The Master's Generosity

Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

This being the second last Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are treated to the longest parable in the Gospel of St Matthew. Trigger warning: a long gospel reading deserves a longer homily.

The plot line is familiar but its message is surprisingly more familiar. You would have heard it repeated over pulpits, in Sunday School classrooms, and homes. Its most common interpretation could be summed up simply as “use it or lose it”. In other words, a person’s gifts, abilities, and talents are to be used or that person will suffer their loss. If this is the point of the story, the message should simply be one which calls us to work harder, apply our talents and resources in a more productive way to produce a better outcome.

But if the gospel is to be considered in the context of the other readings for this Sunday, you would realise that this story is so much more than a lesson in capitalism or a motivational anecdote meant to stir us to use our personal talents. By the way, the word “talent” used here has nothing to do with a person’s personal endowment and ability. It’s used as a measure, in this case, a measure of money. So, what is the context of the parable? Our Lord was responding to His disciples’ questions concerning the timing of the destruction of the temple, the sign of His return, and the end of the age. The parable is about the Last Judgment!

In the context of His Second Coming, Our Lord is teaching His listeners to be prepared for His return. The heart and the point of this parable, that all too often is overlooked, is that preparation must be made for His return by first responding to Him by faith. The reason, as the second reading tells us, is that “the Day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night.” Because the time and day of the coming of the Lord is unpredictable, we must always be prepared.

Outward actions are used in this parable as mere reflexion of the faith (or the lack of faith) of the three servants. This faith is not some vague, ethereal religious notion focused on some intangible God. Instead, this faith rests upon the very person, character, integrity, and words of the Lord Jesus Christ. And just like other teachings of our Lord in the Gospel of St Matthew, faith expresses itself in action. Mere platitudes, like calling out “Lord, Lord” would be insufficient. A man of faith must put his faith into action, just like a man who must build his house on a solid foundation of good works rather than empty words which shift like sand.

After depositing different sums of money with his three servants “each in proportion to his own ability,” the master in the story leaves for a faraway country. The parable records no instructions from the master to his servants, yet there is a clear implication that along with the money, the master also transferred responsibility to them.

Just like the bridegroom who was late in last week’s parable of the ten bridesmaids, the master’s return in today’s story is delayed. Once again, we see the distinction made between the sensible servants and the foolish one. The first two servants take their responsibilities seriously, invest the money that had been entrusted to them, because they know that they would have to give an account to their master upon his return. They were the ones who had chosen to remain vigilant, to “stay awake.” But the third servant was negligent and instead of confessing his mistake, he shows further insolence by accusing his master of being a harsh man. The one who is being judged turns on his judge and accuses him of being unjust. That’s irony for you.

This is the pivot of the story. The servant returns the one talent to his master with an interesting indictment. He accuses his master of being a hard man, one who reaps where he did not sow. The servant is accusing his master of being an exploiter of other people’s labour. The servant then gives the excuse that, motivated by fear of his master’s wrath, he hid the talent.

The master does not defend himself, but rather answers the indictment with a staggering counter indictment. He accuses the servant of being wicked and slothful. Certainly, being lazy is an understandable accusation. But in his own words, the servant also admits that he failed to do anything with the money given to him because he was fearful. He was afraid of failure. He was afraid of the judgment of his master. But was fear the real reason or just an excuse?

Notice that the master does not accuse him of being fearful but accuses him of being “wicked.” This seems strange and disconnected with the other accusation of him being lazy or the servant’s excuse of being fearful. But the master’s accusation exposes the real reason for the servant’s inaction. Fear was not the true motivation of the wicked servant but was merely the excuse he used. Contempt for the master was the servant’s true motivation. This accusation provides us with the key to understand it. The parable is no longer a story about self-effort, but rather a story about the motivation of the servant’s heart.

In stark contrast to the other two servants who recognised the master’s generosity, the wicked and lazy servant could only see the negative side of his master’s character and maligned him as being a “hard man”, reaping where he did not sow. His phenomenal lack of gratitude, his resentful skewed vision of reality, his fear of failure, his reluctance to take responsibility for his own laziness would condemn him. They are clear incriminating proof of his lack of faith in the Master. Because of this, he could never share in his master’s happiness.

With this pivot in the story, we realise the focus on the story is not the various responses of the servants but rather the master’s true intention as shown in his commendation of the first two servants by inviting them to “come and join in the master’s happiness.” The great prize of the parable is relationship, to be in the presence of the master, or Christ Himself, and to share in His joy. Thus, the focus of the commendation to the faithful servants reveals the master’s desire to bring his servants into a new relationship with him. Those who were once called servants would now enter into his joy. This is what God wants of each of us. He wants us to be with Him in paradise forever. This is how salvation looks like. On the other hand, the servant who found no joy in the master’s presence and actions, endured it grudgingly, and treated his master with contempt, would receive his just reward: he will never share in the master’s happiness. For the third servant, being in his master’s presence does not bring happiness. On the contrary, the experience is excruciating. This is how hell looks like.

What about us? The Lord has given us the supreme gift of His grace, an invitation to salvation, to share in His happiness. We are left with an option. Do we accept the invitation and respond to it with grateful hearts, or do we reject the invitation to share in our Lord’s happiness by our contempt for Him? To those who demonstrated faithfulness, more will be given in the form of grace and a closer relationship to the Lord. But for the one who has no faith, who does not appreciate the gifts of grace and salvation, will lose everything, including a share in the master’s happiness. We can either show gratitude or contempt for God’s gifts; have a share in the promise of salvation, or lose it altogether by our contempt.