“ Well done, good and faithful servant……”

 In his book “Lifting the Burden”, Brendan Byrne writes “ We have to remember that Jesus took Parables from life as He saw it lived in His time. He used the way people acted in situations of crises in everyday life to illustrate, not model appropriate behaviour in view of the Kingdom.”

 This Parable can be confusing in its message so we need to look beyond to discern what Jesus is telling us and what He hopes we will learn. Because “ talent” was tied up with money and wealth, a wealthy man going on holiday was pivotal in this story told by Jesus. Who or what was this man representing? What did he expect from his slaves?

 In this Parable two slaves are given/entrusted with amounts (talents) to do with what they wished. They were chosen carefully and “ according to their ability” the amount given, the expectation that the Master expects a good return. The third slave was given a lesser amount, fear of his master had him burying his talent to preserve what he had.

Parables are open to multiple interpretations and with this Parable of the Talents we are left needing to have an ongoing reflection of “ What am I doing with what God has given me? What is my response to the call for responsible action if I am to be a disciple of Jesus?”

 As the Master in the Parable demonstrated his trust in his two chosen slaves, they seemingly understood and appreciated that trust. This perhaps let them take risks freely and creatively when dealing with their talents to increase the value of what they had been given. The third slave however, chose a different course.

 God gives us everything we need to do what He calls us to do. Michael Fallon suggests we cannot sit back and wait on God- it is up to us to use our God given gifts as we set about the task of discipleship. We need to acknowledge our skills and abilities, have confidence in using them for our betterment as well as for others, reflecting the actions of the two slaves who “stepped out”. Or are we “crippled” by a restricted view of God and the way He operates with us as human beings. This view could be illustrated by the view of the Master by the third slave.

 We need to remember that our own gifts and talents include personal abilities as well as personal wealth. God is pleased and rewards us when we use our talents and time wisely to make an impact or change in our world. The implication being, if we are using the talents, resources and opportunities offered us to work towards God’s purpose,  we can take our place among the faithful, trustworthy servants of God no matter how big or small our achievements or accomplishments may seem.

 Will we be ready to explain to God how we have used the potential given us?

Ken and Carolyn Evenden