Duty or devotion?
Today’s Gospel reading narrates the parable of three servants who receive “talents” from their master before he embarks on a journey. In the time of Jesus, a “talent” represented a monetary unit, likely equivalent to the cumulative daily wage earned over 20 years. While the master is away, the first two servants diligently labor to double the value of the talents they received, while the third servant opts to dig a hole and bury his talent in the ground (Matthew 25:14-18).
How can we explain the contrasting responses of the servants to their master’s generous gift? I think the focal point in this parable is not what the servants do with their talents. Rather, it is what they think of their master.
The third servant chooses to bury his talent because he views his master as a harsh and unjust figure. He characterizes him as “a demanding person, harvesting where he did not plant and gathering where he did not scatter” (Matthew 25:24). This servant perceives his master as an object of duty and obligation, not someone deserving of his love.
Having such a morbid valuation of his master’s character, he inevitably sees the talent bestowed upon him as a threat to his comfortable life. He fears that if he does not meet the expectation of his master, he will be punished. So, he decides to bury the talent, intending to return it exactly as he received it — nothing more, nothing less. Driven by fear, he inadvertently adopts the characteristics of his buried talent. He withdraws into a cocoon of security and predictability, resulting in a life characterized by mediocrity, stagnation, missed opportunities, and unrealized potential.
Conversely, the first and second servants astutely invest their talents, thereby doubling their value. Their aim is not merely to obtain a huge profit; rather, they seek to please a master they consider worthy of service and devotion. They rightly believe that the most profound expression of gratitude is to bring joy to their master. Hence, when the master discovers what they did with the talents, he exclaims, “Come and share your master's happiness” (Matthew 25:21).
This parable is not just a lesson in financial investment. It teaches us how to prudently manage the assets bestowed on us by God, especially those whose value transcends monetary worth, such as beauty, intelligence, artistic and musical talent, unique physical skills, managerial acumen, empathy, and kindness. Whether tangible or intangible, the value of our God-given assets multiplies when invested wisely. In the words of Jesus, “To those who have, more will be given. Whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29).
In His utmost generosity, God gives us gifts and talents to fulfill our destiny. How we utilize these gifts reflects the way we see Him. We may be like the third servant, perceiving God as stern and punitive, so we may decide to bury and disown our talents, allowing them to lie dormant, unused, and ultimately wasted.
Or, we can choose to imitate the first and second servants who perceive their master as deserving of love and devotion, not merely an object of duty or obligation. We can choose to envision God as someone who applauds our efforts at fully utilizing our gifts and opportunities, not solely for personal gain but as our expression of gratitude toward Him whose generosity knows no bounds.
Moreover, we can invest our God-given gifts and blessings in furthering Christ’s ongoing work of salvation. Through such actions, and our faith in God, we make ourselves worthy to behold Him, whispering those welcoming words at the twilight of our life: “Come and share your master's happiness!”
We can invest our God-given gifts and blessings in furthering Christ’s ongoing work of salvation.