Sunday 19 November 2017
Matthew 25: 14-30
Let me begin with a confession and what I am about to say may surprise you. But be careful about a quick judgement.
I know that at times I can be a jealous person. Jealous of another person’s talents, gifts and abilities.
I am jealous of people who seem to be able to loose weight without any difficulties while I slave over it time and time again, with only minimal success.
I am jealous at times when I see another person fix or repair something that may take me two days? They have gifts and talents I lack. Sometimes I find myself envious of the skills and achievements of others and even feel a failure.
Are you jealous or envious of the rich and famous –the celebrities who seem to have it all? Do you get not so much as jealous but annoyed at those in our community who seem to have no scruples or morality when it comes to issues that affect our community life? {I am sure that non of us would fall into any of these categories.} Would you like to be an accomplished organist like Roger or an AFL star footballer, or the perfect husband or wife. I suspect we all have our little secrets. I certainly do. We are at times regretful even jealous and envious that we do not have talents or gifts of others.
Jesus in today’s Gospel as in last weeks and again in next weeks reading is aware of the context in which those who were his followers and others lived their lives. He was aware of the contradictions, differences, and attitudes of those who exercised religious and political power. He was aware of how unhappy they were of his teaching and expectations. I suspect not too much different from today.
Matthew’s Jesus was aware of the plight of many including slaves, women, outsiders and those without any sense of concern for the other. He also knew about the jealousy of his disciples at times and their indifference to others. Jesus was aware that we all have not bee given the same talents but was not concerned about the differences but rather how we used what has been given to us .
The question posed for us today in the Gospel is, “How do we live our lives in the world of today with all its contradictions with the knowledge, gifts and talents, using them for the benefit of not only ourselves but others?
In today’s gospel we have the reverse of indifference and jealousy. Instead we are to be encouragers. We are to be delighted, inspirational, excited and enriched by the different gifts and talents we have all been given and to use them in a constructive way to build heaven on earth God’s kingdom. We are not to hide them under a bushel or be envious of others with different gifts.
This Gospel reading is part of the great discourse of Jesus prior to his death. It projects the future in a worldview that reflects the language and imagery of the Jewish apocalyptic framework. Much of it makes little sense to us on a first reading- therefore we need to delve below the surface as we say. Non of us are comfortable with judgement, the second theme in today’s readings and even more pointed in next weeks Gospel, the account of the Sheep and the Goats, although we are too often willing to judge others.
Over the past few Sundays the readings we have heard from Matthew emphasise a number of points required of discipleship:
Namely:
-! Faithfulness. We are called to be faithful to God not to be successful as the world suggests. We are called to be faithful and regular in our prayer and worship life. As we gear up for Advent and the season of Christmas consider joining the faithful on Wednesday morning when I am planning to lead a 5-7 minutes segment about Mark’s Gospel the centre of our readings in 2018.
-2. Being prepared. How are your plans going for mission and outreach at Christmas. Have you thought about inviting and bringing Grandchildren to the 6pm service on Christmas Eve? Encourage them to dress up. How about inviting family and friends to the Carol Service on the 17th December or the Midnight Mass
-3. Generosity. Lets support the Christmas Bowl with renewed enthusiasm. Come along to share a meal on the 9th December and bring a small gift for Anglicare.
-4 Good stewardship. We are called to be good stewards of the resources given to us personally and as a community. Our Buildings suggest we are all aware of this commitment here at St George’s. How may we use the other resources we have for mission and outreach?
Each of the Gospel readings we have read over the past few weeks are told as I have said in the context of the lead up to Palm Sunday, during a time when the religious and political leaders of the day were a “little unhappy with him”.
Last week we dealt with the Parable of Wise and Foolish virgins. This week with hear the Parable of the talents. “In the parable of the 10 bridesmaids, the foolish young women thought the task was easier than it turned out to be, in the parable of the talents, the wicked servant thinks it harder than it turns out to be and afraid of using what has been given. ”
Today’s Gospel is found only in Matthew. It is similar to the parable of the Ten Pounds, found in Luke 19: 11-27. The difference is that in Luke the servants of God have one task, they are given the same talent to live out the faith. In Matthew they are given different talents, and they are expected to live out their lives according to the talents given. Jesus affirms those who use their talents wisely, and condemns those who do nothing. But is there something strange about the parable? It seems to chastise the poor and affirm the rich, opposite to all Jesus has been saying and teaching. No, the point is not about wealth as money but rather the richness we can all gain by using whatever has been given to us, not for ourselves but for others. Remember the story of the widow’s penny?
As always Jesus surprises and troubles us when he speaks as we do not expect him to. Here he subverts the established order, both politically and inside the Temple that spends time and energy looking after itself and defending self-righteousness and ignoring the plight of the other.
Today’s question for us: How do we use our talents to create and imagine a future to work in partnership with God to create God’s kingdom? What are the barriers or obstacles we need to break through to enable this to happen? Perhaps it is – prejudice
– fear
– self interest
– greed
– laziness
I know mine.
Brendon Byrne, Jesuit Theologian says:
“The gifts God has entrusted to us, our mind, limbs need active exercise if they are not to atrophy and wither.
The second reading from 1 Thess. 5: 1-6, coheres with this in the sense that believers as ‘people of the day, who should be up and about, watchful and active, rather than asleep’, as in the night.
Amen