Volume XII Issue 9
November 2009
Friends, I am not in the habit of rewriting scripture, however, it occurs to me that we might add something to the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). You recall that this is a parable about a man who has entrusted his talents, his property, to his servants. He returns to see what they have done with the talents he has given to them. All the men but one doubled his money. Each was rewarded. The third man, frightened of losing what he had been given, buried the talent and returned it to his master. The master grew angry with him and threw him out. 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' - Matthew 25:28-30 As I read that story, I wonder what he would have done if the third man had spent the talent on himself. What kind of response would he receive from the master? To make this story more relevant, I would propose adding a fourth servant who spends everything that he has been given, saving nothing, investing nothing. Our recent past could be rightly identified with this fourth servant. As a people and nation, we have spent everything we have been given. Our national savings rate was, for a time, negative. Our government deficits are enormous, as is our spending. Investment in our aging infrastructure, economy and educational institutions have fallen. And now we are experiencing the consequences of such decisions. Our response to this economic crisis has been to become more like the servant who buried his one remaining talent, afraid of losing it. The last thing we want to do is loss our last remaining talent. Ironically, this national trend has deepened the economic down turn, as banks are no longer willing to lend and consumers to spend. The point of the parable, I believe, provides us with a general answer to this dilemma. The answer is not to consume everything or save everything. Rather, it recommends identifying that of real worth and investing in it. The Parable of the Talents advises that we invest what we have been given so that we might receive a return on our investments. I would propose that now is the time to invest, not spend, not bury, but invest in what matters most. I would also suggest that one of the greatest investments we can make is the church. Together, wisely investing, we can increase the ―return‖ of our church, increase the strength and power of our church to touch, transform and save lives. There are great returns that we can experience, if we wisely investment our talents. This month the stewardship team will be sharing with you our ―investment strategy‖ for 2010. Indeed, we believe that there is real potential for growth in our ministry. Perhaps you are beginning to see it. What we require, however, is a willingness to invest. Thus, consider the words of Matthew 25:29 concerning the willingness to invest. ―For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.‖ If we do not invest in what matters most, it will be taken from us. However, if we give to those things that provide real life and blessings, we will have more than enough. Time to invest in God,
Pastor Keck