November 16, 2008
The Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Year A)
Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; I Thessalonians 5:1-11;
Matthew 25:14-30
The parable of the talents is probably known by everyone, even those who don’t go to church and who are not Christians. We have even received the word “talent” from the parable. And often preachers are tempted and lulled into preaching about the need for extravagant “spiritual risk taking” when preaching on this passage or about using our “talents” for the sake of the church
But the truth is this is a story about money. Lots of money! A “talent” was about the equal of fifteen to sixteen years of salary, a lot of money by anyone’s standards!
And so this morning I am going to talk about this well-known parable in terms of money, not skills or talents or spiritual risk taking, not even in terms of spreading the incredible good news of Jesus Christ that has been entrusted to us – though, of course. I realize that is the greatest treasure of all. I am going to talk about money because that is what Jesus did in this story. He spoke of money, his favorite topic, but not mine!
He gave each slave talents, money, big time money: fifteen years salary, thirty years salary and to one seventy-five years of salary! He said he was going away and they were to care for it. When he returned after a long, long time, two had doubled their money and the one who had fifteen years worth of salary had hidden it. And then the master rewarded the two who doubled their money and took away the money of the one who buried it and threw him out into the outer darkness – not a nice place to be thrown into.
What this tells us is that how we use our money is a way of telling which master we serve. The two who risked, risked not their own, of course, (though maybe their own skin), risked all that was already God’s – for God!
And the one who buried the talent, served himself, his very worried, very self-protective self. He served his fear of the master’s retribution and not the master. There was no risk there, only the protection of fear.
This is, of course, an interesting challenge to us about our own money in this time of economic crisis. Four people that I know of in this congregation have lost their jobs in the last month – and those are just the ones I know of. More are worried that they are next. Retail stores are closing, banks are closing, real estate is shrinking in value, once strong companies are laying off thousands of employees and are barely viable at that.
And the stewardship committee of this parish and the vestry of this parish are asking you for money to support the church in this already chaotic and worrisome, economic climate. We too at Good Shepherd have already cut back jobs, from a full time administrator to a part time, from a full time church school minister to a half time. The staff had no raises, not even cost of living adjustment, last year and none is proposed for this year. And even so we are going to say to you, “Give us your money that we might continue to be a community of faith here in this oasis in the woods.” Can we, all of us, give away money as though it is God’s and not our own as the two doublers of their fortunes did?
The Vestry and Stewardship committee are asking you to invest in this community despite your fears about what is out there. Invest in us, in yourselves, because you are, we are, God’s best treasure. Invest in the work God has given us to do here. Risk – for God’s sake! It is not about any one of us; it is about being God’s community here and now.
Invest in this place of God’s, no strings attached, no holding back for your own self-interests, your own fears, your own self-protection as the fearful slave did. Give because it’s about God. Give because when times are tough, this community is even more vital and necessary than in good times. Dare to risk your money for this community of God’s. Risk not for what it will give you or for the programs you most favor or the building you love or, frankly, even for the people you love. Risk giving abundantly for what the money you give will be able to do to serve the master, to share the riches of the gospel we so cherish here.
And if we all do, it is my firm belief that the master will give us more than we can imagine. That our reward will not have to wait until we are in heaven! If we give not because we want to serve ourselves or to be rewarded for our clever investing or ability to risk, but because we serve God in doing so, then I believe we will find that abundance is the natural by product of risking for God’s sake! Risk it all! For God’s sake!
Amen.
[There followed a Stewardship Committee video]
The Rev. Dr. Gale Davis Morris
Church of the Good Shepherd