Giving us the talents, the Lord says: “Do”

Sermon of Archpriest Alexander Abramov in week 15 after Pentecost from the book “whosoever will may come. Conversations on Sundays and feast the gospel reading,” published in the publishing house “Nike”.

Photo: Flavius / orthphoto.net

  • A stake through the body of our envy
  • Sanctify yourselves as the apples of God as a harvest for Christ
  • What to be afraid of Christian
  • For every call of the Lord we must answer: “Yes, I’m ready”
  • For the sake of this Mitzva, many will give up freedom and go on the death

For He will be like a man who, travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods: and unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. He received the five talents went and traded with them and gained other five talents; just received the two talents gained other two; but he that had received one talent went and buried it in the ground and hid the silver of his Lord. For a long time the Lord of those servants, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord! five talents you gave me; lo, other five talents I have gained beside them. His Lord said unto him, well done, good and faithful servant! in thou hast been faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy Lord. Came also that had received two talents came and said, Lord! two talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other two talents I gained upon them. His Lord said unto him, well done, good and faithful servant! in thou hast been faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy Lord. He came and received the one talent and said, Lord! I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gather where I have not scattered, and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth; here’s yours. Mr. him said to him: wicked and slothful servant! you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: you ought therefore to give my silver with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. take therefore the talent from him and give that hath ten talents, for unto every one that hath shall be given, and abundance, and having taken away and that is; and cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Having said this, it has proclaimed: who has ears to hear, let him hear.

MF. 25: 14-30

Archpriest Alexander Abramov

This parable we are very well known. We know that the two servants the Lord rewards a blessing, and about a third said, cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Many were going through this phase of life, when it was sorry for the slave who received one talent from the Lord, from his master, afraid that he is cruel, and afraid to squander that talent. Buried it in the ground, and at the right time returned as much as took. And the Lord has not taken this talent, moreover, blamed a slave for idleness: you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: you ought therefore to give my silver with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

Well, how is it? After all, a slave returns to the master what belonged to him. Yes, profits did not happen, but the loss he suffered. And the Lord is completely satisfied. And we experience even something like sympathy for the guilty slave.

But if you take a closer look at this parable, the point here is not about wine and, of course, about the cruelty of the master, and how man to live with God. Restless with God, with Christ, demanding and at the same time fully trusting towards people.

In our discourse for a long time into these “talents” in the parable. “Do not squander their talents,” people say to each other. “Don’t bury your talent in the ground, you might as well do math”. What kind of talent is it?

Let’s start with the fact that in the middle East in antiquity “talent” is a lot of money, this is a significant financial measure. And when one was given five talents, to another two talents, and to another one, each of them was given a lot. It’s “a lot” two slaves paid for the benefit, multiplied by the capital — of course symbolic. Christ does not tire of repeating this, when talking with his disciples in parables. He who has ears to hear, let him hear, He says, to get even a hint that it is about money and about behaviour.

And now, two of the servants multiplied symbolic capital given to them, and the third brought it like this.

And it turns out that the Savior does not bless the void of idleness, fear, any desire to establish A business, contractual relationships. Not the contract in question.

Sir, went away, didn’t know if he’ll return, did not know that will make slaves. And we know from the parable, for example, on the vineyard, how different can the fate of the master. But, giving talents and leaving us in his will, the Lord says, “Do it”. And to those who is doing have been facing for the blessing of the words of Christ: well done, good and faithful servant! in thou hast been faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy Lord.

What is joy? Is this the joy that was multiplied and replenished His capital? Yes and no. No — in the sense that Christ is indifferent to the monetary treasure. Yes — in the sense that the joy of the Lord comes from the fact that the people receiving the gift, not for own merits, the talents are in the peace of God to add new colors.

Addition, multiplication are synonyms of God’s fullness. Not subtraction, not division, not a denial, but an excess. The abundance of the Kingdom of God, a plethora of talents and talents, the abundance of joy.

This excess, which is in the Kingdom of heaven ceases to be felt as something excessive, but there is joy and completeness, which were performed by David, when he jumped with all his might before the Ark of the Covenant[1].

The futility and caution, the desire to calculate unthinkable in relationship with Christ. Christ does not behave prudently with people, It goes directly against Their interpreted earthly interest, because He doesn’t have that interest. His interest is a Kingdom not of this world, where talents are multiplied, and a good servant enters into the joy of Your Lord, it is a way for the coming of the Creator of the Universe.

Good coming, blessing, denying the emptiness and plant Paradise. Paradise, where everyone is a place where one is happy, for he was created by God in the Council of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy spirit for happiness.

[1] David jumped with all their might before the Lord; dressed was David in the linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and the sound of trumpets (2 Sam. 6: 14-15).

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