One of the Lord Jesus’ most well-known parables is the Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30, Lk. 19:12-27), in which three servants are entrusted with various financial sums and asked to steward these resources wisely so they increase. We all know how the story goes: one trades for many talents, another trades for less, and a third buries the talent. The story is obviously not about gold and silver, otherwise we would all be obligated to go into investment banking for our careers. No, the larger question Jesus asks us as he concludes his public ministry and prepares for the end of his earthly life is: how have we used the gifts (temporal, personal, and financial) that he has given to us? Let’s explore briefly what stewarding these resources means as a disciple of Jesus.
As with all the other precepts, Jesus through his Church establishes a low, non-negotiable bar that all must reach in order to respond to God’s generosity. St. Paul sets the context when he asks the Corinthians, “What do you have that you have not received?” (1 Cor. 4:7) We who have received everything from God (life, breath, health, family, friends, faith, work, etc.) are called to recognize God’s goodness to us and respond as grateful sons and daughters to this good Father.The minimum that Jesus through his Church asks of us is to support the material needs of the Church to the best of our ability. In former times, more specificity was given in the form of a tithe. The ma’aser (“tenth part” in Hebrew) was first referenced in Genesis 14:20 when the patriarch Abraham, returning from victory in battle, is blessed by the priest Melchizedek and gives him a tenth of his possessions in return. The tithe was given by each tribe of Israel to support the poor and provide for the tribe of Levi (priests reliant on the people since they didn’t own property).
In our own day, there are no specifics given because the Church does not want to constrain the faithful of various financial means to the same standard. My own practice is based on percentage and not on dollar amount because it holds me to a commitment while not enslaving me to a specific sum should sudden medical bills or car accident replacement occur. The moral of the Parable of the Talents remains true: we will be judged by what we choose to do with the resources God has given us. Have we satisfied every need and want in our own lives and neglected to help others? By giving to the poor we store up treasure in heaven, and by giving to the Church we enable her to fulfill her mission of proclaiming the gospel more effectively. Thank you to all of you for your continued generosity to our parish, and let us know how we can better serve you with the resources God has entrusted to us through you!
Summary of Precept #5:
To help to provide for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.
