A Lenten Reading of Matthew - Day Thirty-Five

Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:1-30 (NRSVUE)

These two parables are about who is in and who is out.  We may feel a little sorry for the foolish women or the servant who hid his money in the ground.  If we take into account the compassion of Jesus through the Sermon on the Mount but especially in his solidarity with those in need later in this very chapter, the endings of these two parables seem a bit disingenuous.  

With the bridesmaids, shouldn't the wise women share their oil with the foolish?  Wouldn't those who enter the kingdom of God want to do this?

And when the foolish do make an effort to gather the oil they need, the bridegroom makes no effort to forgive but rather forgets he ever knew them.  This doesn't fit well with our understanding of the forgiveness that we believe God offers as outlined earlier in Matthew's Gospel.

So, what does the oil represent?

Similarly, we have the servants who take care of their master's money.  He diversifies his investment by splitting his talents with three different servants.  Two of them double his money but the third takes no risks.  He doesn't lose it either, but this affords him no praise.  It is noted in the parable that they were given the differing amounts based on the master's estimation of their ability.  He already thought the third servant was the weakest of the bunch.  So why is he surprised at the outcome?

What do the talents represent?

I would see the oil and the talents as the actions of righteousness.  This fits with the ending of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus expects us to act upon his teaching.  We can't really share our actions with others - they have to do them for themselves.

And as we've received blessings such as the talents, we must be willing to risk on behalf of others.  If we bury it, we miss out on what they really mean.

Inherently, the blessings we receive may come from the enlightenment we get from actually doing good things for others.  If we never help someone in need, we never experience the joy of transformation.  We are not shaped by love.

As you go through today, what might you do to fill your oil?  What risk might you take with the talents you've received so that they might be multiplied?

Prayer for the day:

Lord, make us to walk in your way:

  where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance;

  where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance;

  where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice;

  where there is peace and contemplation, there is neither worry nor restlessness;

  where there is mercy and prudence, there is neither excess nor harshness;

this we know through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Prayer by Francis of Assisi, 13th Century

Photo by Evan via Flickr.com.  Used under the Creative Commons license.