Gospel Delights!

Saturday, September 2, 2023

1 Thess 4:9-11; Mt 25:14-30

The parable of talents is an interesting narrative that helps us understand that God’s blessing does not often come in the form of ripe fruits but in the form of seeds which we are expected to plant and grow before we can taste its yield.

There is a fascinating detail about the master. In the version of the last servant who received one talent, the master was a ‘demanding person, harvesting where he did not plant and gathering where he did not scatter.’ However, the master, a person known for his rigidity, still chose to trust his servants – trusted them enough to give each of them talents according to their ability. In that sense, the master seems to be a very reasonable person as against the version of the last servant who himself was not trustworthy. When the master trusted him with his money, the last servant neither trusted his master (portrays the master in a negative light) nor himself (did not try to put the talent to good use). 

Secondly, the master, as a demanding person, demands a 100% return. There is a difference in the number of talents he gives each of his servants. But the expected output is the same. All three of them were expected to double what was given to them. There is no concession encouraged. 

In sum, the parable of talents teaches us that the option is not to relax. But the invitation is to strive. When God wants to help, He looks for what we have to instrumentalize it to ensure His blessings for us. Let us pray that we may offer to God something that will please Him to bring upon us His blessings. 

Fr. Dhinakaran Savariyar