25th Sunday after Pentecost – St Mark’s Anglican Parish, Buderim
Matthew 25, 14-30
Dear Friends,
At my previous school, this parable was the basis for an activity Year 7 students engaged in as part of their RE unit on community service.
Each student was given $10 and was then asked to be creative in making the money grow.
· Some used the money to buy ingredients to bake muffins or make fudge, which they sold and made profit. …- Actually: LOTS of the students did something along these lines.
· But there were other ideas, like using the funds to create a game stall or face painting, etc. and charging folk a fee to have a go; or buying gear and then washing people’s cars, etc.
All the funds raised across the cohort were then used to support their Compassion Child.
It was a much-loved and a lovely activity, that the students got behind, astounding us with their enthusiasm and creativity; and ensured that that year level always was ahead of the commitment of supporting their sponsor child with $40 per month.
“You good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a small amount. I will put you in charge of more.”
Would it shock you if I tell you that – were I still Head of Department in that place – I would not approve of the activity anymore?
I mean, you know me well enough to realise that I applaud interactive, multi-sensory engagement – learning by doing is the best way we learn as humans.
And I have nothing against students and/or adults using their imagination and creativity to extend funds for the good of others.
And I certainly would affirm such enterprise as part of a unit on service learning.
What then?!
I would not link the activity, let alone justify it on the grounds of today’s Gospel reading, the Parable of the Talents.
Let me explain.
Of course, God has entrusted much to us.
In Genesis we read at the end of the 2nd creation account that humans are to take care of all created things; they are to “till … and keep” the Garden.
In the Book of Acts, we learn that the early church shared everything, not claiming private ownership of anything.
And the apostles remind us time and again of our Christian stewardship:
· 1 Corinthians 4, 1f – “[We are] servants of Christ and stewards of God’s mysteries.” And: “it is required of stewards that be found trustworthy.”
· 1 Peter 4, 10 – “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
· Colossians 3, 23f – “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”
However -- this stewardship is not what is referred to in the parable.
in the parable we have before us today, the landowner is NOT God.
American theologian and author Richard Swanson calls this parable, at the very least, odd. It is most certainly harsh.
And when I consider Michael John Wood’s book Practising Peace, which I know some of you, like a group of parents at Flinders, have made your study material this year – the easy allegorical pattern we fall into when tackling Jesus’ parables, makes no sense in this case.
To quote Wood: “How can you reconcile this imagery [this violent, ruthless, merciless talk of tossing someone into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth] how can you reconcile this with a God who looks like Jesus and who teaches us to “love our enemies”. How can God teach us to love [unconditionally] unless God is first and always doing the same?”
The point Jesus is making in this parable, I suggest, lies deeper and in an unexpected place, from the way we frequently interpret Jesus’ stories.
Let’s look at the text more closely.
Firstly, we’re told that the man is going on a journey. In the Greek, the word actually equates to him moving his domicile. The point being: there’s no indication given of the length of the journey, or, in fact, of any intention of returning. ‘Moving’ away, certainly has a ring of permanence about it.
This man, we hear, has slaves – not paid servants; slaves. This man owns them, has power of life and death over them. These slaves are as much the man’s property as the bed he sleeps in. They are expendable. Or not.
The disciples, listening to Jesus and living under Roman occupation as they did, would understand this.
The three slaves highlighted in the parable clearly exhibited certain skills, intelligence and trustworthiness for the master in the story to put them in charge of his wealth.
In other words: these particular slaves held some value for the master.
Again, the disciples would have understood this in their socio-political context.
And trust them, the master clearly did; for the amounts they are given, when calculated in modern terms equate to, it’s been suggested, 6 ¼ million, 3 ¾ million and 1 ¼ million dollars (and that could be US dollars, so we’d have to adjust it even higher for Australian terms).
And if the value is staggering, here is something even more astounding: the master gives no instructions as to what to do with the money! He simply hands over the money and leaves.
Odd. Or is it? The clue lies in the end of the parable.
Jesus tells this story so his audience will understand that, as slaves, as “valuable” slaves, these three would be party to how the master makes his money and therefore, would know the unspoken expectation: “Make more money” – and in the tone of the parable, and in particular considering its ending we might also add and unspoken “or else…”
On a side note:
11 of the 40 gospel parables are about money, exceeding the stories about faith and prayer. And beyond the parables Jesus has even more words to add directly about wealth and material goods.
Many psychologists, C.S Jung in particular, remind us that money is a major archetype, a pattern of inner power and energy that flows through us, influencing and revealing a great deal about ourselves and our world view. Each archetype provides insight into why we and others think and act in certain ways. … In addition, we know that archetypes are not just about individuals but rather all of us as part of a whole. There are collective archetypal patterns influencing human choice and consequence.
Keep this in mind as we now jump ahead to the third slave’s reply: “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed…”
And think again of Rome, its power and the abuses it heaped on innocent citizens.
Think exploitation and oppression – back then as much as today – think sweatshops, think drug cartels, think mega corporations, think any organisation that takes advantage of the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed.
And then remember Jesus, as God in flesh, who lives out the love and mercy of God – not a fan of Rome and its cronies, and not afraid to tell them so.
And remember the context in which he tells this story to his disciples, maybe sitting on Mount Olive, looking back across the Kidron valley towards the city of Jerusalem, where he had recently entered with crowds cheering “Hosanna”. It won’t be long before they change that call to “Crucify him”.
The disciples thought the Kingdom of God was going to show itself there and then in that great city.
And it did. But in a very different way to what they expected. Outside the city gates, on a cross; and in a graveyard.
As Audrey West writes in her commentary on this parable:
“Viewed from a different perspective, [to the one, outlined in my Year 7 activity, above] the parable exposes the challenges of faithfulness in a world dominated by power and wealth. The rich man has achieved his wealth at the expense of others… the first two [slaves]… multiply his dishonesty. The third refuses to participate in this system of oppression, and for his refusal is abandoned and condemned to a place of suffering…
Jesus tells this parable a couple of days before his arrest and crucifixion, events that will testify to the world’s penchant for punishing those who speak truth to power. Like the third [slave] in the story, Jesus will be condemned to suffering. Abandoned by most of his friends, he will cry out to God, “Why have you forsaken me?” Then he will be buried in a rock-hewn tomb, just like the talent is buried deep in the ground.”
Which is, in truth, the treasure hidden in a field…
Friends, as Christians we are called to follow Jesus. In essence, this means following him to the cross.
We are called by Jesus to stand with the poor and oppressed, as does God.
We are called to stand tall and proclaim truth to power, even if that makes things uncomfortable for us.
For the Gospel writer Matthew, the reality of the end times was anticipated. The power of Rome made that clear every day.
We are living in a different era. Yet, as we gather today, closing in on the end of the Church Year, the call to us is no different: we, too, are called to keep faith and to live faith. Living God’s love, mercy, forgiveness and hope in abundant generosity is the way to bring about God’s kin-dom on earth.
Amen.
The Reverend Kathrin Koning
College Chaplain
Matthew Flinders Anglican College
Buderim