This
Sunday, September 3rd, we conclude our exploration of the resources which Christians
have to confront their fears. Recall
that on the first weekend of this series, I explored the Fear of Change, and
what resources Christians have to overcome their fears of change. Last Sunday, August 27th, Beth Menhusen, our
Associate Pastor, explored resources which Christians have for conquering their
fear of the “other.” Finally, this
weekend, I will look at our fear of failing.
We have called this series, “Faith trumps Fear.”
To
ground and inform our examination of the Fear
of Failing, I invite you to join with me in a different way of interpreting
Jesus’ parable of the talents (Matthew 25: 14-27). Of course, the parable of the talents will be
familiar to many of my readers. It is
the story of a rich man, who is preparing to go on a long journey. Before leaving for his journey, the rich man
summons three of his servants. He gives
each of them a particular sum of money to safeguard.
Now, the three servants in this
parable were not slaves who worked in the field or cleaned the house or cooked
the food. Instead, think of them as
Administrators—or, investment bankers. The
situation would be similar to today, when a very wealthy person—perhaps a
professional athlete or someone who has invented a new computer application and
then sold it for several million dollars—gives some of her surplus money to an
investment banker and asks them to invest it.
So, it would be reasonable for the rich man to expect that the three servant-investors will
invest his money in some way and grow his wealth.
In its original usage, a “talent”
referred to an extraordinary amount of money.
When Jesus told this parable, Biblical scholars estimate that a talent
would be the equivalent of the sum total of a worker’s wages for 15 years! In today’s economy, one talent equaled a
little over half a million dollars.
In Jesus’ parable, the wealthy man
gives each of the three servants various amounts of money, according to their
expertise and ability. To the first servant-investor, he gives 5 talents ($2.5 million); to the second servant-investor, he gives 2
talents ($1 million); and to the third servant-investor, he gives 1 talent
($500,000).
After the owner leaves,
the first servant, invested the money that he had been given and doubled it. Likewise, the second man invested the money
he had been given and doubled it. However,
the third servant secretly dug a hole in the ground and buried the money entrusted
to his care. After a long interlude, the
owner finally returns from his trip and asks for an accounting from the three
servants. The first and second servant-investors return their original sum to the owner, along with an equal amount of profit
which they have earned through shrewd investments. The owner is very pleased with both of these servant-investors.
However, the third
servant returns the lone talent which the master had given him, saying: “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man,
reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;
so, I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” This response greatly angers the rich
master. He wonders why the third servant
did not invest the talent with bankers, so that at least he would
have received his talent back with interest.
The parable of the talents
is very popular among Christians. But,
it is important that we take into account the context of this parable. Biblical scholars suggest that Jesus intended
for this parable to be an allegory, explaining the Christian life and how
Christian disciples should spend their time while waiting for Jesus to come
again in his final glory. Writing in The New Interpreter’s Bible, M. Eugene
Boring observes, “The meaning of being ‘good and faithful’ is not mere
theological correctness, passive waiting, or strict obedience to clear
instructions, but active responsibility that takes initiative and risk…”. That is, “good
and faithful” disciples will take initiative and risk in order to build up the
Kingdom of God on Earth, as we await Jesus’ final coming.[i]
Boring goes on to point
out that in the parable, the rich man provides no instructions on what to do
with the money while he is away. Each
servant-investor must decide for himself how to be a good steward of what he
has been given. The difference between
the first two investor-servants and the third is that the first two were
willing to take a risk, by investing the money which the Master had entrusted
with them. By contrast, the third
servant was unwilling to take any risk.
Why was the third servant
unwilling to invest his Master’s money?
In the parable, when the Master learns that his servant has done nothing
to grow his investment, he accuses the servant of being a “wicked and lazy
slave.” But, I disagree. I believe that in this parable the Master misunderstands
his inept servant-investor. Instead of
being a “wicked and lazy slave,” I believe that the servant-investor was simply
paralyzed by the fear of failing. When
he is called to give account of what he has done with the rich man’s money, he
replies: “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you
did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the
ground. Here you have what is yours.”
(Matthew 25: 24-25; my emphasis)
But, why was the third servant-investor so paralyzed by fear? When
we look at this parable from the perspective that Jesus intended—that is, when
we view this parable as an allegory for Christian life and discipleship—then,
the huge difference between the first two servants and the third servant was
one of faith. The first two
servant-investors were not afraid to invest the money entrusted to them because
they had faith. Whereas the third
servant-investor lacked faith and so he lacked the courage to invest his Master’s
money. He was paralyzed by fear.
When we approach life as Resurrection People, sustained by a
faith that God loves us and that ultimately God’s love will prevail, then
through our faith we can manage our fears.
We no longer have to be paralyzed by fear. Instead, we can trust that God loves us and
is caring for us and that, ultimately, God will prevail.
If you live in the
Lincoln, Nebraska area and do not have a place of worship, then I invite you to
come and join us this Sunday, September 3rd, as we reflect how God’s promise to
provide for us and sustain us can help us control and manage our fears,
including our fear of failing. Christ
United Methodist Church is located at 4530 A Street in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our two traditional Worship Services are at
8:30 and 11:00 on Sunday morning.
Come and join us. Everyone is welcome and accepted because God
loves us all.
[i]
Eugene Boring, “Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew,” The New Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 8, CD-ROM.
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