Who is the
hero in today’s parable? There are three slaves, each given some money by their
master. They are told to safeguard the money while the master goes on a
journey. We’re not told where the master goes, or how long he is gone. While he
is gone, each slave takes the master’s money and does something with it. The
first, given five talents, traded with the five talents and doubled the
talents. Clearly he did well. Is he the hero?
The second
slave, given two talents, also doubled his money, although we aren’t told how.
Clearly he did well also, even though he had less with which to work, his net
result was proportionately the same. Is he the hero?
Then we
have our third slave. He was given one talent. He buried it. When his master
returned, he dug it up and gave it back to him. Clearly he kept it safe. But
then he didn’t manage to increase that with which he was trusted. Is he the
hero?
What about
the master? He gave the slaves money based on what he perceived as their
abilities. In this parable we aren’t told the master gave any instructions to
the slaves. He simply entrusted his property to them. Then when the master
returns he praises the two slaves who have doubled what they were entrusted
with. The master berates the slave who buried what he was entrusted with. Is
the master the hero?
You
probably know the parable the way I did. It’s supposed to be a commentary from
Jesus that calls us to use whatever our gifts are, our talents, for the sake of
God. Some people interpret “talent” as meaning money, and others interpret “talent”
as the way we use the word now. The word translated as “talent” in scripture,
is neither a unit of money nor, does it mean the gifts or abilities that come
naturally to us; those things God gave us when we were created. Just to confuse
you a little more, a “talent” was actually a unit of measure, and a large one,
used to weigh down a scale on one side, as the goods, gold, silver, or whatever
else, was put in on the opposite side.
Suppose
I add to this confusing mix that the real hero in this story is the slave who
buried the money? At this point, you may be thinking, if the slave who buried
the talent is the hero that goes against everything we know about God, about
Jesus, and about ourselves.
Does it
really? I Perhaps we find this parable so hard to deal with, so impossibly
difficult, because what we’ve been taught about the parable goes against all we
read and hear from Jesus about God. If the slave who buried his master’s money
was thrown into outer darkness, where is God’s mercy? Where is God’s saving
grace? Where is God’s love?
The
mistake we make is thinking the master in the story represents God. Examine the
other parables Jesus tells in scripture. Look closely at how often Jesus turns
upside down the status quo, the prevailing mindset of his listeners. The master
in this story simply does not act like the God of Jesus.
First
of all, remember that despite what the word “talent” has come to mean, it was a
unit of weight in Jesus’ time. A unit of weight so large that one “talent” –
made of silver or something else precious – was enough for a day laborer to
live on for fifteen years! The three slaves were given enormous wealth. They
were entrusted with money: money that can make a difference for good or ill.
Secondly,
the master asks for a kind of grasping, moneymaking behavior that would be
repellant to a good Jew in Jesus’ time. The kind of profiteering one would have
to do to double the master’s money would be seen as rapacious and greedy rather
than as virtuous behavior or even good business practice.
Finally,
the master condemns the third slave who buried his money. Yet the third slave
was refusing to engage in a practice condemned by the Torah, the Hebrew
Scriptures. The third slave refused to engage in “usury” or money lending.
Instead, the third slave opted out of the corrupt system. The third slave
refused to engage himself in a corrupt system: the master’s system of
entrusting his slaves to do his dirty work of investing and doubling his money.
What they master wanted his slaves to do, on his behalf, was to bring about the
opposite of the kingdom of God.
Insert
stockbroker scandals and home loan scandals here, please. Because to double the
money given to the slave would have required corrupt business dealings that
would hurt the poorest of the poor. What the other two slaves did brought about
the very behavior Jesus talks about at the end of today’s parable. “For to all
those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from
those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”[1]
Is that God’s kingdom? Is that what Jesus
talks about elsewhere in scripture? Is that the picture we really have deep in
our hearts of how God’s reign will operate? What about the poor and lowly being
lifted up? What about the meek inheriting the earth? What about the hungry
being fed? What about the naked being clothed? What about doing justice and
mercy and walking humbly before God?
If you
doubt this, look ahead in Matthew’s gospel to the next parable in Chapter 25,
and you will see Jesus talk about judgment. In that section it is those who
clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and help the poor and destitute, who enter
the kingdom of heaven. There is no mention of those who helped the rich get
richer and the poor get poorer. In fact, those people are referred to as “the
righteous” and denied entrance because they failed to offer even a cup of cold
water to those who thirsted. AMEN.
The
Rev Nicolette Papanek
©2017
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