Rev. Don Campbell
Matthew 25
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019
“LOST OPPORTUNITY”
The parable of the talents is possibly one of the best known and most misused of all of Jesus’ parables. In modern English, the word “talent” means an aptitude or skill. In the Bible, the word refers to a measure of weight and unit of currency. In attempting to apply the parable, some will say, “My talent is singing.” Another might say, “My talent is teaching.” One said, “My talent is sweeping floors.” These miss the meaning of the parable, for in it, the man entrusted his property to the three, each according to his ability (vv. 14-15). The talents entrusted were sums of money, givien for each of them to invest and grow. The parable is not about natural ability or acquired skills, but neither is Jesus’ message about investment banking for the Lord.
What then is the parable about? First, the parable is about risk-taking: Life has risks—marriage, having a family, pursuing a career, even obeying the gospel has risks. In all of life’s ventures, we should proceed with caution, but we should proceed. Second, the parable is about faithless fear: Many see God as this servant saw his master—hard, demanding, and unmerciful. If that is our perception of God, we ought to live accordingly.
God does not condemn trying and failing, but failing to try. Paul teaches this in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15: “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”
The one talent man was not condemned for trying and failing, but for failing to try. Someone has said, “Three things come not back: the spent arrow, the spoken word, and the lost opportunity.”
CONNECTIONS
1. Have you missed some golden opportunities to serve the Lord? If so, don’t give up. Yogi Berra reminds us: “It ain’t over til it’s over.”
2. Are there some opportunities you are not acting on?
