It strikes me that the fear of the slave who buried his talent was justified. He tells the Master: "Master, I knew you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid" (Mt 24: 24-25) The Master does not deny it, yet he points out that the slave had an option: "You ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest." (Mt 24: 27) We do not want to fall prey to pietism, where we passively wait on God. We need to cooperate with grace even in the face of sin and fear: "But the law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rm 5: 20-21) This is the case even when I feel that I have only one talent. We must remember that the Master gives to each: "according to his ability." (Mt 24: 15) God knows me and loves me. The talent I have received is for me and can be used by me alone, for his glory. It is not up to me to question his wisdom: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or has been his counsellor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen." (Rm 11: 33-36)
No comments:
Post a Comment