Before anyone gets any ideas that I think I'm some amazingly gifted individual with not merely one or two talents but TEN, let me clarify the meaning of this title. It comes from the Parable of the Talents that Jesus shared with his disciples in Matthew 25:
“For it [the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master...’ "
The owner of the property was going on a journey and wanted to give his servants an opportunity to care for what belonged to him, so he entrusted to each of them a certain number of talents. Here's where the word talent needs to be defined because it's not what we think of in 21st century English, like a special ability or something someone does really well. A talent, in Jesus' language, was a unit of money worth about the same as what an average worker would earn in twenty years. So this master takes these large monetary sums and disperses them to his servants. One gets 5, one gets 2, and one gets 1. The first two servants take what they were given and invest and trade and use the talents to earn more. The third servant, who only had one talent, hides his in the ground.
The parable continues and Jesus goes on to say that the master returns and is very pleased with the first two servants who have not only taken good care of what he gave them but earned more than what he left them with. The third servant, though, (who earned nothing extra but still has what he was given) gets cursed with a harsh reprimand, has his talent taken away to be given to the first servant, and is "cast into outer darkness."
Now, if you're anything like me, you might be a little confused by the master's reaction here. I have always kind of read this parable and thought I would be a little more like the third servant. Even 1 talent would be an incredible and intimidating amount of money to these guys (think giving $312,000 all at once to a high school student who earns minimum wage at a fast food restaurant). I could totally see myself taking that money and hiding it in my backyard so that it would all be safe and sound and ready for the master when he returns. What if I invested it and the stock market collapsed? What if I made a bad trade and lost half of it? I would be so thankful for that one talent and that this wealthy man entrusted me with it that I would be too scared to do anything that might cost me something and potentially jeopardize my standing with this man. So why would the landowner not be understanding of the servant's perspective and at least appreciate that he didn't lose anything?
But it's important to see the dialog between the master and the third servant:
The parable continues and Jesus goes on to say that the master returns and is very pleased with the first two servants who have not only taken good care of what he gave them but earned more than what he left them with. The third servant, though, (who earned nothing extra but still has what he was given) gets cursed with a harsh reprimand, has his talent taken away to be given to the first servant, and is "cast into outer darkness."
Now, if you're anything like me, you might be a little confused by the master's reaction here. I have always kind of read this parable and thought I would be a little more like the third servant. Even 1 talent would be an incredible and intimidating amount of money to these guys (think giving $312,000 all at once to a high school student who earns minimum wage at a fast food restaurant). I could totally see myself taking that money and hiding it in my backyard so that it would all be safe and sound and ready for the master when he returns. What if I invested it and the stock market collapsed? What if I made a bad trade and lost half of it? I would be so thankful for that one talent and that this wealthy man entrusted me with it that I would be too scared to do anything that might cost me something and potentially jeopardize my standing with this man. So why would the landowner not be understanding of the servant's perspective and at least appreciate that he didn't lose anything?
But it's important to see the dialog between the master and the third servant:
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.
I think there's a little reading between the lines that we have to do to understand why the master would be so angry. I don't think the servant was merely anxious or worried about losing his master's money. I don't think it was a healthy fear or reverence of the master that caused him to remain inactive. I almost wonder if the servant comes to the master with a prideful air about him, thinking he's going to get rewarded like the other two before him and patting himself on the back that he didn't even have to do any work. I wonder if he is coming forward with a false air of piety. I can't help but wonder if he has a tone of arrogance or apathy when he hands his talent back to the master and says, "Here you have what is yours," as though he has done the master some favor by holding onto this money for him. And clearly the master didn't expect them to take huge risks with their talents since he tells the servant he should have at least invested the money in the bank so there would be a return on the interest.
So maybe it's a little deeper than a servant being afraid to take risks because of the potential for disappointment. Maybe that servant didn't really accept his master's authority. Maybe that servant had a heart that felt unreasonably superior to the master. Maybe he just didn't believe the master would notice his lack of care or follow through with any consequences. He was lazy and wicked, and he didn't do anything with the talents that had been entrusted to him.
But what does all this have to do with me and this website?
Jesus used parables to illustrate practical truths about our lives and our purpose here in this world. He's talking about the kingdom of heaven here, so the master is God and the servants are humans. I think maybe the point of the parable is that we are each given unique gifts and talents (in the modern sense of the word); we are each entrusted with something that the Master has graciously given to us. And one day, the owner of this world is going to come back and see what we have done with the resources he has given each of us.
For a long time, I think I have been like that third servant, just sitting on my 'talents' out of laziness or out of fear or out of doubt. But I think the Master, God, has been opening my heart to see that He has given me unique areas of strength and has designed me for a purpose, that I need to rely on and turn to Him for wisdom to know how to apply and direct those gifts. Whether it's writing or painting or teaching or singing or whatever, I think God is showing me that if I'm not using those things diligently and investing them for the advancement of His kingdom, then I'm squandering what I've been given. So in an effort to be more like that first servant who earned ten talents, I want to use the gifts that have been entrusted to me to bless others, to shine the light of Christ in the world, and to bring glory to the Father.
I would like to one day hear him say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Master."
So maybe it's a little deeper than a servant being afraid to take risks because of the potential for disappointment. Maybe that servant didn't really accept his master's authority. Maybe that servant had a heart that felt unreasonably superior to the master. Maybe he just didn't believe the master would notice his lack of care or follow through with any consequences. He was lazy and wicked, and he didn't do anything with the talents that had been entrusted to him.
But what does all this have to do with me and this website?
Jesus used parables to illustrate practical truths about our lives and our purpose here in this world. He's talking about the kingdom of heaven here, so the master is God and the servants are humans. I think maybe the point of the parable is that we are each given unique gifts and talents (in the modern sense of the word); we are each entrusted with something that the Master has graciously given to us. And one day, the owner of this world is going to come back and see what we have done with the resources he has given each of us.
For a long time, I think I have been like that third servant, just sitting on my 'talents' out of laziness or out of fear or out of doubt. But I think the Master, God, has been opening my heart to see that He has given me unique areas of strength and has designed me for a purpose, that I need to rely on and turn to Him for wisdom to know how to apply and direct those gifts. Whether it's writing or painting or teaching or singing or whatever, I think God is showing me that if I'm not using those things diligently and investing them for the advancement of His kingdom, then I'm squandering what I've been given. So in an effort to be more like that first servant who earned ten talents, I want to use the gifts that have been entrusted to me to bless others, to shine the light of Christ in the world, and to bring glory to the Father.
I would like to one day hear him say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Master."