is either naturally gifted at doing, or is skilled at doing. Originally,
the word “talent” was a unit of monetary measure, a considerable measure of
money (one estimate is that a talent was worth about fifteen years’ salary of a
common laborer). The word “talent” appears in both the Old Testament, and in
the New, as well, so it is a word with a very long history.
In
this morning’s parable, Jesus tells us about three servants[1] who are
entrusted with some of the master’s wealth. One person is entrusted with five
talents, another with two, and one is given only one talent. The servants with
five talents and with two go out and double the master’s money. An important
point in Jesus’ teaching is the fact that each servant is given the amounts
they received, “each according to their abilities”.[2] But the
one who is given only one acts out of fear and buries the one talent in the
ground.
(I
can’t resist making a point about the interpretation of parables: Usually, a
parable has one main idea or point. There are, quite often, ancillary aspects
to parables, and it may be tempting to try to ascertain just what the meanings
or importance of these secondary parts of a parable are. But I think it’s
important to keep our focus on the central meaning of the teaching. For
example, in today’s parable, we might ask questions about the ways in which the
first two servants are able to double their master’s money…did they do it by
unethical or underhanded means, for example. And, as well, we might ask just
what was the basis upon which the master decided to give differing amount of
money to each servant. But those questions, though they are intriguing and
though they may stir some interest, are beside the main point that Jesus is
trying to get across.)
This
is as a good a place as any to uncover a cultural aspect to the parable which
clarifies its meaning: In Jesus’ day, the best way to safeguard something of
value was to go out and find a place to bury it. In a time when there were no
safes, no safety deposit boxes, and no banks as we know them, that was the commonly
accepted way of being sure that something that was important or worth something
could be kept safe from loss.
So
Jesus’ point is that the first two servants were willing to take risks, while
the third servant was risk-averse and did the commonly accepted thing. Jesus’
point seems to be that, in order to bring the kingdom of heaven into being, its
citizens will need to be willing to take risks.
Whenever
we read a passage of Holy Scripture, it’s a good idea to ask ourselves about
its meaning and applicability for its first hearers or readers. For Matthew’s
church, whose members, many biblical scholars believe, were living in what is
modern day Syria sometime late in the first century, their situation as
disciples of Jesus was somewhat precarious: They were under increasing
persecution not only from the Jews in their area, but also from the Roman
authorities. They didn’t follow the pagan customs of the society in which they
lived, so their behavior and attitudes made them distinct from that society.
Life for these early Christians was risky.
Being
a disciple of Jesus, in the first century and in the twenty first century, is a
risky business.
Today’s
parable encourages us to ask, “Just what are the risks involved in being a
disciple of Jesus Christ?”
Perhaps
we could draw up a list of some of them. By way of suggestion, here are a few
ideas:
- · Entering the waters of Holy Baptism involves a dying to self, a saying of “goodbye” to the ways of the world, and a turning to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. In so doing, we are saying – in essence – “Lord, I am unable to live the way you want us to live, but – with your help – I can live according to your righteous and holy ways”. That’s risky stuff.
- · In Baptism, we surrender ourselves to God. Letting go and letting God is risky business. But the truth is, unless we are willing to take this essential step, something critical and absolutely essential in our walk with God is missing. Allowing God to lead us may seem like risky stuff, but, in truth, it is the only way to the fulness of life.
- · It’s risky to live by the values of the kingdom of heaven, and not by the contemporary culture’s values.
- · To make Jesus Christ the central and most important part of our lives is risky stuff. To do this is to allow ourselves to be fashioned into a people whose lifestyles and manner of living are distinctive, just as these things made the first century Christians distinctive in the culture and society they lived in.
- · To live out our baptismal vows to value each and every individual person is risky stuff. Living this out involves working to overcome the polarities and outright dislike and disdain for others who are different in some way that is so common in our society today. Doing so just might put us in the risky spot of being agents of reconciliation, seeking to build bridges by those who oppose one another.
Perhaps
this short list can serve as a starting point for our own, individual
reflection on the risks involved in being a Christian in the day, the time and
the culture we live in today.
That
would be my prayer, at least.
AMEN.
