What’s in Your Hand? Part I

Now that we have explored the topic of What’s in Your House, we want to look at a companion question. Each of us comes into this world as an individual – and each of us will one day stand before our Creator and give account for the deeds done in our body. All that we do with others and for others will only be judged in how it relates to our own obedience to God.

One of the hardest scriptures for me to wrap my mind around in the early days of my conversion was the parable of the talents:

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Mt.25:14-19 KJV

i could understand distributing different talents, as an educator I knew all too well that different people have different abilities – and it stood to reason (even if I didn’t think it was fair) that some people had more gifts or abilities than others. What got to be the real problem for me in my self-righteous judgment was the next part of the story:

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

When the lord came to get a report from his servants, he judged the ones who doubled their talents and they were given praise and said that they were worthy to enter into the joy of the lord. But the one who had only one little talent, after telling the lord that he knew that the lord was not righteous in how he acquired his goods, said that he had hid the talent in the ground, and he gave the lord back exactly what he had been given – in tact – just as…

In my mind, more than once, I wrestled with that- after all, he only had one talent and was afraid to take a risk in losing it – so he hid it – what was wrong with that?

And then when I read the end of it:

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Not only was the servant rebuked for being wicked and lazy, but he was rebuked for not at least getting interest on the talent – and then with all that – he was told he was going to be cast into utter darkness as a wicked and unprofitable servant where there would be nothing but weeping and gnashing of teeth!

What a punishment, all because he didn’t multiply his talent.

Let’s meditate on this a minute – what do you think about this? And tomorrow we will talk about the Law of Reciprocity!

God Bless,
Maria