Proper 28 | Year A | Matthew 25:14-20 | TJ Torgerson
This week’s Gospel reading is a familiar one: the parable of the talents (the NIV labels it as the parable of the bags of gold). If you've ever been to a church that needed to recruit volunteers, you've heard this passage preached. Or you may have heard it taught in a youth group or Sunday school, with the underlying message being to Utilize your 'talents'—whether it's excelling in sports like volleyball or indulging in hobbies like video games—for the service of Christ.
I wonder how our understanding of this passage would differ if we didn’t translate the Greek word talanton as "talent," but rather as "bag of gold," as the NIV has done in recent translations. Would our minds immediately go to the idea that God has given each of us a special skill or talent that needs to be used for Jesus? Or on the other hand, Would we first think of the monetary and material resources God has given us?
Would the lesson be closer to the idea that God has made us stewards of a lot or of a little wealth—what are we doing with it? Instead of the idea that God made you a top-notch basket weaver! So basket weave for Jesus! Of course, there is nothing wrong with encouraging people to use their skills for the sake of the Gospel—obviously, that's something we should do. However, it seems to me that Jesus calls us to a self-sacrificial life. With that in mind, asking a 15-year-old to spend more time playing Mario Kart and Fortnite isn't a big ask, even if we add on to that the idea of doing it “for Jesus.” But asking that same 15-year-old to give away his allowance to an outreach program at the church, to help feed the poor, or to an organization dedicated to stopping human trafficking, instead of using it to buy a new game or Starbucks—that's a big ask.
This leads to another interesting aspect of this passage. We often assume it’s about using your special skill for Jesus with the goal of getting people to come to church or repeat a prayer. Don't get me wrong—both of those are good goals, and we should be inviting people to church and presenting the message of salvation. But why do we make that assumption about this passage?
Consider the flow of thought leading up to and following our passage. Matthew chapter 24 begins with Jesus explaining the signs of "the end." He then explains that no one knows when the end will come, not even Jesus. In chapter 25, we are given the parable of the 10 virgins, that teaches us the importance of being ready. This moves into the parable of the bags of gold. Immediately after this passage is the famous passage about when we neglect those in need, we neglect Christ.
To put it another way:
- Matthew 24:44-51 – Is a short example that introduces the ideas of responsibility and readiness.
- Matthew 25:1-13 – Is a long parable about being ready.
- Matthew 25:14-30 – Is a long parable about responsibility.
- Matthew 25:31-46 – Is a lesson on the criteria that will be used to determine if we were ready and responsible.
Perhaps this parable is less about using your bo staff skills for Jesus and more about not hoarding what you have out of fear of losing. Perhaps it illustrates that when we bury or hoard our treasure, that is when we've truly lost it.
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