The Orthodox Parish of St Aidan & St Chad, Nottingham
ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE
EPISCOPAL VICARIATE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
Exarchate of Parishes
of Russian Tradition in Western Europe
Fr David, 16/9/07
The Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Talents
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Talents in New Testament times represented a considerable amount of money. In fact the word ‘talent’ also became synonymous with wealth. But in our times we are rather more familiar with another understanding of ‘talent’. We say a person ‘has talent’; we say, ‘a talented person’, one who in particular areas of life has skills, or abilities which we recognise as more than the usual average – ‘a talented person’.
This story in today’s Gospel is about the talents which God has given to all of us. God, who has given us those talents, expects us to use them wisely, and well, and to the full. The story is clear. To the one whom he gave five talents, who then made five more, he said,
‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant, inherit the kingdom prepared for you’.
As men and women we receive talents twice over if we’re Christians. All men and women are born with talents, or the propensity for talents, which they have inherited from their parents, in turn from their grandparents, from the fullness of family life. These talents may enable them to achieve many things in ordinary life. But for those of us who are Christians we receive talents of a different order. At baptism we no longer remain in the image of God but now we begin to be transformed into his likeness, and with that there is a whole new gift of talents. We might call them Christian virtues, Christian outreach, or perhaps simply, ‘godliness’.
This week we have in mind these very important people – Joachim and Anna, a righteous upstanding couple in the Jewish community, full of talents in their uprightness and their godliness. But one thing was missing in their lives as far as Jewish society was concerned. This was highlighted for Joachim when he went to the temple to bring his offering and the priest refused to receive it, saying, ‘God has not blessed you with children, therefore you’re not fit to bring this offering to God.’
Joachim was wounded by that, and so was his wife Anna. But they did not seek retribution, they did not seek to distance themselves from the church, saying, ‘Well, we are wealthy people, we are content in ourselves; if you don’t accept us we don’t need you’….none of that. Joachim’s talent was to turn to God in prayer and plead
Talents in New Testament times represented a considerable amount of money. In fact the word ‘talent’ also became synonymous with wealth. But in our times we are rather more familiar with another understanding of ‘talent’. We say a person ‘has talent’; we say, ‘a talented person’, one who in particular areas of life has skills, or abilities which we recognise as more than the usual average – ‘a talented person’.
This story in today’s Gospel is about the talents which God has given to all of us. God, who has given us those talents, expects us to use them wisely, and well, and to the full. The story is clear. To the one whom he gave five talents, who then made five more, he said,
‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant, inherit the kingdom prepared for you’.
As men and women we receive talents twice over if we’re Christians. All men and women are born with talents, or the propensity for talents, which they have inherited from their parents, in turn from their grandparents, from the fullness of family life. These talents may enable them to achieve many things in ordinary life. But for those of us who are Christians we receive talents of a different order. At baptism we no longer remain in the image of God but now we begin to be transformed into his likeness, and with that there is a whole new gift of talents. We might call them Christian virtues, Christian outreach, or perhaps simply, ‘godliness’.
This week we have in mind these very important people – Joachim and Anna, a righteous upstanding couple in the Jewish community, full of talents in their uprightness and their godliness. But one thing was missing in their lives as far as Jewish society was concerned. This was highlighted for Joachim when he went to the temple to bring his offering and the priest refused to receive it, saying, ‘God has not blessed you with children, therefore you’re not fit to bring this offering to God.’
Joachim was wounded by that, and so was his wife Anna. But they did not seek retribution, they did not seek to distance themselves from the church, saying, ‘Well, we are wealthy people, we are content in ourselves; if you don’t accept us we don’t need you’….none of that. Joachim’s talent was to turn to God in prayer and plead
with God that he would be given this blessing of a child. Anna also prayed, and the blessing was given. (This is beautifully expressed in the Protoevangelion of James.)[1]
And note this – in the kingdom of God you’re never too old to receive blessing! Some of us may think we’re old because a piece of paper called a birth certificate tells us we are so many years old; but Christians are always young at heart with God, and always open to the gifts He can give, even into ripe old age. There is always fullness of life and blessing, ready in God’s hand. So it was for this wonderful couple Joachim and Anna.
And they had the talents to bring up that child Mary, to be a mother, to be a father, to bring her up so well, that she was even more talented than them. Indeed, she was the most talented women who ever lived, and her talents reached up to God and enabled Him to bring into being that which was unthinkable, which had never been heard of before. He was able to take from her flesh that in which He could become human. We say,
‘Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Saviour of our souls.’
Through Mary’s talents, God was able to take from this woman, and to restore to the whole of humanity, the beauty which was always built into the human being, from the very beginning. She had the talent to give everything to God, and God was able to take those talents and bless the whole of the human race.
And so for us today, we are to count up the talents we have. Let us see what God has given us before we were Christians; let us see what God has given us since we’ve been Christians, and let us make sure we use those talents to the full, for His glory and for the glory of all those around us, so that the day comes when He says,
‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ [2]
Amen.
[1]http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/infancyjames.html
[2] Matthew 25, 23 (Orthodox Study Bible)
And note this – in the kingdom of God you’re never too old to receive blessing! Some of us may think we’re old because a piece of paper called a birth certificate tells us we are so many years old; but Christians are always young at heart with God, and always open to the gifts He can give, even into ripe old age. There is always fullness of life and blessing, ready in God’s hand. So it was for this wonderful couple Joachim and Anna.
And they had the talents to bring up that child Mary, to be a mother, to be a father, to bring her up so well, that she was even more talented than them. Indeed, she was the most talented women who ever lived, and her talents reached up to God and enabled Him to bring into being that which was unthinkable, which had never been heard of before. He was able to take from her flesh that in which He could become human. We say,
‘Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Saviour of our souls.’
Through Mary’s talents, God was able to take from this woman, and to restore to the whole of humanity, the beauty which was always built into the human being, from the very beginning. She had the talent to give everything to God, and God was able to take those talents and bless the whole of the human race.
And so for us today, we are to count up the talents we have. Let us see what God has given us before we were Christians; let us see what God has given us since we’ve been Christians, and let us make sure we use those talents to the full, for His glory and for the glory of all those around us, so that the day comes when He says,
‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ [2]
Amen.
[1]http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/infancyjames.html
[2] Matthew 25, 23 (Orthodox Study Bible)