"Playing it Safe"

A sermon by the Rev. Dr. Hilary J. Barrett

Preached at Pleasantville UCC, November 13, 2011

Matthew 25:14-30
“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.”
(Matthew 25:14-15)

The kingdom of heaven is like… ten bridesmaids who go out to welcome the bridegroom… five are thoughtful and five are foolish…

The kingdom of heaven is like…a woman who hid yeast in a measure of flour…

The king of heaven is like…a mustard seed

The kingdom of heaven is like…a man who was going away on a trip and turned his property over to his servants…

When Jesus was trying to teach his disciples about what the kingdom of heaven would be like, he knew they would need some help in understanding him.

He knew they would need some examples of things that they understood; things they could compare it with.

And so he gave them examples – lots of them.

Sometimes he compared God’s kingdom to things that were hidden, but had great power nonetheless – like the ability of yeast to transform and expand ordinary dough into something truly amazing: the bread of life.

Sometimes he compared God’s kingdom to things that were small; tiny things that, when properly cared for, would grow to be far more significant than we could ever imagine.

Sometimes he compared God’s kingdom to being the place where things that were precious were sought after and found – no matter what the cost.

Our text for this morning is part of a trilogy of stories where Jesus tries to teach his disciples something important about God’s kingdom.  And this time the lesson is that God’s kingdom is coming; it’s is on its way.  This time, the lesson is that when the kingdom comes we will not be given any warning – it will come like a thief in the night; it will come like a bridegroom, late for his own wedding reception; it will come like a master delayed in returning from a long trip. The kingdom of God will come unexpectedly, and those who wish to enter it must be ready; they must be prepared; they must be alert.

The Kingdom of heaven is exactly like…

…a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master's investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master's money.

"After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'

"The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master's investment. His master commended him: 'Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.'

"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'

"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

"'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'[1]

            Matthew’s gospel is sometimes called the gospel of judgment.  There’s a whole lot of folks ‘being thrown into the outer darkness’ in Matthew.  There’s a whole lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth for those who don’t measure up. It’s a hard gospel to read if you’re looking for a kinder, gentler kind of discipleship.

             But this is one of those passages that conveys the urgency of our ministry.  The master has left on a long trip and given us the run of the place.  Each of us has been given a sizeable investment to manage – each according to our ability. The question that stands before us is, how well have we done?

            We get our modern word “talent” from this parable --“talent” in the sense of those gifts or skills that an individual possesses.  And, while we know that our talents require discipline to hone and develop, we still acknowledge the great mystery in how we receive them. What makes one of us so good at music? What makes another so good at math? For people of faith, these are gifts, given by the Master; sizeable investments that we are called to manage.

            In biblical times a talent was, in fact, a very large sum of money.  It was, essentially, all the money that a laborer could earn over the course of their entire lifetime; it was more than 32 years of wages.  It was like winning the lottery.  The Parable of the Talents compares the kingdom of heaven to a Master who leaves on an extended trip, entrusting his servants with enormous wealth -- with more money than most of us would know how to handle.  Yet the Master expects us to know how to handle such a treasure, and He gives us the responsibility of tending it, risking it, and causing it to grow. 

            That’s the unsettling word that this parable has to offer us.  We are entrusted with things of great value – gifted with talents, abilities, the knowledge of faith, the strength of love, the power of hope -- these are the investments that our God makes in us.  And, as Christians, we are expected to take significant risks to ensure that those investments grow.  Passivity is not an option.  Burying our gifts deep inside us where they will be safe and we will feel safer is not the kind of investment strategy the Master expects of His disciples.

            Three different people in Jesus’ parable, with different levels of ability, were given resources for building up the Kingdom of God.  Two showed “faith”; one didn’t.  The Parable of the Talents shows us that there is an element of risk that is part and parcel to the call of God.  God always asks us to step out of our comfort-zone and act out of faith, not fear.[2]

            “It’s what God expected of Noah when he told him to build an ark and collect animals.  It’s what God expected of Abraham when he told him to leave his home. It’s what God expected of Moses at the burning bush.  It’s what God expected of Mary when he sent the Angel Gabriel.”[3]  And it’s what God expects of us.

            In recent weeks, our Deacons have invited us to reflect upon our identity as stewards – those who are given the responsibility of caring for something which belongs to another.  For people of faith, the things we are required to care for belong to God. 

            This is a text most certainly about the stewardship of our possessions and our wealth. But, it is also – and no less significantly, about the stewardship of our lives and our willingness to take risks with the immensely valuable gift of grace which is given to us in the Gospel.

            We have this been given this treasure of faith, and we are reminded not to play it safe; not to bury in deep in the ground where it can’t be seen or heard of experienced.  We are reminded not to take the safe road, the easy path, or the least demanding course of action. 

            We have been given this great treasure of faith and we are challenged by God to risk it, to keep watch, to be prepared so that this pearl of great price might grow and grow and grow.

            May it be so.  Amen.