'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones’ replied, 'Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities. ‘Then the second came and reported, 'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.' And to this servant to he said, ‘You take charge of five cities.' Lk 19: 16-19 Friends, God is good, all the time.
We get a repeat of last weekend’s gospel, but the Lukan version. If you can recall details in Matthew's version, you notice a variation in the servant's talent amounts. Matthew reported differences in the talents: five, two, and one; Luke referred to no such distinctions; each servant received one coin.
Here is when context becomes relevant. Remember that Matthew wrote his gospel with the Jewish Christians in mind, and so he reflected the exclusive and superior Jewish assumptions that they were God's favorites and given the best of God's gifts. Hence the five and two talents referred to Jews, but the one talent referred to the Gentiles, who are not God's favorites and deserved rejection. Luke, however, wrote his gospel for the gentiles, stressing God's equal love and recognition to both the Gentiles and the Jews because of Jesus, an extension of Pauline theology. “For all of you who are baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:27-29).
To understand today's gospel, we note that God has given all people equal life; we are all created equally by God, and he loves, cares, and saves all people equally in Christ Jesus. Therefore, God expects all people to use their lives equally to serve him by extending ourselves to others. We are to love, help, and care for others, as exemplified in Jesus.
Hence, we add to the gifts we have received when we step outside our comfort zone, getting out of the silos, and reaching out to serve the church, the community, family, friends, and others.
This parable is paralleled by the sower's parable, where the seeds that fell on good ground bore varied amounts- these were hundred, sixty, thirty- and yet the master was pleased with the various amounts. God cares to see us serving and doing his will. The differences in contributions and abilities don't matter to him. Therefore, let's keep working, loving, and serving to the end.
Prayer blessings: Today it will be great to remember to pray the angelus at 12 noon and or 6 pm.
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary… Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary... And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary... Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.