What We Have Been Given

Matthew 25:14-30 

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised

The Parable of the Talents

14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents,[a] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” 21 His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” 23 His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” 26 But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 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. 30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Before anybody earns anything in the parable of the talents, somebody entrusts them with something.

That is easy to miss, especially during stewardship season. We hear a story about money, and we’re already wondering how long it will take the preacher to get to the pledge card. Fair enough. We have been to church before.

But in Matthew 25:14–30, the story begins with a gift of responsibility. A master goes away and places an extraordinary amount of his property in the hands of three servants. Before they have produced a thing, they have been trusted. That order matters for our life with God. Grace comes before our response. We are alive, loved, and called into relationship with God before we have anything to show for ourselves. Our giving begins there, with what we have already received.

Two servants put what they receive to work. The third buries it. When the master returns, that servant explains: “I was afraid.”

We should take him seriously. Money touches our deepest fears about whether we will have enough and whether the people we love will be secure. A sermon about generosity needs to make room for those realities. Still, his explanation raises an uncomfortable question: how much authority have we given fear over the way we live?

The parable’s harsh ending deserves more wrestling than a short reflection can offer. But we should also notice the welcome given to the first two servants. They produce different amounts and receive the same invitation into joy. The servant entrusted with two talents is never asked why he didn’t produce five. We have different resources. Faithfulness takes those differences seriously.

For a parish, stewardship means asking together what we will do with everything entrusted to us. We have money, certainly. We also have a place in this community, relationships built over years, and the trust of people who hope the church will welcome them.

Our annual pledges help us accept responsibility for those gifts. They support worship, pastoral care, preschool, and the daily work of keeping this parish available to others. Through our giving, something we have received becomes available for someone else.

During this stewardship campaign, I am asking those who can increase their pledges to do so, and those who have never pledged to consider beginning. Take time to pray over that decision. Let gratitude have a voice in it alongside the practical concerns.

The master’s invitation is into joy. There is something of that joy in discovering that what we have can help another person live, learn, belong, or hope again. God has already given us so much. We get to take part in what happens next.