Advent is so close we can smell it in the air. Throughout the church year, we've heard scriptures about God's disappointment in God's people and the dramatic and harsh outcomes because they failed to heed God's warnings. With each transgression, the prophets cautioned the people that God was not pleased and would take retribution. Yet, they maintained their stubbornness. Even when God sent his Son, they failed to understand what God offered.
Thomas Melton (the Monk and theologian) reminds us that "understanding of the Scriptures demands a constant alert to all the different dynamic elements that work together," including all the different trends, materials, literary forms, and viewpoints in both Testaments. The Collect for the day raised this learning process beautifully: Grant us to hear the Scriptures, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them so we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope - (that is, the hope of Christ's return to his people).
Christians in the early centuries struggled to digest these promises of Christ's return because they either expected immediate return and redemption or feared God's judgment if it so happened. After 2,000 years, not much has changed. Some Christians continue to believe they will be "raptured," and others left behind to face God's fierce judgment.' Paul writes to the Thessalonians, in his time, that as children of the day, they will not suffer the wrath of God. They are not to be intimidated by misunderstood scripture. They are to continue to live in love and honor God without fear. When we put fear over the things we cannot control, it drives our decisions, and we operate from a place of weakness, not our God-given strengths.
A wrong fear of God is evident in the parable of the talents. God endowed his children with various gifts, material or skills, and responsibilities according to their abilities and for God's good pleasure. Receivers of the multiple talents gave back double what the Master entrusted to them. But, the servant who received one talent failed miserably. He was judgmental of his Master and feared him to the point that he hid the talent in the ground to return it intact to his Master.
I want to play the devil's advocate here because it is hard to know if his fear is justified; he appears to believe his Master is harsh, so he is afraid. He also seems to be pretty risk-averse. Fear of the unknown nature of VOLATILE markets can cause some to hold back on investing, especially if it's borrowed money; in his case, the talents were "entrusted to him." So, again, his fear may well be justified; both scenarios are not within his control. However, he allowed fear to dictate his actions. That's what we must avoid at all costs.
To make the story personal, you must weigh the quality of your gifts – how well do you use your talents; how prepared are you? The word 'talent' can be both literal and metaphorical. It can be a weight in gold, natural aptitude, or time. Either way, it is God's gift to you - something God considers you worthy and valuable, with many possibilities to flourish. Remember that the parable expresses a gift or talent - not an achievement. Yes - achievement and talent are related, but not the same thing. Achievement is a triumphant accomplishment. Talent is a natural aptitude. Indeed, if we reward achievement, it will encourage those with talents to accomplish more.
And, if you are endowed with material or spiritual talents and can produce something spectacular, the question of importance is what you do with these talents. If it is wealth by any measure, do you use it for God and the good of others? If it is leadership, do you try to correct systemic wrongs by putting these talents to work so they multiply and double in value? Or do you hide them because of fear?
The parable is communicating a fair alert - no one knows the day or time we may be required to give account for our Master's gifts, so by all means, don't let your gifts go to waste. Amen!