And to the servant who, having received two talents, came back with four talents, their lord spoke in like manner.
“But he that had received the one talent came and said: ‘Lord, I know that thou art a hard man[1]; and, being afraid, I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold, here thou hast that which is thine!’ Then his lord, answering, said: ‘Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I was a hard man. Thou oughtest, therefore, to have committed my money to the bankers, and, at my coming, I should have received my own with usury. Out of thy own mouth I judge thee. Take ye away, therefore, the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents. For to every one that hath, shall be given, and he shall abound ; but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away. And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ”
COMMENTARY.
In the Parable of the Talents, the man who delivered his goods to his servants is our Lord Jesus Christ. His goods are the gifts bestowed on us by Him as our Creator, and all those graces which He as our Redeemer left with us when He returned to His Father and “went into a far country”. The talents, therefore, signify life, health, memory, understanding, fortune &c. as well as faith, sanctifying and actual grace, and all means of grace, especially His own Body and Blood in the Most Blessed Sacrament. All these gifts, natural as well as supernatural, are talents given to us, of which we are to make good use. We can “trade with them” by using them for the glory of God and the salvation of our own souls.
Almighty God distributes His gifts (for they are His, and we are only His stewards) in different measure, as He pleases. He does not, therefore, require an equal return from all, but only a good will and strenuous effort to serve Him and advance His glory. “Unto whom much is given, of him (when our Lord comes to judge) much shall be required” (Luke 12, 48); and it follows that of him who has received less, less will be required, though he who by trading with two talents gained other two, received the same signs of approbation as did he who had gained five more with the five entrusted to Him. Both made a good use of their gifts, and by corresponding with grace and performing good works merited an increase of grace. The reward given to the faithful
- ↑ A hard man. i. e. hard to satisfy and hard to deal and reckon with. “The wrong-doer generally turns an excuse into an accusation” (Schegg).
