The Parable of the Talents

In today's gospel we hear a story that gives us a total picture of what life is all about. 

The story goes that a master left his workers to go on a journey, and put them in charge of his wealth. Based on the abilities of his servants he gave them a different portion. Two of his servants doubled his investment, but one, judgemental of the master, took and hid the investment so at the very least he would not lose it. When the master returns he commends each of the wise servants and promotes them. However, he chastises the judgemental servant, saying that if you thought I was so exacting why didn't you at least put the investment into action even in a small way. Giving it to lenders so it could at least gain interest. And then takes away the little given and gives it to the most successful servant. To those who were diligent he acclaims, well done, good and faithful servant. To the servant who spurned his gift he says he is cast into outer darkness where he suffers regret and anger.

God, like the master of the house, has given human beings the gift of life. He has handed over everything he created to us. He has entrusted us with life. Free to choose our path, and free to use his gifts as we see fit. 

Some of us have a lot of ingenuity, creativity, energy, and freedom of life. Others of us have less. But God judges not according to the total outcome, but according to our gifts. To those given much, much is expected. To those given less, less is expected. But in all cases he expects us to take the gift of our life and double it ourselves.

Now why does God give us life and leave us with his investment? 

God doesn't want us to be mere slaves,Him using force on us, but he wants us to be friends and co-workers of his kingdom. He wants us to take the gift of this life, and build from it a glorious eternal life.

He gave us His image, and he wants us to grow into his likeness. He gave us being and he wants us to work with him to build it into eternal well-being.

I remember as a kid helping my dad work on his car. I was 5-6 years old. I wasn't adding much, but with each turn of the wrench I was growing up in my dad's love. I was becoming like my dad, aspiring to be my dad, building our relationship. I was co-working with him. We repaired the car. I helped my dad. I did much less than he did of course, but I did something and with my dad’s help, I really did do it!

God wants to grow in a relationship with us, and he wants us to have a role to play. He gives us work to do, so we can work with him, and as we do our relationship grows. But also so when he gives our reward it will actually be, in some way, our own.

The warning in the story then makes more sense. The servant who digs into the ground, takes the gift of God and instead of putting it to use, hides in the earth. God gives him life to build it into a beautiful eternal life. But this person judges God as shrewd and exacting, and covers his gift with the things of this life.

The master tells him that he should have exchanged it and given it to bankers. The saints tell us that the lenders are the priests giving confession and communion and the other sacraments. When we come to confession we take the one talent we've been given to lenders, who can take the talent and give it back with interest. When we receive the sacraments, we offer God our little life, our one talent, and he lends us his eternal life.

If we believe that God is good, kind, gentle, our beloved and righteous father, then we should give him thanks and use our life to glorify Him, to praise Him, to love Him, and tell everyone about him through the way we live our life. But if we think he is shrewd and exacting, as the wicked servant did, then at the very least we should make some effort to please him. Notice God doesn't correct the servants slander, he just says, well if that's what you think of me, you still should have done what was right.

This is the meaning of our life. God has granted us this life as a means of building our souls for a glorious eternal life. We are supposed to take all God puts in our life and beautify ourselves with His eternal riches, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness and self-control. He gives us the initial investment of our lives, and we build it up through a life of virtue that we get to keep forever.

When we feel we are down and afraid of losing his investment in us, we can come to the priest, confess our weakness and fear, and exchange our talent with God. In return God will grant us eternal life in exchange for our little life.

So today we as we begin our march toward Pascha, let's receive this gift of life as it truly is, God's gift. Thanking him for today, every day, and beautifying our souls for our eternal life with him. Everything else is mere digging in the ground.

But if today you are feeling that you’ve misused that gift, then use this next half of the service to pray to him, that he will add to his investment, and if you are a baptized Orthodox Christian come and receive His Body and Blood exchange your life for His life. And commit to this new life by making confession a regular part of your life 

God has given us this life for eternal life, may we all invest it to the glory of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen