Proper 28: "What would love do?" Parable of Talents.

Matthew 25: 14-30 - the parable of the talents.

I am very grateful to the faith exploration group for meeting without me last week and with Susan’s help, coming up with their ‘Landsker creed’. 

A Landsker Creed 
 

We believe in God,
the Creator of all things,
who loves all that is made,
and asks us, God’s people,
to care for Creation.
 
We believe in Jesus Christ,
born of Mary and the Holy Spirit,
who saves us, and shows us
what a human life can be:
overflowing with love,
made in the image of God.

We believe his teaching:
that we should love our enemies,
forgive those who hurt us,
bring healing to the broken,
and offer welcome to all.
 
We believe that Christ calls us
to walk humbly with him,
to live generously and joyfully,
and to serve in the world
as his hands and feet.
 
We believe that he suffered and died,
that God raised him from death,
so that he is with us now:
in love and mercy, bread and wine,
and in the community of his people.
 
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
who inspires and empowers us
to be the Church,
reaching out into the world
as a sign of God’s promise
that love will triumph
and all Creation be renewed.
Amen.

What struck me, reading it as someone from the outside, is that it uses the word ‘love’ throughout.

It is such a great antidote to so much of the news at the moment. There seem to have been so many stories about sexual misconduct, or bullying or failure to protect the vulnerable.

So I also don’t blame you if you have just flinched whilst listening to the parable of the talents.

If this story is meant to show us what the kingdom of God is like, are we meant to believe in a God who would take away the little amount one person has, as punishment for them not working hard enough, and give it to the most successful person, as a reward? Are we really meant to picture God like Alan Sugar on The Apprentice, saying “You’re fired!”.

We know God is not just another in a long line of bullies who misuse power.

So let’s read the parable with that word from the Landsker creed “love” echoing in our hearts and ask

"What would love do?”

Jesus says ‘the kingdom of heaven is like this…’ but he doesn’t say that the master in the story is meant to represent God – maybe they are just the master.. or maybe although Jesus is talking about the kingdom (rule) of God, God does not appear in the story at all. The master certainly doesn’t act out of love.

So who does?

Well, let’s remember that in many stories it is the third character that is the hero – just think of the three Billy Goats Gruff: it is the third Billy Goat who butts the troll into the water… 

There are three servants, who are each given money - one is given a large amount, one a medium amount and the third a small amount

So what does the third – our hero of the story – do ?

He buries the money. This doesn’t seem very heroic, does it?

But look at what he says to the master when he explains why buries the money :

‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’

The first two servants just copy their master – they wheel and deal, they make more money – but at whose expense? The third servant stands up to the master and his business practices. 

The master is not fair and just and kind – he is harsh, and exploitative and scary.

Our hero – the third servant – takes this opportunity to say

“The way you work is not right and not fair and I will not play your game – I kept your money safe – and I was afraid because I know you will punish me – but nevertheless I am standing up to you.”.

He is the one who acts out of love and justice. 

It is as if a contestant on The Apprentice faced Alan Sugar & said “I know you will fire me and I know you will be scathing about me, but I refuse to play your terrible game. Money is not everything, and I would prefer to spend my time doing good in the world rather than just trying to sell things”.

 Jesus says ‘the kingdom of heaven is like this’ and tells us this story of three servants.

Despite the way a lot of the world works – making deals at the expense of others in the pursuit of riches – God’s presence and God’s love is revealed in the hero who will face the fear of standing up to the powerful master & say ‘NO – I will not do your bidding’. 

There is no happy ending for that servant – he is sacked, as he probably knew he would be – nevertheless he has done what is right – and maybe he is better off not working for that terrible master anymore. Who knows where he went after he was fired..

So where does that leave us, when we read this parable?

We are apprenticed to Jesus, as we seek to follow him in our lives. We are meant to seek the way of love – the love we see in the Father & in the Son and in the Holy Spirit, as it says in our creed.

Jesus calls us to be the heroes who act in love and stand up to injustice, the ones who are willing to face the consequences of being out of step with the world, the ones who speak out for what is fair and just and loving.

When Jesus tells us what God’s rule, God’s kingdom is like, we need to listen, because we want to live as those who live by God’s rule of love, and not just be people who follow the ways of the world around us.

So where in your life might you be called by Jesus to stand up to injustice for the sake of others – even at your own risk?

We will not all be asked to go into a war zone to listen to what people there have to say.

But if we are to be apprenticed to Jesus there may be smaller ways in which we are called to stand up against injustice or to point the world towards another, loving reality about the goal and purpose of our lives, beyond the creation of money.

•             If you feel that you want to challenge the ridiculous materialism connected with Christmas, and remind people that it’s about celebrating the coming of God into our world..
• If you give yourself tirelessly to the care of another – in prayer, in service, in daily tasks…
•  If you are part of campaigns that support the rights of oppressed people in our world, through Christians against poverty or Christian Aid, or Amnesty International..
• If you resolve that you are going to try to be a beacon of hope and love and light for your neighbours and friends…

Jesus says “You’re hired. Take up your cross and follow me. Enter into the joy of your Lord – welcome to the kingdom of God”.

He also promises “I will be with you, always”.

In bread and wine, in each other. Wherever the truth is told and love is known. The kingdom of heaven is like this, a place of love, with Jesus as host.      Amen.