“It will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth’” (Matthew 25:14-30).
We have heard this parable of the talents many times.
Metaphors work because they compare the thing that we are talking about to something different, and the comparison helps us understand what is going on.
But sometimes, the metaphor is so effective that we forget it was a metaphor in the first place.
This is exactly what happened in this Gospel.
The early readers of the account saw that “talent” was so obviously a metaphor for God’s gifts to us that the metaphor became the reality it was trying to explain: the primary meaning of “talent” became, not a unit of measure, but a God-given ability or knack.
We’ve kept the name and forgotten the original metaphor.
Throughout these meditations, therefore, we are going to rediscover the original meaning of “talent.”
What is the gift that God has given us that he expects us to use in preparation for his return?
As we begin these meditations, spend a few moments in prayer today carefully re-reading the above parable.
Ask God to alert you to the details in the story: the gift given, what is expected of those receiving the gift, and what happens upon the return of the giver.
Spend a few moments considering all God’s blessings that you have received and offer up a prayer of thanksgiving for them.
