On Sunday Pastor Emillie preached about the similarities between today's Parable of the Talents and last week's Parable of the Bridesmaids.
A past, more conventional interpretation of this parable builds on the master's assessment, judgement and condemnation of the slave who buried the one talent he was given.
For years I have not recognized the voice of God of relationship in this passage from Matthew. The parable master's words, particularly his command to throw the slave into outer darkness, have always felt arbitrary and small to me, This was hardly someone being slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
However, I can't ignore scripture, particularly parables, or imagine that their true meaning was somehow lost in bad translations. I see peril in either that ignorance or assumption. So I have waited for God's truth to speak through this parable to my heart. I detailed this in a blog post made in 2017. For years this irritated my soul, like grains of sand irritates an oyster.
In an oyster a pearl is formed when sand slips in between the mantle and shell. This creates an irritation to the mantle. To protect itself, the oyster carefully coats the grain layer by layer with nacre – also called the mother-of-pearl – a mineral substance that’s used to create the shell. Eventually, with enough layers, a beautiful pearl forms.
Pastor Emillie's sermon this week, like last week's sermon, revealed a deep truth about the irritating aspects of these parables. She emphasized how unfair the master's judgement of his slave's abilities and giving each a different amount of money. She referenced the video where, given inherent advantages, people must start at different places on a race track.
When she pointed out it added to my list of past
irritations. I heard only judgment and not Good News. Thanking God for this Gospel passage stuck in my throat. This did not proclaim faith in action but rather
the promotion of a faith in results, measured by the money that each slave made. I am not asserting there is only one way to understand this parable. This was a way that drew me into God's presence.
For years these irritations have gradually been coated with the kind of nacre that comes from deep-held Lutheran beliefs and my personal faith in God. What I saw yesterday was the slave who was given the one talent, spoke only the truth to his master. The master, indeed, is reaping where he did not sow. He is gathering where he did not scatter seed. And this master demonstrates his harshness. Pastor Emillie preached that the master here may only mirror what we view in the world as our wise and practical behavior. Doing nothing with this money ends this master's, and the world's, cycle of exploitation of those who can least afford it.
Matthew 13:45-46 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
On Sunday what I viewed in the past as potential peril became my pearl of great value and thank God for this Good News.
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