WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 23rd 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Anticipation Posture”
Stewardship Season: Reordering Our Lives
I Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
I. Introduction
Finally, a parable about the protestant work ethic! Now we know for sure that old adage is true: “That God helps those who help themselves.” Even if that is not really in the bible, this parable comes awfully close to saying just that. If there ever was a parable for our times, one that is relevant for us, this morning’s reading from Matthew is the one. It is a story which helps to reinforce our cultural beliefs regarding; property, talents and money.
The master, Jesus, gathers his slaves, disciples, and gives them talents according to their ability. So that we grasp the reality and scale of what is happening, one talent is equal to about six thousand denarii. And one denarius is equal to one day’s wage. One talent then, is equal to six thousand days of work, or roughly sixteen and a half years. So we are talking about some serious money. By the time we reach the end of the parable things turn out as we might expect: The slave who creates the most wealth receives not only the highest praise but also the talent of the frightened slave who refused to participate in the marketplace. In the final crescendo, Jesus makes the lesson quite clear: “For all those how have, more will be given, and they will an abundance; but those who have nothing even what they have will be taken away.”
By all accounts it appears that God rewards those who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. And, if you are poor the message is also clear; it is your own fault and God offers you nothing but a curse. The unsettling truth is that this interpretation is easily made. When we simply scratch the surface and take Jesus at face value, our face value, this interpretation becomes gospel. Fortunately, the nature of parables, the evidence in the scripture, and the person of Jesus all challenge this simplistic, yet popular, interpretation.
II. Nature of Parables
Parables are always strange stories which have a way of leaving us changed, if we have ears to hear. The problem and gift of parables is that they are not stories about common sense. Instead, parables are insider speech meant for the community of faith. New Testament scholar Warren Carter says that: “Most of the situations (in parables) come from everyday, familiar peasant life, with a twist or surprise that forces the audience to reconsider some aspect of the status quo in light of God’s empire.” In other words, if these parables were meant to address peasant life by twisting what we assume we know, then we can never take parables at face value. We must dig deeper to understand where the twist is located.
III. The evidence in the scripture
So where is the twist in this parable? The twist is found in a number of places but I will focus on three. The first is the hyperbole, or exaggeration of the talents. The amount of money given to the slaves is so far beyond what any peasant could comprehend. It would have been meant as a clue to the hearers that everything is not what it might seem. The second clue was that the slave was punished because he dug a hole in the ground and hid the equivalent of sixteen years labor. It was common practice for the peasants to protect money in this way, particularly such a large sum. Alone, these clues could be dismissed but add the final and most important clue, and it is clear that Jesus was up to something just below the surface of the parable.
The final clue was Jesus’ use of the term wicked. In the gospel of Matthew the term wicked, also translated evil-one, is reserved for only a select few. The honor roll of the wicked includes: The devil, the religious leadership, and “this generation.” Each instance the term wicked/evil one is used to indicate those who do not follow God’s will. Jesus’ use of this term in this parable is the final clue that the meaning is not found on the surface of this parable.
As if this wasn’t enough, Jesus’ final crescendo of the parable is really not what it appears. “For all those how have, more will be given, and they will an abundance; but those who have nothing even what they have will be taken away.” The obvious question to this statement is: “If you do not have anything, how can anything more be taken away?” Rather than becoming a battle cry for the status quo, this passage is instead a veiled, yet direct challenge to anyone who is not following God’s will.
While on the surface this passage seems to affirm those who have gained power and wealth through the exploitation of the widow, orphan, and alien, it is not. In fact, what they have acquired is of no ultimate consequence and will be taken away. The wicked slave in this parable is not the poor, the widow or the orphan, but the religious and political leadership who have buried their talents out of self interest.
IV. The person of Jesus
If there was any remaining doubt as to the validity of this interpretation we need only to move to the person of Jesus. For us to cling to the belief that Jesus can be compared to the master of this story is a sin of willful ignorance. Let me explain. The master in this story is a man who is absent, gives unequally, rewards the accumulation of wealth built at the expense of others, and acts tyrannically towards the poor and those of lesser ability. This is simply not the way of Jesus who is revealed to us in the Gospel of Matthew.
The Jesus made known to us in the gospel of Matthew acted in very different ways. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” 5:3. And later in the gospel, when asked by a rich man how to inherit eternal life, Jesus says:
“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” And; “…it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. “19:21, 23-24.
Given that Jesus is so often clear about the perils of wealth it is inconceivable that this parable was anything other than world altering, for those who have ears to hear. So, if we now know what this passage is not about, what is it about? Or, what could it be inviting us to consider?
V. Conclusion
On the surface this passage is about wealth. But laying just below the surface, for those with ears to hear, there is a message which calls all of us to consider our calling. We have been given gifts beyond imagination – just not as the world might measure. And the question becomes, for the community of faith, the followers of Jesus is, ‘What shall we do?’ Will we risk our very lives to increase our talents for God’s glory? Will we use our talents for God, or will we circle the wagons, and hide behind our cathedral walls hoping that someone might find the gift we have buried in the ground?
Faithful following involves moving into the marketplace of life, extending ourselves, extending our followership, even risking our pet projects and our favorite way of doing things. We cannot bury our talents deciding we will attend to our concerns first. Faithful communities never exist for themselves – they exist for risk – to spread the good news – to announce release to the captives, and welcome for all.
Let me try and make it plain. The role of our church should always be the building up and nurturing of new disciples not ensuring that our wishes are fulfilled. When we seek our comfort first, it is in essence burying the talents God has given. As we come to the conclusion of our stewardship season we must now face the tough questions. Where have we been spending our time, resources, and energy? How will that change next year? Are we seeking to build up God’s kingdom or nurturing ourselves alone? Are we here for the service of other people, the hungry, thirsty, and those who need the unique talents God has given us?
Now is the time. Now is the time for us to stand ready, anticipating that Jesus will return. This is where the rubber meets the road, where things might just get a bit uncomfortable. I am going to end with a long period of silence. But before I do I want you to reach out and grab the pledge cards and the time and talent forms and decide now, during the time of silence, how you will use your talents for the ministries of this community and God’s world. When Tim starts playing we are all invited to come forward and give to God the talents of our lives. Amen.
November 23rd 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Anticipation Posture”
Stewardship Season: Reordering Our Lives
I Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
I. Introduction
Finally, a parable about the protestant work ethic! Now we know for sure that old adage is true: “That God helps those who help themselves.” Even if that is not really in the bible, this parable comes awfully close to saying just that. If there ever was a parable for our times, one that is relevant for us, this morning’s reading from Matthew is the one. It is a story which helps to reinforce our cultural beliefs regarding; property, talents and money.
The master, Jesus, gathers his slaves, disciples, and gives them talents according to their ability. So that we grasp the reality and scale of what is happening, one talent is equal to about six thousand denarii. And one denarius is equal to one day’s wage. One talent then, is equal to six thousand days of work, or roughly sixteen and a half years. So we are talking about some serious money. By the time we reach the end of the parable things turn out as we might expect: The slave who creates the most wealth receives not only the highest praise but also the talent of the frightened slave who refused to participate in the marketplace. In the final crescendo, Jesus makes the lesson quite clear: “For all those how have, more will be given, and they will an abundance; but those who have nothing even what they have will be taken away.”
By all accounts it appears that God rewards those who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. And, if you are poor the message is also clear; it is your own fault and God offers you nothing but a curse. The unsettling truth is that this interpretation is easily made. When we simply scratch the surface and take Jesus at face value, our face value, this interpretation becomes gospel. Fortunately, the nature of parables, the evidence in the scripture, and the person of Jesus all challenge this simplistic, yet popular, interpretation.
II. Nature of Parables
Parables are always strange stories which have a way of leaving us changed, if we have ears to hear. The problem and gift of parables is that they are not stories about common sense. Instead, parables are insider speech meant for the community of faith. New Testament scholar Warren Carter says that: “Most of the situations (in parables) come from everyday, familiar peasant life, with a twist or surprise that forces the audience to reconsider some aspect of the status quo in light of God’s empire.” In other words, if these parables were meant to address peasant life by twisting what we assume we know, then we can never take parables at face value. We must dig deeper to understand where the twist is located.
III. The evidence in the scripture
So where is the twist in this parable? The twist is found in a number of places but I will focus on three. The first is the hyperbole, or exaggeration of the talents. The amount of money given to the slaves is so far beyond what any peasant could comprehend. It would have been meant as a clue to the hearers that everything is not what it might seem. The second clue was that the slave was punished because he dug a hole in the ground and hid the equivalent of sixteen years labor. It was common practice for the peasants to protect money in this way, particularly such a large sum. Alone, these clues could be dismissed but add the final and most important clue, and it is clear that Jesus was up to something just below the surface of the parable.
The final clue was Jesus’ use of the term wicked. In the gospel of Matthew the term wicked, also translated evil-one, is reserved for only a select few. The honor roll of the wicked includes: The devil, the religious leadership, and “this generation.” Each instance the term wicked/evil one is used to indicate those who do not follow God’s will. Jesus’ use of this term in this parable is the final clue that the meaning is not found on the surface of this parable.
As if this wasn’t enough, Jesus’ final crescendo of the parable is really not what it appears. “For all those how have, more will be given, and they will an abundance; but those who have nothing even what they have will be taken away.” The obvious question to this statement is: “If you do not have anything, how can anything more be taken away?” Rather than becoming a battle cry for the status quo, this passage is instead a veiled, yet direct challenge to anyone who is not following God’s will.
While on the surface this passage seems to affirm those who have gained power and wealth through the exploitation of the widow, orphan, and alien, it is not. In fact, what they have acquired is of no ultimate consequence and will be taken away. The wicked slave in this parable is not the poor, the widow or the orphan, but the religious and political leadership who have buried their talents out of self interest.
IV. The person of Jesus
If there was any remaining doubt as to the validity of this interpretation we need only to move to the person of Jesus. For us to cling to the belief that Jesus can be compared to the master of this story is a sin of willful ignorance. Let me explain. The master in this story is a man who is absent, gives unequally, rewards the accumulation of wealth built at the expense of others, and acts tyrannically towards the poor and those of lesser ability. This is simply not the way of Jesus who is revealed to us in the Gospel of Matthew.
The Jesus made known to us in the gospel of Matthew acted in very different ways. Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” 5:3. And later in the gospel, when asked by a rich man how to inherit eternal life, Jesus says:
“If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” And; “…it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. “19:21, 23-24.
Given that Jesus is so often clear about the perils of wealth it is inconceivable that this parable was anything other than world altering, for those who have ears to hear. So, if we now know what this passage is not about, what is it about? Or, what could it be inviting us to consider?
V. Conclusion
On the surface this passage is about wealth. But laying just below the surface, for those with ears to hear, there is a message which calls all of us to consider our calling. We have been given gifts beyond imagination – just not as the world might measure. And the question becomes, for the community of faith, the followers of Jesus is, ‘What shall we do?’ Will we risk our very lives to increase our talents for God’s glory? Will we use our talents for God, or will we circle the wagons, and hide behind our cathedral walls hoping that someone might find the gift we have buried in the ground?
Faithful following involves moving into the marketplace of life, extending ourselves, extending our followership, even risking our pet projects and our favorite way of doing things. We cannot bury our talents deciding we will attend to our concerns first. Faithful communities never exist for themselves – they exist for risk – to spread the good news – to announce release to the captives, and welcome for all.
Let me try and make it plain. The role of our church should always be the building up and nurturing of new disciples not ensuring that our wishes are fulfilled. When we seek our comfort first, it is in essence burying the talents God has given. As we come to the conclusion of our stewardship season we must now face the tough questions. Where have we been spending our time, resources, and energy? How will that change next year? Are we seeking to build up God’s kingdom or nurturing ourselves alone? Are we here for the service of other people, the hungry, thirsty, and those who need the unique talents God has given us?
Now is the time. Now is the time for us to stand ready, anticipating that Jesus will return. This is where the rubber meets the road, where things might just get a bit uncomfortable. I am going to end with a long period of silence. But before I do I want you to reach out and grab the pledge cards and the time and talent forms and decide now, during the time of silence, how you will use your talents for the ministries of this community and God’s world. When Tim starts playing we are all invited to come forward and give to God the talents of our lives. Amen.
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