The familiar Gospel story of the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) gives an account of the man who went abroad and decided to entrust his property to his servants. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in accordance with their ability. Then he left the country. The servant who had received the five talents made five more, the servant who had received two made two more, while the servant who had received one talent dug a hole and buried it in the ground. When the man came back he rewarded the faithful servants to whom he gave the five talents and the two talents respectively but he criticised the ‘wicked and lazy’ servant who hid his talent in the ground and gave his talent to the servant who had five talents.
The moral of the story can teach us not to bury our gifts and talents in the ground. God has blessed all of us with many gifts, not least the gift of our faith. We should not hide it away or keep it to ourselves but use it to build up a civilisation of love and foster Christian values of equity, fairness and justice in the society which we live in. We each have special and unique gifts and talents. When we share these with others we receive so much more in return from the generous and loving God who provides for our every need. God loves a cheerful giver and when we give of ourselves, our gifts, and our time, for the service of one another and those who are in need in our society; God blesses us abundantly on our walk of faith with him.
We should never underestimate the magnitude of God’s love. His presence and unconditional love touch every aspect of our lives. By spending time with him in personal prayer and giving to one other in acts of charity and humble service, we encounter the fullness of his love and develop a personal relationship with him. In that way we can become intentional modern day disciples of the Lord and missionaries of his love. When we let the light of faith shine in our lives God’s presence becomes alive and active and part of every day, every moment and every decision we make; and we can face the future in confidence trusting in his providence – for his love and generosity are never outdone.
