Today's passage is Matt.25:14-30.
This is another parable about the kingdom of heaven.
Three servants are given huge amounts of money, each according to his ability. One receives five talents, doubles it, gives it to his pleased master who praises him and invites him to share his happiness. Ditto for the servant who received two talents. The third servant receives one talent, buries it, and returns it to his master with many complaints. The master chastizes him, gives the talent to the one who had ten, and throws the lazy servant into the darkness.
A talent of gold is worth a million dollars.
So one servant got five millin dollars, one got two million dollars and one got one million dollars.
Two servants "went at once" and put the money to work while the third servant didn't do anything with the money.
I've earned over a million dollars in my 45 years of work.
I don't have anything to show for it. I bought and lost a small apartment.
My pension was nearly destroyed in the global financial crisis.
Overall, I did not take care of my resources.
I am like the wicked, lazy servant. I have none of my million dollars to give back to God.
Over my lifetime of earning I have given God little except complaints.
"Why do I have so little?" I need more. I deserve more.
People with less ability and less education than I earn a lot more.
It's not fair." That is the summary of my complaints.
I deserve to be thrown into the darkness.
Only since I lost everything and then God restored me to gainful employment have I thanked him for what he gives me.
It's hard for me to accept that God has given me the resources commensurate with my abilities. But that's what Jesus says: "each according to his ability" (v.15).
My ablities are what we call talents.
They are physical, intellectual, imaginative, organizational.
What have I done with them? Mostly bury them in laziness, self-indulgence, avoidance, despair and fear.
The words I most want to hear God say to me are what he said to the first two servants: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
But I don't think I will ever hear them because I have not added value to what God has given me. I haven't loved others as I love myself. I've wasted most of my time.
I haven't loved God with all my heart and all my mind and all my soul.
I'm astonished that God loves me and cares for me when I am just like the complaining, rationalizing servant.
For God's great mercy what can I say but, Thank you, thank you, thank you, Lord!
Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Let not your wrath fall upon me. Raise me up, I pray. Give me your Holy Spirit to guide me according to your will this day and forever.
