The Business of Responsibility

The Good news for the Day, August 27, 2022

Saturday of the Twenty-first Week of Ordinary Time (430)

The Gospel

Jesus tells His students this parable: “A wealthy individual, starting out on an extended business trip called in employees and assigned the entire company to them.

The challenges given to you

To one was entrusted five portfolios; to another, two; to a third, just one portfolio–to each according to his ability. Then off that boss went.

Right away, the one who got five portfolios went and invested them and made another five. Likewise, the one who got two made another two. But the one who received just one went off and dug a hole the boss’s money.

Profitable Responsibilities

After a long time, their employer came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five accounts came forward with the extra five: “Boss, gave me five portfolios. Look! I have made five more.’ The boss said , ‘Well done, my good, competent employee. Since you have been trustworthy in smaller things, I will give you even greater responsibilities. Come, I like what you’ve done.’

Another Profitable Responsible Person

Next, the one who had received two portfolios came forward to say, ‘Boss, you gave me two portfolios. Look! I have made two more.’ The boss said, ‘Well done, my good, competent employee. Since you have been trustworthy in smaller things, I will give you greater responsibilities. Come, I like what you’ve done.’

Unprofitable Responsibility

Then, the one who had received just the one portfolio came forward and said, ‘Boss, I knew you were a demanding person. You reaped where you did not sow and gathered where you did not plant. In my anxiety, I went off and buried your investment. Here it is back!’

Consequences

The boss replied, ‘You dreadful, lazy worker! You knew I reap where I have not sown, gather where I did not plant! Shouldn’t you have put my money in some safe investment so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? So, here is what we are going to do! Take that portfolio away. Give it to the one with ten of them. Because, to everyone who has something, more will be given. That person will grow richer.

From the one who has less even what is there will be taken away. Throw this useless employee out into the night, where there will be signs of regret.’” (Matthew 25)

Reflections of the  Words of Jesus

This lengthy story has the very obvious point that the gifts of God are to be used – or else! Most of us underestimate the gifts of God. You and I count as gifts and appreciate our health, security, good marriage, good children, and the like. These gifts merit your gratitude. Of course, they are gifts worthy of gratitude.

Our Many Gifts/Responsibilities

Then the followers of Jesu, prayer reveals not one, or five, or ten gifts that are responsibilities–but thousands, millions. Every breath you breathe, every working of your body, every star delighting you at night, every glance of a baby making you smile. The countless gifts of God have arrived like many drops of rain – countless, beneficial, necessary, and with a responsibility to be dealt out – to be used. Inundated with these gifts, we gradually come to see that all of them carry responsibility. God has given us a specific lifetime portfolio to handle. We are not children with Christmas gifts, gifts to be played with for an hour.

Talents as a Pun

The word “talent” in the ancient world meant a vast amount of money, or capital. It has come, you may know, over the centuries to today, to mean skill, special ability or aptitude. So it is a pun, a play on word.  What you own that is of value (equivalent to a fortune!) becomes your life-skill to make a fortune and use it for others.

Every gift God has given us is also a joyous responsibility to profit the world with. To some, much has been given, to others, less. What matters is that we do not bury your talents, however large or small but spend them in and involvement with the community.

The Comparison

Perhaps the real point, however, for you and me is beyond that simple one. The point, perhaps, is the comparison – that NOT to use a gift is in fact harmful, detrimental – something bad. The word Jesus uses in the parable to describe the man who buried his talent is the same word as “diabolical.” Absence can mean, only too often, not just a shortcoming but something that produces harm. One omitted word – whether deliberately or accidentally – can cause havoc. A missing limb, a missing part in the machine, a missing gene in a human body – these affect the whole situation.

In other words, This Good News reminds us that failure to act may curtail goodness in the world.

The Importance Here

We penitent followers of Jesus know enough to apply the point to myself and not judge whether others use their talents. You and I are gifts of God that God has invested in this time and place. You are a trusted individual. Using what you have received – of whatever kind – is God’s gift to the world. That is what you are, a talented, rich person entrusted to make a difference by investing what and who you are into today.