Reflection on the Parable of the Talents

I tend to fixate on things that I hear or read. I can’t explain why, but when I hear a homily, or read a biblical passage that gives me a jolt, I ponder it for days, even weeks, afterward. So, going back MANY Sundays ago, I read/heard the parable about the master who entrusted a number of talents to his slaves while he was away from home (Matthew 25:14-30). Thus, I have been thinking about it for a while now–especially the part about the slave who buried his one and only talent. As he stated, “...so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground.” (Matthew 25:25)

Why was he afraid to invest that talent?  Granted he describes his master as being a “demanding person” (Matthew 25:24). That might be enough to stop anyone from taking the next step. Was he fearing his master’s rebuke? Did he fear failure and any backlash from his peers? 

Why does anyone fear trying something new, going somewhere they’ve never been, or speaking in front of a group?

Being afraid of the unknown is a normal, human trait. In fact, there are times when fear keeps us away from danger. On the other hand, it can also paralyze us and prevent us from moving forward and answering God’s call. We may feel like we’re not equipped for the job. On the other hand, we may take tentative steps forward, only to step back when confronted with challenges. Like the servant who chose to hide the one talent that was entrusted to him, we try to hide from His plan. 

But guess what! He understands our fears and why we hesitate. After all, did Jesus not walk in our shoes; did He not experience everything that it means to be human with the exception of sin? Because He knows us through and through and loves us unconditionally, He sets us up for success to act on His call to evangelization. 

Indeed, the Master gives us everything we need–if we just meet Him somewhere in the middle. I believe that God gives us all a unique set of gifts, and discovering those gifts makes up just a portion of our journey with Him. From there, we have the opportunity to give back by using our gifts, our abilities, our talents to evangelize and bring others closer to Him.  

So today, let’s keep those “talents” out in the open and respond to His call with renewed faith, hope, and love.