Theological Truth: In the economy of God’s grace, sharing God’s gifts multiplies them rather than diminishes them.
Three times a year, we do something in church which is simultaneously risky and beautiful. I’ll give you a clue, two of the occasions take place in December at Advent Lessons & Carols and at the Christmas Eve service. The other occasion is during the Great Vigil of Easter. You know it now, don’t you? Yes! Candles for everyone! As we enter church, everyone gets a candle, and then at some point in the service, we pass the flame from one person to another, young and old, steady and unsteady, confident and trembling.
The spreading of the candlelight creates a beautiful glow and a holy ambiance, but perhaps what really moves us is the manifestation of this truth: God’s light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.
But there’s another truth on display on those occasions that is every bit as important, particularly in this time between Christ’s ascension and his coming again. As we wait and work for the coming of God’s kingdom, it is important to remember that when we share the gift of the Gospel, it is magnified, not diminished. Just as lighting someone’s candle adds light without dimming ours, sharing the light and love God gives us creates more of it in and for the world. By giving it away, we don’t give it up. There’s no danger in sharing it, but there are consequences for hoarding it.
During this long green season of the church year, in this time after Pentecost but before Advent, we’ve been growing in our knowledge and love of the Lord, and we’ve been learning how to bring God’s kingdom to life and light while we await Christ’s return. That’s why we wear these green vestments—green for the season of growing. That’s why we’ve been hearing Jesus’ teaching about the work of disciples: There is Kingdom work for us to do. That’s why we have one more(!) parable from Matthew’s gospel—one more difficult and uncomfortable parable about what recipients of the Gospel are supposed to do and the consequences for not doing the work we’ve been given.
Today’s parable picks up following last week’s story that Jesus told of the wise and foolish (or the careful and careless) bridesmaids—five of whom were prepared for the lengthy work of lighting the path for the coming one, and five who were disappointed because they were not prepared. Jesus transitions quickly to this story about a wealthy man who, before going away on a journey, entrusts each of his slaves with an exorbitant gift. One gift would have been worth 20 years’ salary, the other 40 years’, and the other 100 years’ worth of salary! What a treasure they’ve each been given! Two of the recipients work with this unearned treasure. They value it, they trade with it; they put it to use in the world. But the third claims to be afraid of his master. Perhaps he doesn’t trust that the treasure really belongs to him. Jesus tells us he “dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” (v. 18) Was it really about his master, or was it about his inability to accept the reality of this treasure he had received?
You remember the rest of the story, “after a long time” the master comes back to check and see what they’ve done with the treasure he gave them. The two who had taken it out of the box, so to speak, and shared it out into the world were congratulated, affirmed, given even more, and invited into the joy of their master. But the one who buried it away, who had the original gift but nothing more, was called wicked and lazy, relieved of what he had, and cast into the outer darkness.
Yikes. That’s a story that will get your attention! How can we enter into the Lord’s joy, rather than be cast into the outer darkness? How can we avoid burying the treasure we’ve received?
The first step is to understand that treasure. Rather than using the word “talent” with all its modern English definitions, it helps to hear it as their master giving them a large and improbable gift of unimaginable value. The Gospel is the treasure that we have received. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we have been given an improbable gift of unimaginable value. In Christ, God has revealed the depths of his love for the world and each of us. God loves us to death…and back to life. We have the treasure of knowing that God’s mercy knows no bounds, God’s justice will not be thwarted, God’s presence is unfailing, and God’s way of self-giving, unconditional love has saved, is saving, and will save the world. This is the treasure we have received.
The next question is “What will we do with it?” Will we bury it or hide it away? Will we treat it like something to be saved for later, like the timid, thrifty guy who gets a beautiful luxurious cashmere sweater but is filled with fear, so he decides to save it until he really needs it or when his other clothes wear out or to sell it if he runs out of money. That person never enjoys the gift. And if he goes back in 20 years and finds it riddled with moth holes and two sizes too small, who will have benefitted from the gift?
The alternative is to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the improbable gift of unimaginable value that God has given us in Christ. Take it out of the box, try it on, marvel at it, show it to and share it with the world. Our work is to share the Gospel. It’s a way of being an evangelist…and it’s not as impossible as it sounds.
At Edwin O’Shea’s funeral, his friend Howard talked about how Edwin shared the treasure of light and love he had received. During his remembrance he said that Edwin had loved him so fully and generously that he was surprised to discover that Edwin had many friendships like theirs. He thought he was the only one…. that it wouldn’t be possible to love so many people with that depth of kindness and attentiveness. As if love—like all other commodities—was subject to the same properties of finitude and finality. But Edwin’s way of living out of the treasure of the Gospel illustrated that light and love are magnified by sharing, not diminished. Edwin had entered into the joy of his Master.
Unfortunately, the other side of the parable is true also. When the treasure of the Gospel is hoarded and hidden away, there is darkness and weeping, sadness and gnashing of teeth. We as individuals, as well as the rest of the world, miss out on the light and love of God.
Don’t be afraid to share the treasure we have received with the world. Act with the trust that this Love made known to us in Christ Jesus is the way to life. Operate with the certainty that there is no limit to God’s grace and power. Enter into the fullness of joy that is God’s desire for all of God’s creation. There’s no need to hoard or hide it. There’s nothing to be gained by burying it. And there’s plenty of darkness dispelled when we share it.
— Fr. AJ Heine, Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church of Staunton
Twenty-fifth Sunday After Pentecost, November 19, 2023
Readings: Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18; Psalm 90:1-8, 12; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30
