“Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. For it is like a nobleman going on a journey, who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey."
Gospel of Matthew
I've heard it said many times that how we see God is a reflection of how we see ourselves and the life we are called to live. As Christians, we are very fortunate to have Christ, the perfect image of God, an image not only reflected in His teachings, but also in the actions of His life. Through Christ, we see that God offers us a Kingdom of justice and peace, and He calls us to be a part of that Kingdom here on earth. Through Jesus' atoning death on the cross, and through His resurrection, we experience a God who frees us from darkness, and reconciles us to Himself. Through the Holy Spirit, we see that we are given a freedom to live as sons and daughters of the Father, and to live as servants for one another. Through Christ, we recognize that each of us are beneficiaries of gifts and talents to be used in the building of God's Kingdom.
In Matthew's Gospel on the talents, a nobleman is giving some last instructions to his servants as he gets ready to leave for a distant country. We know that this parable is a reflection of Jesus giving His last instructions to His disciples as he leaves for Jerusalem, the place where he will die.
The instructions of the nobleman to his servants are basically to carry on with His mission or business. As we read on in the parable, these instructions are carried out in every case but one. Let's look at the response of the one who fails to carry out his instructions.
"Lord, here is your talent. I wrapped it in a piece of cloth for I was afraid of you because you are a harsh man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you do not sow."
The question we have to ask about this servant as we read this response is: What came first?
(1) the servant's failure to follow the instruction, or
(2) the servant's very distorted image of his master?
"I was afraid of you because you are a harsh man?"
If I saw God as harsh; if I saw God as taking unjustly or harvesting what did not belong to Him; then it is very likely I would hide whatever was given me as well. And if I were to do that, then I would surely end up losing the very thing that God intended for me as a gift.
I started off by saying that how we see God becomes a reflection of how we see ourselves and the life we are called to live. It becomes very important that we see God clearly and correctly, without distortion. We discover who God is through Christ. We discover who God is through the Holy Spirit who speaks to our hearts. Through Christ and the Holy Spirit, we discover a God who loves us personally, intimately, who is forgiving, who calls us continually into relationship, who empowers us to love even those who we consider to be our enemy. Our God is reflected in the story of the Father who waits for the return of his prodigal son, and when He sees him at a distance, runs out to meet him, and embrace him, to welcome him back home. "Put a ring on his finger, sandals on his feet, and kill the fatted calf. We have a reason to celebrate."
When we see God in this way, then we are filled with joy in His service.
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