Growing Wealth
Scripture: Psalm 123 read responsively and Matthew
25: 14-30
Preached by Linda Jo Peters
November 13, 2011 – Dedication of Theological
Education Offering
Unity Presbyterian Church ~ Terre Haute, Indiana
Introduction to scripture
Psalm
123 read responsively This psalm is a community lament based upon trust in God as it petitions God for help in the face of scorn. Our Horizon’s Bible study on the Beatitudes, explains how one form of wealth in Jesus’ time was one’s honor, or one’s good name.[1] So loss of honor or being shamed was a crisis that could affect one’s financial health.
1To
you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2As the eyes of servants look to the
hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our
eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us.3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
Matthew
25: 14-30
The themes of chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew are
about final judgment and the return of the Son of Man, or, the establishing of
the reign of God on earth; or teachings about delays. The first parable that we read last week used
the image of oil to light lamps. This parable uses the image of money and what
it can achieve. Just as in the first parable the oil comes close to being a
description for the Spirit, so here the money is an image for what is potent in
the kingdom and for the kingdom. It may also be seen as a way of talking about
the Spirit or at least about the life of God within us. It speaks to how we
allow the life of God to flow through us - because it is powerful- like money![2]
14“For it is as if a man,
going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;15to one he gave five
talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then
he went away.16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and
traded with them, and made five more talents.17In the same way, the one
who had the two talents made two more talents.18But the one who had
received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his
master’s money.19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled
accounts with them.20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward,
bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five
talents; see, I have made five more talents.’21His master said to him,
‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few
things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your
master.’22And
the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over
to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’23His master said to him,
‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few
things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your
master.’24Then
the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I
knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering
where you did not scatter seed;25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.
Here you have what is yours.’26But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew,
did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?27Then you ought to have
invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what
was my own with interest.28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten
talents.29For
to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but
from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.30As for this worthless
slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.’
SERMON
The
sum the Greek talanta, a "talent" isn’t a special ability as
it is in English. Jesus was talking
about the largest denomination of currency in Rome. We should translate talanta
as "a huge bucket full of solid gold." Only the muscular could even
pick up a talanton, which might weigh 50 or 75 pounds. Each was worth around
6,000 denarii, and a denarius was a good day’s wage. These are extravagant sums over which these
slaves are given charge.[3] So was it an extravagant opportunity or a
scary one? Is the glass half-full or
half-empty? For the first two slaves who
must of known that their master was “ a harsh man, reaping where he did not
sow, and gathering where he did not scatter seed” found a way to overcome their fear and double
the fortune with which they were entrusted.
The third slave’s fear took over and all he could do was bury the
fortune until his master’s return.
Now
remember we have been exploring these parables near the end of Matthew’s Gospel
and they are leading to the great of judgment when those who have cared for
“the least of these” will be welcomed into the kingdom of God. And like the oil of last week’s parable money
is like the Spirit of God, powerful and life changing. In our society we can see both the value of
money and how its power can be used for good or evil. So it is hard to relate this story to God and
God’s kingdom. This master is nothing
like Jesus or God, he is cruel and destructive.
In
this day and age with investment losses, what would you do if someone gave you
a million dollars and said take care of this for me while I am gone? Fear of losing it all might drive you to rent
a vault box and just preserve it. Look
at verse 15, “to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.” They had abilities that their master expected
them to use.
God
has given us an extravagant treasurer in Jesus Christ: forgiveness of sins, a
means of healing a broken and fearful world, eternal life and unending
joy. Wow! That is extravagant wealth. It has the potential in any economy to grow
exponentially, but it has to be used, risked. Have we shared it out or hidden
it away? Have we used the abilities we
have to grow this wealth not for a cruel and vindictive master but for a loving
and compassionate King? Have we buried
this treasure deep into our hearts and minds and never looked at it again,
never risked sharing it with another?
Our
job as disciples of Jesus is to spread the wealth around. That may be in the form of money given to do
the mission of the church, it may be time to tell his story to whoever will
listen in whatever way we can, and it may be using your particular abilities to
grow the wealth of the Kingdom of Heaven.
One thing I am sure of it is not to be buried or hidden under a
bushel. The more this wealth is
shared/risked the more it grows. In
fact, I believe we can never out give God’s ability to provide the growth of
all that we are into all that we are meant to be. Live unafraid lives of hope and joy. Take the risk to pour out what has been given
to you, the abundance that will follow you, will take your breath away in
awe. Amen.
[1] Confessing the Beatitudes by Margaret
Aymer, 2011-2012 Horizons Bible Study
[2] William
Loader, Pentecost 22, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
See: http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MtPentecost22.htm
[3] See: James Howell, “Trojan
Horse,” The Christian Century, November 1, 2005, p.19)
www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3289t
