Friday, November 11, 2011

What motivates you?

The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-31 is a well-known parable. A popular Sunday School lesson and a favourite of Stewardship Committees and Church Fundraisers. But like every parable of Jesus there are multiple layers in the story and a variety of perspectives. The most common is the idea of using the talents that God has given you as opposed to 'burying' them or hiding them away. This can be applied to everything from how you use your finances (How much is God's and how much is mine?...a wrong question if ever there was one!) to committing to serve on church rosters as ushers or stewards or church cleaning. (Trivializing the whole concept in some way, from my point of view.) Others look at the 'One talent' servant as a hero who stands up to the rapacious money-grubbing rich man and sacrifices himself while confronting the rich man and calling him out so to speak as a bully and greedy person. (A little bit of a stretch)

For me, the aspect that is of most interest was this:

The difference between the two slaves who invested what the “Master” gave them, and the slave who dug a hole and buried what the “Master” gave him–is a willingness to have faith, instead of succumbing to fear.

The two slaves with multiple talents see the Master entrusting them with his wealth and trusting them to do something with them. They have faith in him because they recognize that he has faith in them and their abilities. When he returns there is no fear in their exchange with the him, just straight reporting of facts.

On the other hand, the 'one talent' servant does nothing because he fears for himself and he fears the master. He does not consider the master’s right or even the right of the master to expect some return on his money or more importantly the right of the master to expect that his servant would be obedient to his command because in burying the talent the servant was disobedient and did not do what the master commanded. He was too busy thinking of himself and his life. He was more interested in ensuring his own safety and well-being. Consequently he withholds the use of the gift/ability because he does not want to spend himself in service of the master or make any sacrifice of his own self-security for the sake of the master and his property. In the end his meeting with the Master is fueled by this fear and the servant's worst fears are realized. Because of his unfaithfulness and disobedience he suffers under the judgment of the Master.

I know that often fear, rather than faith, is a driving force in my life. Sometimes it motivates me to complete the task before me simply to get it over with. But more often fear simply paralyzes me. It stops me from taking constructive action in my personal life and in my ministry. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of public criticism. Fear of stepping out of the comfortable world I have constructed for myself. So the question for the day...the thought from the parable...

What motivates you? Fear or faith?

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