Use the Talents You've Been Given

• Seventh Sunday in Easter
Ascension Sunday
Mother’s Day

Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents

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• Have you ever held a million dollars in your hands?
(that’s about what 5 talents would be worth)  

I have a hard time imagining not only being entrusted with a million dollars but personally doubling it.
Then again, some folks have been entrusted with the raising of a CHILD.

• This parable does its job: grabs attention,
maybe even knocks off balance with shock,
both in the amount of money entrusted
and in the rejection of Servant #3.

• It’s important to keep context in mind: the parable of the talents is sandwiched among several apocalyptic speeches. It speaks about the return of Christ, and the actions of the faithful until then.

Last week: bridesmaids & lamps?
Faithful action is rewarded, inaction is rejected.
Week before: signs of apocalypse, what do we do?
“Happy the servant found at work.
That one is rewarded & put in charge...” (Matthew 24:46)

• Discipleship is action, regardless of circumstances.
The sky is falling? Don’t stop discipleship.
The Christ is re-appearing?
Plant the tree, then go out to greet the Christ.

You’re entrusted with a million dollars?
Be productive, not inactive.
Production is expected & rewarded.

Discipleship is action, and inaction is rejected.

• Which is better in a race: not finish it, or not start it?
DNF>DNS (“did not finish” is better than “did not start”)
Servant #3 doesn’t start the race. That’s no good.

• “Talent” shows up one other place in the gospels.
(A talent, by the way, was a coin worth about 5,000 day’s pay.
A person could get by for 15 years on one talent.
Because of this parable, the word “talent” entered the English language and came to mean “ability”).

Matthew 18:23-35, a servant owed TENTHOUSAND talents (~$3Billion) to master, who jailed him, but then quickly forgave the debt completely. The servant then turned around and jailed a fella who owed him $8,000. Master re-jailed first servant.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, it’s about what you do with it. Action over inaction.

• Which is better in a race: come in last, or not start it?
Come in dead last is better than not finish, too.
DL>DNF>DNS

God is looking for faithful disciples.

• Hymn 408 The Gift of Love

Matthew 25:14-30

¹⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He gave to each servant according to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey.

¹⁶ “After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He gained five more. ¹⁷ In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. ¹⁸ But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Excellent! You are a good and faithful servant! You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’

²² “The second servant also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two valuable coins. Look, I’ve gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful over a little. I’ll put you in charge of much. Come, celebrate with me.’

²⁴ “Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You evil and lazy servant! You knew that I harvest grain where I haven’t sown and that I gather crops where I haven’t spread seed? ²⁷ In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. ²⁸ Therefore, take from him the valuable coin and give it to the one who has ten coins. ²⁹ Those who have much will receive more, and they will have more than they need. But as for those who don’t have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. ³⁰ Now take the worthless servant and throw him outside into the darkness. People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.’”