the parable of the faithful servant

I want to admit first of all the difficult nature of this parable. It is not a fair sort of parable and again we have some uncomfortable images of God.

If we take this parable at face value we have a parable that is a justification for capitalism and investment on the stock market. We also have a vision of God as a cruel tyrant worthy of any rapacious corporate boss.

Ched Myers, a contemporary Christian theologian, has argued strongly that this is a parable which Jesus would have been telling with his tongue stuck firmly in his cheek.

We have to take this reading in context. The parable before and the one following inform this one. There is no way that Jesus normally talked about the poor being relegated to hell, just the reverse. It is usually the comfortable and wealthy that have to watch out. And perhaps here is the key. The message that Matthew obviously wants to give us is that (like in the previous parable of the bridesmaids) the lesson is that we must live in anticipation of the imminent return of Christ. Therefore we cannot afford to rest upon our laurels and slacken of with the use of our gifts. We must keep using our gifts to further the reign of God’s Justice and peace.
 So what does this have to say to us as the church in this age and as individuals.
First of all this parable recognises the myth of the level playing field. Just as people are born with different levels of intelligence, different social and educational opportunities, and different levels of love and security offered to them, so too churches start out with very different prospects. 

We are not going to find many answers about how to use our gifts from this parable. It tells us to invest wisely but it will not tell us what to invest in. It will not tell us, as the church, which mission strategies or worship patterns or leadership structures are the most productive use of our gifts. And if I can risk heresy here, just waiting on the Lord for guidance probably won't give us many answers either. God's guidance is most often given to those on the road, not to those thinking about the road.

The one thing that I know for sure is that God is looking for wise stewards of God’s gifts, and that God will continue to give new blessings to those who learn to use wisely and productively what has already been given.  If you use the talents God has entrusted to you in ways that most strengthen the shared task of God's people, God will surely be seen as the faithful restorer of his people and you will be among the privileged recipients of his word, “Well done good and trustworthy servants; you have been trustworthy in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.”

Finally I want to say that, this does not have application only for the church. In our lives it is all too easy to live in the sort of fear that the third servant lived in; the fear of losing his own gifts by using it. Lets face it, none of us use our gifts to the utmost, and it is our constant challenge to overcome that fear and face the giftedness and strength that God has given us.