Talents and Faithfulness to the Creator
16th Sunday after Pentecost
2 Corinthians 6:1-10; Matthew 25:14-30
“We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain…” (2 Corinthians 6,1)
At times we can hear praise directed towards a singer or some other artist, "That's a gifted person!"
And the expression "gifted" is mainly attributed to that person’s achievements, even though the giftedness cannot be imputed to any meretricious actions by said person.
That grace is what a person receives as a gift from the Creator, even when one inherits those abilities from one’s father and mother.
Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the parable of the talents, teaches us that all gifts, all our abilities, which we have, are all from God the Creator. And that is why God values us not according to our own abilities, but by how we use those His gifts. In the parable, the first received praise not because he was gifted the most, he was entrusted with as many as five talents, but because he developed and doubled the entrusted capital. The second servant did the same doubling by his activity. Note that the master, who in the parable symbolizes God the Creator, uses the same words to mark the first and second servants:
" ’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' " (Matthew 25,23)
The third servant was punished not because he had only one talent, but because he did not develop it, did not multiply it. He wasted God's gift, buried it. In those who do not multiply, do not develop their abilities, as stated in the parable, these gifts are taken away from them. (Mat. 25:28-29)
At times, we can hear spoken among people: "Well, that man is not capable of anything..." Mentally and physically healthy people cannot maintain such a condition. If a person did not show any abilities, for the benefit of himself and others, then that person "buried" his talent and turned out to be a "wicked and lazy servant" (Mat. 25,26); or perhaps his educators, parents or teachers, or some leaders in society misdirected him to an unsuitable discipline and, consequently, such a person is unable to reveal his abilities.
There are numerous such examples in history, when parents or superiors directed their subordinates onto the wrong path. The parents of Paul Rubens (1577-1640) very much wanted their son to attain the rank of general, but Paul Rubens had another gift from God and revealed himself to the world as a great artist.
Jean-Pierre Rampal’s French parents wanted their son to become a doctor. He tried to please his father and mother; he obtained a doctor's degree, but he revealed himself to the world as an extremely talented musician, - he played the flute...
Stepan Rudansky's father was a priest, and stubbornly insisted that his son study theology and then be ordained a priest as well. But Stepan felt a different calling - he became a good doctor and a famous poet.
Talents and abilities are given by God and we must learn to recognize them, develop and multiply them for the good and benefit of humanity. Talent, giftedness cannot be stored as some kind of dead capital; just as muscles disappear without use, so do human abilities, given to us by God. When we do not use them for a long time, they disappear, the Creator takes them away from us.
When choosing a profession, one must pay close attention to a person's abilities. People sometimes choose professions from erroneous positions: for example, agreeing that their son study to be a doctor, because doctors earn a lot... Sometimes one can earn more by selling old cars, but in order to study medicine in order to be able to treat people, one needs to have the appropriate gifts from God .
Before God, any profession, any occupation that serves the good of people is good. Therefore, all people are given the opportunity to do good and useful things; they are given the opportunity to be worthy before God and before people. It is evidenced by Apostle Paul:
"…glory, honour, and peace to everyone who works what is good… (Romans 2:10).
There are two false views regarding talents: some are overcome by pride when they have special gifts, such as in singing, music or some outstanding specialty, and other people underestimate the great work, efforts that those gifted people put into their professions, their performances .
After all, outstanding talented singers and musicians need to study for years and invest much work and time to prepare their artistic performances. Singers, violinists or pianists need to practise almost every day in order to perform in front of an audience on rare days.
Talented doctors and engineers need to study in higher institutions of learning for many years, deny themselves many pleasures in their youth, spend considerable financial resources to acquire those professions, and then work diligently and systematically to achieve success in their professional activities.
Underestimating the work and efforts of talented people often discourages them and creates a wall of hostility between them and other people.
But it is a great mistake and injustice when these above-mentioned talented people begin to consider themselves deserving because they have abilities that other people do not have. People simply forget that they could not make up for it with any amount of work and effort, if they had not first received those spiritual gifts-talents from God the Creator. In order to develop and multiply something, one needs to first possess it.
When talented people, people gifted with special talents, will always remember that they were already gifted with God's gifts at birth, which they must develop for the glory of God, for the good of their neighbours, then they will always feel the helping hand of the same Creator's care in their difficult labours. The Lord will also increase their strength; they will always feel inspiration from on high, which manifests itself in creative inspiration, which poets, composers and other creators of spiritual values need so much.
People can create real spiritual values only in connection with their Creator, whom they can only emulate to some extent. Having created us in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), God thereby gave us gifts for creativity. Therefore, let us imitate our Creator to the extent of the opportunities given to us.
Amen.
Very Rev. Fr. Taras Slavchenko
Taras Slavchenko was born on March 8, 1918 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. After graduating from school and the Pedagogical College, he entered the language and literature faculty of the Scientific Pedagogical Institute. Having successfully completed it in 1938, he served as a teacher in a secondary school.
