Talents and Justice
God’s justice is not always an easy thing for us to understand. Hopefully we realise that the problem is us, not God :)
Today I wish to look at three parables, all recorded in the book of Matthew and all, in one way or another, having to do with money… and justice. And not just money, but work that produces money. And not just justice, but the foundations of justice… the duty owed to a creator.
Agreed for a Penny
Matthew 20:1-16
For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.
And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.
And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.
But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Boy, can’t you feel for these guys? They worked all day in the hot sun for one lousy penny… oh, wait. That’s not right.
A ‘penny’ was the standard day wage for their type of labor. You see this in the beginning of the story. They agreed readily to work for a penny. And they did work, all day. It was only at the end of the day, when the Lord of the manor called up his workers to pay them that they started to complain. Because these others got… just as much as they did!
You get their complaint. And I’m sure that in any court of the land today they would win their case. Those other guys worked less, and got the same pay!
But our Lord focused on another issue. He focused on their word. They said they would work all day for a penny; and now they are complaining about the penny they said they would work for.
Now we aren’t told why he did it except ‘I am good’. And if we look back at the ‘penny’ and if we understand the culture, then we will, perhaps, understand what is going on. These men, through no fault of their own, had only worked an hour. But they had the same needs as the others. They had families to feed, food to buy. And the good Lord made sure they could do so.
Show me a penny!
Matthew 22:15-22
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying,
Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
They say unto him, Caesar's.
Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.
When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
It really helps, when reading the Scriptures, to know the Scriptures. So when you read words like ‘image’ and ‘superscription’ your mind immediately starts jumping to other passages. To remember that man was made in the image of God, and Israel bore his name.
To translate His answer here for moderns: Why are you bothering me about these little pieces of metal with the image of a heathen emperor stamped on them? Don’t you know that you are made in the image of God, and stamped with His name? You may owe the emperor his little pieces of metal, but you owe God everything! The emperor owes him everything!
The Hidden Talent
Matthew 25:14-30
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
My absolute favourite application of this passage comes when I am talking to father’s who refuse to give their daughters in marriage. I once wrote a post called ‘Little Miss Perfect’. Hint: she never married, she was too perfect for any boy. But her friend, Miss Imperfect, married and raised a Godly family. Hint, hint.
This passage, like the others, emphasises that God is the ruler over everything. Everything that we have comes from him, and everything we do is to give glory to Him. The end of this parable, like so many parables, could be ‘What have you been doing this whole time?”
Introduction/Conclusion
This post comes in response to a question posed to me by
How does the Matthew Principle, as illustrated in the Parable of the Talents, inform our understanding of divine justice and responsibility in the use of God-given resources?
Note that he touches on three cornerstones of these parables: justice, responsibility, and ‘God-given resources’. But let’s correct that last one a bit, because the word ‘given’ can be confusing. What does it mean to have a ‘God given’ anything? It means that the thing is not ours. When God ‘gives’ He gives for our use, but for our use for His purposes, and His glory.
So in the end the judgement we are judged by is ‘how well did you do with this thing?’, whatever the thing is. Our time, our talents, our daughters… whatever.
But we need to look at one more parable. One more part of one more parable. Sorry, its in Luke:
Luke 15:29-32
And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
We often forget the incredible blessing given here to the older brother: Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. But we can also not forget the forgiveness that was offered, and given, to the wastrel younger brother. God is just, but He is also merciful. He demands of us that we dedicate every hour of every day to His service… and He forgives us when we stray.
God’s justice is often difficult for us to understand. But God’s commands here are clear: we are His, we are to be about His work. Everything that we have is His, and we should be doing all we can with it, to accomplish His purposes, His goals.
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Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von
Links
Some Theology from Andrew
Love in Division // Podcast Version
Marriage Discussion
I write a lot on the subject of marriage, and one of the most important threads has been a letter exchange with
. Our question in that thread was ‘What Is Marriage?”.Ryan Shortalso contributed.