Gospel: Mt 25:14-30
JESUS told his disciples this parable: “A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one – to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. … The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’… Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ ”
* * *
A talent is an enormous amount of money. The master is both boisterous and hyperbolic when he considers the talents he entrusts to the servants as “small matters.” The parable of the Talents is part of the “eschatological” discourse of Jesus that focuses on the tasks of the believers in view of Jesus’ return in the last days. Faithfulness to their tasks is the best way to prepare for Jesus’ coming, and in this case to trade and invest the talents in order to earn more.
“Talents,” as we understand them today, refer not only to money but also to the gifts and abilities given us, which we need to develop and multiply. They are not to be “buried” in the ground but used and invested. They are not for personal profit but for use in the spread of God’s Kingdom here on earth. If we are afraid or lazy to “venture” for the sake of the Gospel, on the day of judgment we will be condemned as wicked and lazy servants.
* * *
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord,” ST PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.