When we say that God has given us a “supernatural weight” that draws us toward him, we need to make an important distinction.
Every metaphor has its limits, and this is no exception.
Weights of silver, water, and rocks automatically drive down toward the center of the earth; it is a law of nature.
But our being drawn to God is not an automatic process.
This is why Jesus specifies in the parable that the landowner departed after distributing the talents: God, in a sense, “leaves us” in the power of our free will.
He does not abandon us, but we must choose to be moved by our weight, by our longing for God.
The spiritual weight we are given, therefore, pertains to our will.
But why, we might ask, is longing for God something we need to be given?
Isn’t this longing just a natural desire that all humans have?
The parable says that the master gave different amounts to each of the three servants; it is not a gift that everyone has equally.
Remember, one talent is 20 years of wages; the smallest gift contains a lifetime of wealth that would exceed the power of the worker if he were left to himself for the day.
The talents Christ speaks about, therefore, are something given to our free will, and they exceed the power of human effort.
In short, Christ is speaking about the “more excellent way” of charity that St. Paul writes about (see 1 Corinthians 12:31).
Charity, the gift of divine love, is the mutual desire for friendship between God and humans.
God has blessed his chosen people with charity.
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle argued that there could be no friendship between men and God because there was nothing mutual between them.
And he was right on a natural level.
God exceeds all human thought and activity.
But God has given us the gift to be able to love him as our friend.
This gift, this longing for friendship with God, exceeds anything we could ever obtain on our own efforts, yet he has freely given it to every Christian and has left it in our power to respond to this gift.
Spend a few minutes pondering the amazing gift of divine love.
Consider the awesome grandeur of God; consider how the people of Israel trembled before his glory.
And then consider how he has invited you, through the gift of charity, to become his friend.
Give thanks for such a blessing.
