Prepare
This Sunday, the gospel is once again focused on who is ultimately “in” with God and who is “out.” While it would be inaccurate to say that the master in our parable is Christ (Christ is much more than this parable can touch), we do learn about God through him. Three slaves were given very large sums of money (one talent would have been worth 16-20 years’ wages). Two out of the three slaves return a 100% profit to their master alongside the original sum. Those are great business people! And, as happens with parables, we are and are not talking about money here. Yes, we are to use our fiscal tools for the gospel. But, we’re also talking about our gifts, abilities, relationships, and social capital. These two slaves took a risk and were willing to try something, which was key to their return on investment.
And then we have the slave who is ultimately cast out because he buried his money, refusing to take any risk at all. This slave was so afraid of making the master angry that playing it safe ended at least as badly as trying and failing would have. Importantly, the master is not a full representation of Christ. So, while in the parable the slave who refused to use their gift was left out, we know that, with Christ, that’s not the whole story. Perhaps they are left out of the experience of furthering God’s kingdom, which is a gift itself. On the one hand, God does have judgement for wasted gifts, according to this parable. On the other, we know, from Christ’s death and resurrection, that he also has immense grace.
Opening Exercise
Get into pairs and tell a story about how you learned you were really good at something. Consider the following questions:
- Did you intentionally learn this skill or happen upon it? Do you like other people to know about this skill or do you keep it secret?
Texts to Read Aloud
A Holy ‘Use It or Lose It’
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘use it or lose it’? I had thought that phrase was about people taking something from you: use your seat in the cafeteria or, if you get up, someone might come take it. But, the more time I spend with people who are aging, the more I’ve come to see this phrase differently. My friends who are in their eighties, and still very able-bodied, all seem to have two things in common: they’re lucky and they never stopped moving.
Those octogenarians who can lift more weight than most young people are doing so because they’ve been lifting some weight throughout their whole life. They continued doing so even when they were scared or saw others not moving as much anymore. In this parable, Jesus gives me yet a third perspective on this phrase, a holy “use it or lose it.”
The first two slaves were given a LOT of money to use to make their master more money. Both were successful! They were given different amounts and made different amounts. And yet, they received the same praise. Christ teaches us that it is not about being the best or the most successful. God simply wants us to use what God has given us to grow God’s kingdom on earth.
A Holy ‘Use It or Lose It’
That is where the third slave goes wrong. He is afraid of failing and making the master angry. His plan, however, epically failed in that regard. He buries the money, not using what he’s been given at all. The result is not only anger, but ultimately being kicked out of the light, into the dark and scary place. That’s what happens when we let fear override God’s instructions; we can miss the joy of participating in what God is doing.
Note that this is different from being abandoned by God. God is still with us and Christ still saved us. But by not stewarding the gifts given to us, we find ourselves outside of Christ’s party instead of getting to work alongside Christ to spread love in our world.
Whether it was fear of failure or something else (laziness, forgetfulness, indecisiveness, etc.) that stopped the third slave from using the gift he was given, Christ’s message is clear: God wants us to use our gifts for holy things! Sitting back and waiting for someone else to do God’s heavy lifting ultimately results in being left out of the community and the transformation God has invited us into.
Reflection Questions
- What does the master hope will happen with the talents given to the slaves?
- What do the talents represent in the story?
- What talents have you been given?
- When have you stewarded your talents well like the first two? When have you been afraid to do so, like the third?
- How can you “use it” so you don’t “lose it” when it comes to God’s gifts?
Closing Activity
Affirmations: Go around the room (or in small groups) and affirm each member of the group. Everyone affirms everyone, sharing something they appreciate about the person being affirmed. Good affirmations are about how a person shows up and uses their talents, not about what they have materially or something that happened to them.
Closing prayer:
Pray the prayer of Good Courage to close your time:
Lord God,
you have called your servants
to ventures of which
we cannot see the ending,
by paths as yet untrodden,
through perils unknown.
Give us faith to go out
with good courage,
not knowing where we go,
but only that your hand
is leading us
and your love
supporting us,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Biography
Lindsay Batesmith is the pastor of Rejoice Lutheran Church in Erie, CO. She is consistently in awe of the power of vulnerability to connect us to each other and invite the Holy Spirit to transform lives. When not at church or her favorite coffee shop, Lindsay is usually playing with her dog, Echo, or watching The Great British Bakeoff with her wife, Tillie.
