You and Your Talents

(16th Sunday after Pentecost) (Matthew 25:14-30)

How many talents has your Master entrusted to you? How have you put those talents to work for Him?

We do well to ponder these questions for ourselves, because we will one day be called into His presence to give an account for all that we have done. Now, I don’t know about you, but, for myself, I’d much rather hear Him say to me, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” Does anyone want to be called a wicked and slothful servant? But if we don’t consider how we use the blessings that God has given to us, we have, in effect, buried our talent in the earth; and will find ourselves judged, as was the servant who had been entrusted with one talent.

Because the “talent” spoken of in the parable has monetary value, we can, and should, and must, speak about how we use the material resources with which God has provided us. In our Orthodox life of prayer, and fasting, and struggling to acquire the virtues, there is also the component of giving – that is, of using the material resources (sometimes called “time” and “treasure”) we have for the work of God. Scripture speaks to us of the need for us to give tithes and offerings: giving our tithe – 10% – to support the work and operations of the Church; and making offerings for the needs of others. Are you tithing to support the church? If not, why not? Are you giving to feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked? If not, why not? This is certainly one aspect of understanding this parable of the talents in our world today.

Consider all that the Lord has given to you. Not sure what that might be? Well, let’s make a list. It’s not a comprehensive list – I can’t give you all the answers! But we can certainly cover a few of the more important gifts each of us has received.

To begin with, God has given you your life. You didn’t have to exist, you know! God, for the sake of His love, has called each one of us into existence, and desires that we might enter into a relationship with Him – one that He intends will never end. And, in giving us life, He has done so in a way that establishes His image in us – a very significant action. (We’ll come back to this point later.)

In giving you life, God has also given you the power to believe. Our power to believe is an amazing one: partly residing in our hearts, and partly in our minds; and being as well an act of our will. We then go forth and act in accordance with what we believe; and to help us in this, God has revealed Himself to us: in nature, where we can see the work of His hands; in Scripture, where we learn of His mighty acts; and through our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made flesh for our salvation. When we believe the testimony of nature, and the Bible, and of the Holy Church, our belief leads us to have faith; and it is by faith that we are saved, for faith impels us to examine our lives, and repent of our sins, and to seek to be transformed, that we might save our lives.

God, we said, in giving us life, has also made us in His image. This tells us something else about the talents we have received. The Holy Apostle and Evangelist, St. John the Theologian, whose repose is commemorated on this day, tells us that, “God is love.” For us, then, to live in the image, and after the likeness, of God, we must love.
Sometimes, it is easy to love. As a general rule, we love our families: husbands and wives love each other; parents and children love each other; brothers and sisters love each other. Even when relations are strained, or even broken, there is always the hope that the love once there will be renewed. It is also easy, for the most part, to love those who are similar to us. This is one of the things that make the Church so much like a family: we’re all in this together, and have chosen to travel in the same direction along the same path. It’s not as easy to love those who hate us, or reject us, or make fun of us, or ignore us – and yet God loves each one of us even when we sin against Him, or against each other. Forgiveness is only possible with love; restoration to each other is only possible with love; we can only be true to ourselves when we love; we can only resemble God by love. God loves us even when we are unlovely, and unlovable; and if we could only realize some part of the incredible depths of God’s love for us, we would be ashamed of how shallow our own lives are; and be moved to be instead vessels of God’s love, poured out into the world on behalf of all, and for all.

Brothers and sisters: There are no greater riches than the love of God for us. He has given us His love, and has entrusted this treasure, this “talent,” this ability to love and care for each other in His name, and on His behalf, to each of us. Let us put this, and all our other time and abilities into service to Him Who loves us with a most incredible love. Let us love one another, as Christ loves us and gave Himself for us, an offering and sacrifice to God.