ADVENT 2nd SUNDAY BEFORE 16th November 2008

Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 with 12 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30

Sunday 16 November 2008

The Parable of Men and their Investment Capital Use your God-given talents.

Jesus often used metaphors and parables. A metaphor uses names or phrases to
describe an object or action where it does not apply literally. When Jesus refers to
himself as the ‘bread and water’ from heaven, that’s a metaphor. This Church Year is
Lectionary Year A. Our focus has been on Matthew’s Gospel and we have heard
several of Jesus’ parables. Jesus uses these imaginary stories to illustrate a moral or
spiritual lesson. Parables and metaphors work because we are made to think.

Last Sunday’s parable was the foolish virgins who were carrying a torch for the
bridegroom…for the procession to the bridegroom’s house. They didn’t know exactly
when the bridegroom was coming. Only five of the girls carried sufficient oil.
The actual meaning? If you are going to carry a torch for someone, keep it lit!
The spiritual message? Be prepared for Jesus.

Today’s parable is The Parable of Men and their Investment Capital . Before leaving on
a journey, the master hands over his money to three servants. On his return, he is
delighted with the first two. They had doubled their money. But the third servant,
because he was afraid of losing the master’s money, buried the money and only
returned the original talent. This servant doesn’t even begin by speaking of the talent. He
tells the master he has character flaws! The master angrily removed his talent and threw
him ‘into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

A preacher once warned his congregation, ‘In Hell, there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’ A parishioner asked ‘What if you don’t have teeth?’ The preacher
shouted back, ‘Teeth will be provided!’ The metaphor ‘thrown into outer darkness’
means damnation and is to be found only in Matthew's gospel. It is used three times.

1. Today’s parable.
2. The Parable of the Wedding Banquet. A last minute guest came unprepared to
wedding. Jesus calls everyone. We must respond and allow him to change us and to
become what he calls us to be.
3. The third time isn’t a parable. A Roman centurion said to Jesus, ‘No need to bother
coming to the house. Just say the word and my servant will be healed. Jesus was so
impressed with his faith remarked that some heirs of the kingdom would be damned,
while foreigners, like the Roman soldier, would feast in the kingdom of heaven.

A talent was a very large sum of money. One sermon might be to go down the bank
route. ‘For goodness sake, why didn’t you just stick the money in the bank?’ I shall
not do that. The servants’ stewardship during the master’s absence is the issue I shall
dwell on. Did you notice that the master gave money to the slaves, each according to his
ability? A talent is a two-sided coin – on one side there is capability and the other side
accountability. Jesus is talking about how the slave responded to what the master had
given him. He is talking about tasks and abilities and what the disciples do with their
opportunities.
The Gospel message? Don’t die with your music still in you is. Use your God-given
talents.
When you were a child you were asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow
up?’ We all reach an age when either we feel content and pleased with our way of
life, our jobs, or we don’t. We may be doing well in the eyes of the world, but is
there anything you are capable of doing, that you aren’t presently doing? Have you
any unfulfilled ambitions? Some of you might want to change your job, or start your
own business. For some of us, the ship may have sailed. It might be something
simple. Perhaps it’s a hobby, learning a new skill, or just reading a particular book.

Now what’s to stop you doing what you are thinking about? Is what holds you back
raw talent, or merely a shortage of time, know-how, cash, or belief? Sometimes, the
only thing stopping you is you yourself.

Last week’s lesson was, if we are not to be left out, we need to be ready for Jesus
coming. This week’s? When Jesus returns, make sure we can report that we have
used our talents. Don’t bury them in the ground.

The reading from St. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians speaks about the second
coming of Jesus – a reminder that the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly, like
the bridegroom in last week’s parable, when the girls weren’t prepared or as today’s
reading puts it ‘like a thief at night’. Paul warns ‘stay alert and sober.’ A new church
year begins in two weeks. We shall move to Lectionary Year B and focus on Mark’s
Gospel. In Advent, we prepare for God coming into the world and revealing himself
in Jesus. We prepare for Jesus’ return by living our lives appropriately. Jesus entrusts
us with responsibilities, and we must carry out our tasks. If we live our lives like the
third servant, we may be treated as a worthless slave and damned.

God created the world and all that is in it and it was all good. Imagine the situation of
God asking you. What do you think of my creation? You say, well I have enjoyed
my life but… What if God’s next question is, ‘And what did you do about that ‘but’?’

Sky Sports introduced yesterday’s England match against Australia with stately music
and images of a church and stained glass. ‘This is my church. This is where I heal my
hurts. It's a natural grace. Of watching young life shape. It's in minor keys. Solutions
and remedies. Enemies becoming friends. When bitterness ends.’ What is that all
about? Rugby football is my church! The hallowed turf of Twickenham is my church.
Rubbish! No wonder England lost. The Blessed Jonny Wilkinson, whose feast day is
incidentally on Saturday 22 November, was not on our side. Last night, I looked for
the lyrics of ‘This is my church’ and I came across God is a DJ which I don’t
recommend, except I shall share the chorus with you. ‘If God is a DJ, Life is a dance
floor. Love is the rhythm. You are the music. If God is a DJ. Life is a dance floor.
You get what you're given. It's all how you use it...

George Eliot was the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. Her books included, 'The Mill on
the Floss' and 'Silas Marner'. George Eliot once said, ‘It's never too late to be who
you might have been.’ Jesus doesn’t teach that we are saved by means of works, he does
teach that a servant of the master will be lost if he does not use the ‘talents’ the master has
given him. Don't think it’s too late. Don't not do something because you think
someone is going to laugh. Compose some music. Write something inspiring. Write a
poem. Clear out some rubbish. Read a good book. Don’t die with your music still in
you. Use your God-given talents.