November 16 2008 Sermon

So Jesus tells this story about a master who gathers three of his servants together. To one, he gives five talents, to another two, to another one; depending on their abilities. Keep in mind that a talent is a huge amount of money. It would take nearly twenty years of work at the basic wage of one denarius a day to equal one talent. Let’s think about this in modern terms and suppose that the average wage for one year of work is $35,000. That figure might be a little off, but for the sake of discussion, let’s figure it at $35,000. Now imagine that a master gathers three of his servants together and gives the first servant three million five hundred thousand dollars. He gives the second servant one million four hundred thousand dollars. And he gives the third servant a “mere” $700,000.

This parable, featuring these high-value gifts, teaches us the values of risk and trust. Risk isn’t something that we sensible Midwesterners tend to value too much! Thinking about today’s economy, can’t we relate to that action of the third servant, taking that $700,000 trust and burying it in the ground?!? He may have been ahead of his time, burying it in the ground where it couldn’t be taxed or frittered away in a mismanaged pension fund. But his actions are condemned by the master. The master was pleased with the servants who took their multi-million dollar gifts and made the money work for them, trading them in what must have been a fairly risky venture. To those servants, the master says, “Good work! You did your job well. This money was just the beginning of an even bigger, more exciting partnership that will begin now.”

But that poor third servant. You can picture him shaking in his boots, can’t you. It is time for his account to be settled, and you can just tell he knows the master isn’t going to be pleased with his results. So he shoves the blame back on his master. “Uh…master, I knew you were a harsh man, very difficult to please, always demanding the best. So, I was afraid…and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is, safe and sound, down to the last cent.”

As you know, the master is furious! You can just hear him saying something like, “You want a master you can be afraid of? I’ll give you a master to be afraid of! What a crime it is for you to live so cautiously, always afraid! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the best? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where I could have gotten a little more interest. You know what…get this clown out of my sight. Take the $700,000 I gave him and give it to the one who risked the most. Get rid of this worthless servant. Throw him out into utter darkness.”

What do you think makes the master so angry? The master apparently had a lot of money. His other two investments did very well, and as far as the third was concerned – well, at least he didn’t lose his money; at least his principal was protected. Sure, the third servant didn’t make him any money, but it could have been a lot worse. I wonder if it wasn’t just what the servant did when he buried the money, but it was what was in his heart when he did it. What was in the servant’s heart was reflected in what he said to his master, when he said, “I knew you were a harsh man, and I was afraid of you.” I think that is what really caused the master to blow his top.

The master had given such riches to those servants. Such riches! And when he did that, he was giving them an opportunity to rise above their lowly status and become a partner. He wanted them to share in his joy! The first two servants showed their gratitude to the master by taking advantage of the opportunity granted to them and seizing the moment with excitement and enthusiasm. You can imagine them wheeling and dealing and trading with “the big boys” for once. You’ve seen those traders on Wall Street, you know, all hyped up and sweating and waving little papers and elbowing each other. I never understand what that’s all about, honestly, but it looks exciting. It looks fun. So they’re out there, living the life, all the while thinking, “What a great master we have!” They were no longer doing servant’s work, but they were doing the work of the master.

But not the third. You can see him receiving $700,000 from his master, and immediately feeling all anxious and stressed-out about it. “All this money! What am I supposed to do now? Is this a trick? What’s my master’s ‘game’ anyway?” Remember how the people of Israel grumbled to Moses in the wilderness, saying, “We had it so much better when we were slaves back in Egypt! Why can’t we go back?” It’s a similar attitude, I think. The third servant doesn’t want to take a risk, he doesn’t want to be anything other than what he already is. Managing such a large amount of money doesn’t seem like an opportunity to him, it seems like a burden. What if he does the wrong thing? What if his investments fail? He doubts himself, and even though his master gave him this incredibly extravagant gift, he doubts the master’s goodness. He doesn’t trust him. So, he buries the money in the ground, wishing it had never been granted to him in the first place.

So what does this parable have to do with us? First of all, it’s not a parable about money management. It’s not about the benefits of a free-market society. Think back for a moment to Jesus’ original audience, and think of it as a story about God and his people Israel. “They had been given the law of Moses. They had been given the Temple, the sign of God’s presence among them. They had been given wonderful promises about how God would bless not only Israel, but through Israel, the whole world. And they had buried them in the ground. They had turned the command to be the light of the world into an encouragement to keep the light for themselves. They had become worthless slaves.” (1) And Jesus was calling them to account.

Could Jesus be calling us to account today? Do we believe and trust in the goodness of our master? Do we believe that what God gives us through the gospel is a crazy extravagant gift that must be celebrated, a gift to care for with enthusiasm and joy? Do we believe that the life that God calls us to, in partnership with him and with one another, is better than a life we could make for ourselves apart from God, apart from the faith community? Do we believe that the promises Jesus speaks to us in his word are true, and to be treasured above anything else on earth? That nothing in this world matters more than faith in Christ? That life as a partner in God’s business is wild, fun, exciting, and worth risking everything for?

Or, do we doubt the goodness of the master? Do we doubt that God made us good and capable, and has equipped us with unique gifts to be shared in ministry? Do we think that life spent in God’s service might turn out to be a waste? Do we think that life as a partner in God’s business is boring, or too much trouble, perhaps not worth the risk?

It all goes back to our trust and faith in the master. Do we trust the master? Are we willing to risk anything for God? That’s something to think about today. What kinds of things is God calling you to risk for the sake of the kingdom? It might be money. It might be telling somebody you know about Jesus Christ, but you’ve just been too chicken to do it. It might be doing something for a person in need. It might be re-prioritizing your life so you can spend more time in the word, or in worship, or in service, or with your family. It might be forgiving someone. Any of these things could be risks that God is calling you to take. God is asking for your trust. Do you receive God’s word today and simply bury it, and come back to it at the same time next week – or do you go out of here with the promises of God’s love in your hands and risk something because you know God is asking you to? Will today be different because you risked something for Christ’s sake?

Because here’s something you should know about our master. Our master is not harsh. You do not need to be afraid. God wants you to see him like the first two servants saw their master, as generous and kind – not like the third servant saw his master – angry and harsh. This Christ, this Lord of all, gave his life for you. When Jesus speaks of someone being thrown out into the darkness outside, where people weep and grind their teeth, don’t forget that he himself was on the way into the darkness, where even he would feel abandoned by God – for our sake. (2) And he himself said: “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.” Not servants, but friends. He gave up everything for else, but he didn’t regret doing it and hasn’t looked back since. What is he calling you to risk? Whatever it might be, you stand to gain joy beyond all measure.



(1) and (2) - Quoted and influenced by Tom Wright, Matthew for Everyone, volume 2.

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