Beloved in the Lord, today is the twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost. The gospel reading is from St. Mathew 25:14-30. In the gospel text is a parable that tells of a man who left on a long trip and returned at a later time. While he was away, he entrusted his wealth to three servants. When he returned, he called these servants before him to give an account of what they had done with his wealth. Two of the servants put their stewardship to work. They invested and made a return. The third servant dug a hole and buried the entire talent. He hid his master’s money. Note that a talent represents about 15 year’s salary. Most scholars suggest you use a figure of 39,918.00 Euros per year–times 15, that’s 598,770.00 Euros per talent. So to the first slave the master gave 5 talents that would be about two million nine hundred and ninety three and eight five cents Euros today. To the second slave, the master gave two talents, that’s about a million, one hundred and ninety seven and fifty four cents Euros today. To the third slave, the master gave, one talent; and that’s about 598,770.00 Euros. “Talent on loan from God.” You and I are stewards, entrusted with “Talents on Loan from God.” Our Lord is a good and gracious master, a most generous Lord. He has gifted us with talents in abundance, each of us with the right amount for who he wants us to be and what he wants us to do. The faithful servants, the faithful stewards, report in, telling the master how they had put his money to work. The master’s response, is “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.” And so the one guy who buries his talent and doesn’t do anything with it is his unbelief that damns him. There was no living faith there, for faith always produces its fruits. This is truly a case of, “Faith without works is dead.” The wicked and slothful servant had the wrong belief about his master. He insulted and assailed the very character of God, revealing his unbelief. You may not think it’s much, but God has gifted you the way he has so that you can use your gifts in the service of his kingdom. Let us note that little things can mean a lot. What matters is that you are faithful. To be a faithful steward, you need the ongoing forgiveness of God to pick you up when you fail, and you need the continued strengthening that only comes through the ministry of the gospel in the church. These too are God’s gifts to you to help you be the faithful steward God wants you to be. May God alone strengthen you as you use the gifts that He has entrusted you with.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 07:17:33 +0000