Wednesday 17 November 2010

Background

Luke's account of the story of the talents is more complicatedand perhaps for that reason less well known than Matthew's one (Matthew 25:14-30). It isn't easy on the ear!Rich people getting richer; hated noblemen getting angry;frightened slaves getting punished. It's not easy at all. One thingthat might help us understand the story is to know that a parableis not quite the same as other forms of story such as an analogy, ametaphor or a fable. While one may well want to ask what thevarious details mean, you can sometimes make the best sense of suchstories by, 'feeling them' and getting the overall impression,rather than, 'interpreting them'. They are big brush stroke storiesthat you hear, are touched by and perhaps remind you of things youalready know from somewhere else. If you get too 'clever' withthem, you can miss the point.

This story is about strong feelings: of a hated leader, a fearfulslave, incredulous bystanders, 'Lord he has ten pounds!' and ofanger and harsh judgement. It isn't an easy tale and like adiscordant note in a piece of music, carefully placed by acomposer, it is meant to stand out, trouble you and cause you toremember and wonder. The feelings of anger and rejection, of fearand incredulity are not offered as 'the right feelings', but ratherthe sort of thing we might, and probably do feel in an everydayworld, where God's rule seems difficult to see and justice far fromhappening. We are asked when Jesus seems so distant, 'do you alsohate the nobleman travelling far away to get royal power?' We alsoseem to wonder, 'why do some people find it all so easy and we sohard?' Sometimes, perhaps our hearts are full of fear and doubt atwhat is expected of us by God when we feel we have so little'. Theoverriding message, the big brush stroke, is that God may seemdistant, people may reject him, but actually he is truly trustingus and we can make a difference.

To Ponder

How do you feel about where Jesus is in your ownexperience?

How do you feel about your gifts and graces?

In Prisons Week, where are you being challengedto take a risk and not play it safe any more?

And Pray
Help me to notice all that you have trusted me with, and byyour grace and love to become more trustworthy.