Message: Daring Adventures in Faith / Mt 25:14-30
In Korea, there is a saying that, "Trying to catch a bedbug, one burns down the house." It warns about the consequences of losing reason due to excessive fear of small things, which leads to a greater disaster. Unfortunately, in 2018, that actually happened in California where a man, afraid of a spider in his house, tried to kill it with a blowtorch. This resulted in his two-story house catching fire and collapsing. His fear throws him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The parable of the talents in today's Gospel reading is one of Jesus' teachings to his disciples on the Mount of Olives just days before his crucifixion. It is one of the teachings about the end times, following the parable of the ten bridesmaids we talked about last week.
In this story a master entrusted different amounts of talents to his three servants before going on a journey. A talent was roughly equivalent to 20 years' worth of an average worker's wage. The ones who got five talents and two talents each did business with the money, doubling their profits. The reason they were able to take on this adventure was because they had a strong belief that their master trusted them. When the master came back, he praised them and invited them to a joyful feast.
On the other hand, the servant who received one talent acted differently. He buried the money in the ground to avoid any risk. When the master returned, he gave the talent back, saying, "Here you have what is yours." In Jesus' time, this behaviour was a way to avoid being legally responsible for the money entrusted to him. As a result, the master got angry with him and kicked him out.
So, why did the third servant fail to use the money entrusted to him properly? The reason is clear in today's text. It was because of misunderstanding and fear of the master. Despite the master's trust, the servant didn't trust the master. He lived in anxiety, fearing the master's return and his obligation to the entrusted talent.
The theologian Paul Tillich describes a meaningful life in faith as being captured by the "ultimate concern." Simply put, the Christian faith is that we focus on God's concerns and live passionately to see them realized in this world. The servants who received five and two talents exemplify this. They took risks and embarked on adventures to achieve what the master cared about.
On the contrary, without absolute faith, humans cannot escape anxiety arising from death, meaninglessness, or guilt. Some people, in such situations, create visible enemies to incite fear by competing, confronting, and fighting these enemies in order to temporarily forget their anxiety. Tillich states, "The human mind is not only, as Calvin has said, a permanent factory of idols, it is also a permanent factory of fear - the first in order to escape God, the second in order to escape anxiety."
Eschatology is a doctrine that can be easily misused. You might have heard stories about cult leaders who exploit people by promoting fear about the end times. They claim to have complete knowledge of salvation and describe God as a harsh deity. These leaders set specific dates and places, insisting that only a select few will be saved. They create exclusive communities and subject their followers to spiritual, psychological, and emotional abuse. They trap people in fear, cutting off relationships between others and God, all for their own benefit.
In today's text, when the third servant said to the master, "I was afraid,” the Greek word used for "I was afraid" is "φοβέω" (phobeo). The noun form of this verb is "φόβος" (phobos), which is also the name of one of the gods in Greek mythology. In ancient Greece, Phobos was the god of fear and war. For this reason, Alexander the Great offered sacrifices to Phobos, and the city-state of Sparta, known for its warlike society, had a temple dedicated to Phobos. It shows the fact that, by paralyzing the mind and soul, fear makes people exclusive, cynical, and violent.
Of course, when we encounter God, we experience fear and trembling in the presence of divine greatness, similar to the awe felt when gazing at the majestic Rocky Mountains or the night sky with numerous stars and galaxies. However, the God we believe in is not like Phobos. Jesus Christ never manipulates people's fear.
Facing fearful disciples while walking on water, Jesus says, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid" (Mt 14:27). Speaking to Jairus, who thought his daughter had died, Jesus says, "Do not fear. Only believe, and she will be saved" (Lk 8:50). To his disciples who were worried about food and clothing, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Lk 12:32). To Peter, James, and John who were terrified at the voice on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus says, "Get up and do not be afraid" (Mt 17:7). To the female disciples who were astonished at his resurrection, Jesus says, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me" (Mt 28:10).
We are not people of fear; we are people of faith. We believe that we are called to live passionately for what God cares about and that God has entrusted us with unique gifts and abilities. When we take risks for the sake of the Kingdom of God, we will bear abundant fruit. We will face our last days with joy and peace, not fear and terror. Our faith is the oil of the lamp that lights up the darkness.
The crucial point is that Christian hope is not blind optimism about the future. In the Gospel of Matthew, just before Jesus speaks the parables about the end times, he details how grim and desperate the reality will be during the time of tribulation. He particularly warns that greater anguish will come upon vulnerable people (Mt. 24:19).
Jesus shared the terrible reality so that those suffering even more would be approached, befriended, comforted, and shared with about the hope of the Kingdom of God. In the final parable about the end times, Jesus declares that whatever is done for the least in the world is done for God to encourage his disciples to serve those in need in the midst of disaster.
Recently, more people are experiencing what is called eco-anxiety, defined as "a chronic fear of environmental doom." Climate change and environmental pollution are threatening the mental health of many, causing discouragement and despair.
Climate change is a reality, and it causes more serious harm to the vulnerable. According to the 6th report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2022, "human-induced climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused widespread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people, beyond natural climate variability," and "between 2010–2020, human mortality from floods, droughts, and storms was 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions, compared to regions with very low vulnerability."
But this reality cannot discourage us. Despair is not our word. We are the ones who embark on an adventure to solve the climate crisis. Like Jesus, who came as a light into darkness, we are the children of God who share the light of hope with those suffering from the brutal reality, using the talents that God has entrusted to us.
The exact day and time of the end are unknown. But we are sure that God trusts us and calls us to be Her partners. We are not alone. In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. May all of us here join in the journey towards the Kingdom of God with faith, love, and hope.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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