Sermon Notes for November 12, 2017
Read Matthew 25:14-29, where servants manage bags of gold for their master.This is one of those passages that seems unfair at first glance. I mean, the servant was scared and so he was left with nothing, how is that fair? And the line "For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away" has been used to justify keeping people in poverty and misery for centuries.
But, if you look deeper, you see the passage isn't talking about that at all. It's a parable about faith and risk, trust and fear. It's a parable that speaks to the very nature of how you live your life and how you see God. Let me explain.
In the lesson, the talents spoken of are in fact piles of gold coins. Bushel baskets full, in fact. To my understanding, one talent of gold coins weighed between fifty and seventy-five pounds. So even the 'least' of the slaves received enough that he may have been challenged to carry it all on his own. As Jesus tells the story now, we hear that these piles of gold were left with each one of them to tend and manage and grow. And there is no growing without risk. The only way to move beyond where we are is to take a chance.
And two of the servants took that risk. They invested and were successful. They put time and effort into caring and growing of the funds and succeeded. The last servant acted in fear, not trusting in the Master. And if you are too afraid to ever use what you have, you will lose it, be it money or skills.
The parable of the "talents" is a story of worldviews – that of scarcity and that of abundance. When I talk about a theology of abundance, I'm not talking about a prosperity doctrine. It’s not a matter of trusting God for a new Mercedes or a luxury yacht. Instead, it is a doctrine of expectation that God is present and active in the world and that we need not fear the world around us. It is fear that distracts us from living with expectant hearts. It is fear that keeps us from loving or embracing our neighbor. It is fear that keeps us from dreaming dreams with God. It is fear that keeps us from investing our lives in the work of God. It is fear that leads us to hoard and bury our resources in the ground rather than investing them in the work of God.
And the difference between the two slaves – one who invested what the master gave him, and the slave who dug a hole and buried what the master gave him – is a willingness to have faith, instead of succumbing to fear.
It's why the clarion call of the Scriptures, from the beginning to the end, is "do not be afraid."
We are called to be people of faith, not people of fear. God always asks us to step out of our comfort-zone and act out of faith, not fear.
I wonder how would the master have responded to the first two servants if they had not brought in a profit. What if they had put the money at risk and come back empty handed?
I think the master would have accepted them. After all, in the parable what he commends is not their profits, but their faithfulness. He does not commend the servant who produced five talents more than the one who produced two. Each receives the same commendation: "Well done, good and trustworthy servant." Each receives the same invitation: "You have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."
And in responding to the third servant, the master makes it clear that he would have accepted anything – even rock-bottom, savings-account interest – that was motivated by faith rather than fear.
And it is because of his deep fear, that I think the third servant cast himself in darkness. Think about it. This is a man who when given a generous gift is so terrified that he buries it in the ground instead of putting it in the bank at the very least. He was already miserable and fearful. He gave away what he lost by never using it.
The other two servants, however, recognize generosity when they see it. The piles of money thrust their way reveal a man whose generous, who takes a risk, who accepts them, even honors them. Finding themselves at the receiving end of such outrageous trust, they feel empowered, and are willing to take risks of their own. The love their master has shown them overcomes their fear of failure. They realize that any master who treats his money managers in this open-handed way is more interested in them than in turning a profit.
This brief story about a master and his three servants turns upside down the standards of the world. It announces that the worst thing that can happen to us is not failure. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we make God out to be a horrible old grouch who rejects us when we fail.
The story tells us that the worst thing is not losing out. The worst thing is never risking.
It's Stewardship season again. It's the time of year when we look ahead at the year to come and try to come up with a budget for your church, which we do based off of the pledges we will be collecting next week. We ask you to give us an estimate of what you are planning to give to support this church and our ministries. But it's about more than money.
We ask you to consider the gift of your time and your skills. People's ability to give depends on the person and the circumstance. But tithing also involves giving of your time and your talents. Perhaps you could consider volunteering for something you've never done before. Maybe you have a skill that the church needs. Or maybe it's time to try doing things a new way.
And we all have the same refrains in our heads when faced with this: "Oh, but I have never done that. I wouldn’t know how. What if it goes wrong? What if no one likes it."
Stepping into a new role is hard - it requires risk. But remember, that we have a God who is a God of abundance, who asks us to step into roles with faith and not fear. To know that God will love us no matter what, and we just have to try.
Like these three slaves, God has richly blessed us in a thousand ways. Indeed, our bushel baskets are so full we can't lift them on our own. God has given us all of it and asks only that we use it, spend it, invest it, grow it. God has given it all to us and asks only that we love and trust him enough not to sit on it, hide it, or bury it. So what are we afraid of? For that matter, what are we waiting for? Employ your skills, develop your abilities, and put your money to use.. Use it generously – even extravagantly. And use it for good.
Erma Bombeck famously once said:
"I always had a dream that when I am asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will go like this: 'So, empty your pockets. What have you got left of your life? Any dreams that were unfulfilled? Any unused talent that we gave you when you were born that you still have left? Any unsaid compliments or bits of love that you haven’t spread around?'
"And I will answer, 'I've nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me. I'm as naked as the day I was born.'"
How will you spend what God has given you?
