What Good is Just One?

What is it with me?

A few years ago, I wrote a piece on The Elder Brother. Most people read the story of the Prodigal Son and see the incredible love and grace of the father, the importance of repentance, and the surety of our Heavenly Father's forgiveness when we repent. They look at the older brother and rightly see the self-righteousness, jealousy, and lack of compassion he displays.

Me? Forget the prodigal. My heart bleeds for the forgotten older brother. Yes, forgotten, because in the excitement over the prodigal's return, no one bothered to send a message to the faithful son working diligently out in the field.

And I'm doing it again--looking at a story intended to teach a right/wrong lesson, and siding with the "wrong"side. This time, it's the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30.  It's a long passage, so I'll sum it up:

Getting ready to leave on a trip, the master of the house gives one servant 5 talents, the next one 2 talents and the last servant one. While he's gone, the first two servants double their money, and are able to present their success to the master with joy at his return, and are rewarded. The final servant had buried the money. When the master returned, the servant dug up the money and gave it back. The master was furious and condemned him to "outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

We applaud the first two servants for their diligence, and shake our head in disgust over the laziness of the third. Although the talent in this story was actually a unit of money, most of us get the connection between the monetary talent, and the English word "talent" meaning "skill, ability." We understand that we are to use the talents God gives us and not hide them.

Jesus Himself showed little mercy for the unproductive third servant.

However, if I may, I would like to take a moment to look at this story from his point of view.

All of us know at least a few five-talent people. People whose talent oozes out at their pores. They're skilled, confident, out in front of the pack. Often, they're the people we wish we could be. Most of them are more than happy to share their gifts with the world. In a choir, we would call them the soloist.

Then there are the two-talent people. Their talent doesn't ooze out of them, but they are competent in their gifts--and usually a bit more humble. A few of them hide their gifts, but for the most part, they seem to fit easily into their niche. They're the back-up singers for the five-talent people.

Finally, there's the one-talents. These would be the ones who have a voice - but are best used in the choir, as one of many.

In the story of the talents, I tend to identify with that third servant. By himself, he's probably content with his talent. But then he sees the blazing beauty of the five-talent servant, and the solid competence of the two-talent servant. He looks down at his tiny little one-talent, and realizes he can never measure up to the first two. The thought crosses his mind, They are so good at what they do, what would they think if they saw how insignificant my gift is? 

"I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground."  Matthew 25:25

I cannot judge him harshly because I've been there. Have you? If they see what I have to offer, they'll just laugh!  So we turn, and we hide what God has given us, because we don't think it is enough.

But that's not our decision to make. In fact, it's a decision that angers the master. He responds to the servant,

"Thou wicked and slothful servant... at my coming I should have received mine own with usury." vs. 26-27

The gift came from God, and when He returns, He expects us to give it back to Him with use(- ury).

Often, I look at what I have to give, and it appears one talent is all I've got. What is that next to what Jane Doe sitting next to me has? What if I am rejected? Or worse, laughed at? Or ignored? That's almost as bad, because then I start to put all sorts of evil thoughts in the other person's head. What if my gift is treated with contempt? Afraid, I put what I have away, hiding it in the earth of my heart. It's so little, I think, no one will notice its lack.

"THOU WICKED AND SLOTHFUL SERVANT!!!!"

The words thunder at me. I was not given the gift to hide it in a fit of cowardice. Because no matter how small I think it is, God had a plan for it when He gave it to me. I am reminded of the George Herbert poem where an entire kingdom was lost for want of  a nail in a horse's shoe.

So, to my fellow one-talenters out there, let me offer a bit of encouragement.

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence."  I Corinthians 1:27-29

Don't forget that it's not about us--it's about God. It is not about what I can do, it is about what He can do.

"...For when I am weak, then He is strong."  II Corinthians 12:10

I am not asked to control the effect of my gift, I am only asked to use it.

Lord Jesus, please give us the courage to step out and use what You have given us, no matter how small, for Your glory. Remind us that we do not need an ocean of faith, just a tiny mustard seed. Teach us that You who made the earth out of nothing, can use even the smallest talent for Your purpose. Thank-You for giving each of us a place in Your plan. Amen.

Jules