In Charge

Judges 4:1-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, Matthew 5:14-30

Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, November 13, 2005

Heritage Congregational Church, Madison, WI

When Regina was twelve years old, everyone in her youth group was given two dollars. In eight weeks, they were supposed to come back with the money they had made from the original two dollars. Regina went home and baked a cake. She hadn’t baked that much before, but refused help from her mother. She wanted to do this herself. She had been entrusted with the two dollars, and it was her responsibility to make it grow.

Regina sold her first cake and soon her cakes were in demand. She took so many orders that she could hardly keep up. At the end of eight weeks, Regina had made $700 from selling her cakes. The money was given to the church for a special project they were working on. They wanted to build a home for senior citizens on church property, and every group at church became involved. That is where the idea came for the youth group to participate.

Not everyone had the same attitude as Regina, however. Many of the youth were frustrated they were given such a small amount. They wondered what profit could come from a $2 base. They thought $2 was too little to do anything with, and felt defeated before they began. They thought what they had been given could not possibly grow into anything worth giving, and so they didn’t even try. They quit before they began.

You all know Regina. She’s sitting right there in the choir. And this really happened to her. From $2 she made $700. With the right attitude, she multiplied the gift that was given to her.

Sounds like the Parable of the Talents, doesn’t it? The only major difference is the value of a talent. It is worth a great deal more than $2—even in Jesus’ time. A talent was worth approximately fifteen years wages. It was a lot of money.

In the parable, a man entrusts his property to his slaves while he is gone. He gives it over to them completely, according to their ability. They get to make their own decisions regarding the proper use and care of the talents while the master is away—no specific instructions are given. Two of the slaves make the most of what they have been given—doubling the value.

But there is one who is different, and like the youth group members who think $2 is too little to increase, this man buries the talent he has been given in the ground. He hides it, making no effort whatsoever to use the gift he has been given or to care for it. He simply keeps it as it is.

We know from the response of the master upon his return what results he was wanting. For those who increased the talents they were given, there is great reward and happiness—more talents and joy. But for the one who buried the talent in the ground, what he has is taken away and he is faced with the wrath of the master.

The moral of the story seems to be that we should use what God has given us. Do not let it sit idle, do not hide it or bury it. Use it, care for it, watch it increase. Then return it to God with gladness. Show that you have made good use of what God has placed in your care.

And this does not just pertain to money—even though that is the example which illustrates the parable. Any gift given to us by God is applicable.

When we look at our passage from Judges today, we find the Prophetess Deborah, sitting under her shade tree, judging those who live in her vicinity. It would be easy enough for Deborah to sit back and enjoy what she has been given without ever taking any risks, without ever making any difficult decisions, doing the minimum with what God has entrusted her.

But that is not what Deborah does. She uses what God has given her—her position, her prophetic nature, her political power—to work for God’s good in the land. Instead of simply sitting and receiving those who would come to her for advice and to settle disputes, Deborah sends for people to come to her. She challenges them to do God’s will and to fight for God’s ways. She gives them the tools needed to fight the battle ahead. And, most importantly, she goes with them. She does not stay behind, comfortable underneath the breeze of the palm tree. She takes action, helping the gifts God has given her, to grow and multiply. She returns to God what belongs to God many times over. Deborah knows how to use God’s talents.

Not all of us are entrusted with great sums of money, or the powerful position of Deborah. But we are all entrusted with the gift of faith. Like the other gifts, it belongs to God and is placed in our care.

In 1 Thessalonians, we are urged to act in faith, to not let our faith sit idle or bury it. We are not to fall asleep, but to keep awake and be ready for what God would have us do. We are to wear our faith and love and hope. People should be able to see it on us. We are to encourage each other, and engage in the act of building one another up in faith. In other words, we are to act in such a way that our faith will grow and multiply, and help others to do the same.

We know the lesson, but can we see ourselves in it? We all know we have been entrusted with gifts from God, but are we able to see their use? Often, I fear, we fail to recognize the talents God has placed in our care. We either minimize their importance (This is only $2—what can I do with that?), we find it difficult to accept that God has gifted us at all (I’m not important enough to be of any use to God), or like the third slave in the Parable of the Talents, we are just plain afraid (for any number of reasons). But, rest assured, God has gifted each and every one of us. And each and every gift is necessary and useful for God’s Kingdom. Each one is of value. Each one is given for the purpose of growing.

Some of us are gifted with external things—an amazing smile that encourages, words that build up, physical strength to help those in need, money to spread around, land and space to share, a large automobile to give rides to those who need them. Some are gifted with internal things—the gift of prayer of contemplation, intelligence to study math or science, the hands, eyes and ears of an artist, the vision of teaching, a heart to share compassion, love, and understanding, and the list goes on and on. All of these are things belonging to God and placed in our care. We have been given an abundance of riches from God and have been asked to care for them.

What the parable tells us is more than just an encouragement to use what God has given us, it is a mandate—an imperative--a commandment. We have been put in charge of many things. This is strong language. These gifts have not been given to us just to use if we feel like it or if we happen to be paying attention. We are in charge of the things of God. They have been placed in our care. What an amazing thing to have the divine placed in our hands! It is our responsibility to use them as God would have us. It is our responsibility to live our faith and help it to grow. It is our responsibility to seek out the talents God has given over to us in this life and use them to their fullest. And, it is our responsibility to help others to see their gifts as well and encourage their growth.

As Christians, we are to see the possibilities. That is what being in charge means. Like Regina, Deborah and two of the slaves from the Parable of the Talents, we are to see what is possible and let that lead us. I think of a teacher with a room full of students. Imagine the different results that will emerge, depending on what the teacher sees. If the teacher sees limitations, that will be what the students see as well. If the teacher sees possibilities, so will the students. Just think of it.

We are asked to look at our lives with God’s eyes, seeing the value in every gift given by God—even if in our eyes it may seem insignificant. Remember, these talents are not given to us to keep. They will be given back to God, to their rightful owner. We are the earthly stewards of all that God has. What will be our response?