In the Parable of the Talents, we may be puzzled by one thing: Is God’s gift to us unconditional or conditional (ref. Matthew 25:14-30)?
If we interpret this parable from a literal perspective, it appears that God can be quite calculating and shrewd, especially when it comes to the “talents” that He has given us, and at the end He will demand us to return everything to Him with “interests”! So, is God’s love and gift for us not unconditional? Doesn’t this contradict our image of God whom we believe?
How shall we resolve this dilemma? Do we actually have freedom to choose how we use our God-given “talents”?
We need to understand that, in fact, we are the stewards of God’s gifts, that is, the “talents” in the parable. We are asked to temporarily manage these talents and return them someday.
So, when do we “return” them? On the day of our departure from this world and returning to our Father’s house, or when these “talents” are no longer beneficial and useful for us, they will be “taken back”. Therefore, we shouldn’t worry too much about how much “talents” are given to us as they don’t belong to us in the first place. The amount of gifts has no impact on how well we can utilize them to yield a profit for God. In fact, when we truly audit all the gifts that we received, we are richer than we think. One question remains: how shall we reconcile the fact that God demands us to return our “talents” to Him, principles and interests included?
We may be able to find some clues from the scene that follows the Parable of the Talents in the Gospel of Matthew, when Jesus discussed “the judgement of the nations” (ref. Matthew 25:31-46). In truth, it is by serving the least brothers and sisters of Jesus that we can best use our given talents. If we use our talents of “compassion” and “love”, bestowed on us by our Heavenly Father, to care for the least of our sisters and brothers, the “compassion” and “love” we received will be multiplied through our acts of kindness, just as the “talents” being multiplied through wise investments. On the contrary, if we become a miser who refuses to use our “talents” on the least of our sisters and brothers, these “talents” will lose their purpose and become obsolete!
Such “privatized” talents are no longer gifts and thus, have lost their intended purpose designated by God.
Certainly, God wishes us to fully utilize these talents to serve “the least”, our sisters and brothers most in need. Their needs may be physical and material, or perhaps mental and spiritual. As we care for their needs, Jesus wants us to follow His example and bring the full measure of the Good News of salvation to them, so that they may get to know our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour who can lead us to eternal life. As a result, they, the least of our sisters and brothers, will not only receive God’s grace during their life on earth, but also share in the joy of eternal salvation at the end!
This, in fact, is the true meaning of “living for God”; our earthly “work” that is most pleasing to God.
Our God who gives unconditionally does not want us to be perfect in “reciprocating love for love”, rather, He only desires us to follow His example of sacrificing ourselves for others. In this way, we can truly live for the benefits of others in the name of “living for God”. Indeed, such is our only way to return God’s love for us.
If every single Christian endeavours to fulfil this duty, we will be able to accomplish “the greater works” commanded by Jesus. Indeed, such is our lifelong lesson!
Reflection
Do you yearn for “living for God”? How would you make this a reality in your life?
How can you achieve the goal of being utilized by God? What would you like to do for God?
Have you ever, consciously or unconsciously, buried some of the “talents” without fully utilizing them?
Today’s Prayer
Loving Abba Father, I recognize how inadequate my understanding of “living for You” and “labouring for You” is! I may be “living for You” and “labouring for You” in name only; in reality, I only live for myself and do what pleases me. My immature thinking has prompted me to, consciously or unconsciously, bury the ”talents” that You have given me. Thank you for opening my mind so I may begin to understand the true meaning of “living for You”. Instead of following my own idea of living and labouring for You, I should follow the example of Jesus, lay down myself and enter into others’ lives, in order to live and make sacrifices for them. From now on, I am willing to follow Your guidance so that I may live for others in You. For this I pray, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
主，天父，感謝祢🙏
請幫助我為祢而活
請助我為祢而用
我要善用祢賜給我的塔冷通
以主基督為榜樣
放下自己為主服務
期盼能以愛還愛
回報上主賜給我們的大愛
以上祈禱是因主基督聖名而求
求主俯瞰
亞孟
請問塔冷通英語是什麼！感謝天主。
talent
Talent was a unit of coinage of high but varying value depending on its metal( gold, silver,copper) and its place of origin.
感謝
主啊！以往我一直以為善用祢給予我們的塔冷通只局限於物質的範疇內。今天的主題教導我們更要在精神及霊性上去服侍有需要的兄弟姐妹。求袮指導及引領我為袮而生活，亞孟。
愈顯主榮！你有多大的渴望，天主就能做多少！
不要用自己狹小的心胸來限制天主的無限的寬宏大量。
Amen
It has been quite a lengthy period when I thought my acts will please God without realizing that I was actually doing them to please myself. Hence, I try to avoid as much as possible when I was confronted with frustration in the process. Time for reflection is one of the gifts God has given me, upon which I can be more at peace when the response from the others are not to my expectation. I might not have made use of my ‘talents’ in the past, but I pray that I will say as many ‘yes’ as possible to our heavenly Father in the days to come.
「不論做什麼，不從私見，也不求虛榮，只存心謙下，彼此該想自己不如人；各人不可只顧自己的事，也該顧及別人的事。」(斐2:3-4)這是聖保祿宗徒給我們的提醒。雖則天主賜給了我們每人的「塔冷通」，然而，我們很多時只是為了滿足自己的意願，而忘記了這些「塔冷通」的真正意義，或者可以說是誤用了它罷了！
的確，我們領受了聖洗聖事，就是要成為一個願意「死於自我，而活於天主」(羅6:11)的人。只有學習基督「為天主而活」，慷慨地與有需要的弟兄姊妹分享，這才是真正善用祂所賜的「塔冷通」，也是我們歸向天主的里程。
主給予我們的塔冷通都不一樣，白白得來的，有人非常幸運，有人自沾自喜。
每天生活，我們是用這些塔冷通來混飯吃？還是在找尋耶穌基督所說「更好的、更有意義的那一份」？
值得大家反思。
感謝主！祢賜給我的塔冷通，我一直都視為恩物，那是我白白得來的，也應無條件的與他人分享！可是我自覺無資格、無能力向別人表達那是天主在我身上彰顯祂的能力，而不是我個人的成就。我往往自視過高，而沒有體會天主藉著我要完成祂在弟兄姊妹的作為，我竟然視之為我的成就。主，今天祢再提醒我，要為祢而活，我是祢的工具，祢願意透過我成就弟兄姊妹的需要，不是我的能力，而是祢的大能和慈愛，完成祢的工程！
仁愛的天父，
我明白自己的格冷通是為天主而活。我要照顧患疫病的母親，確實無力感改善轉好，祈求祢能降恩！🙏🙏🙏
你悉心照顧你患病的母親便是善用天主給你的恩賜。
天主是無條件給我們生命的力量,我現在明白多了塔冷通的比喻,人生要有 意向及取棄的時候,有自由及選擇時,我会祈禱得聖神的提示及立的引導
天主聖神求禰降臨，請轉化我的心，並藉著禰付與我管理的塔冷通來分施身邊有需要的人！求彌繼續的引領！為此所求，是靠主基督。亞孟
慈愛的天父
請拿走我自我中心的想法、意願、計較、猶豫、恐懼、吝嗇、……等等，除去一切阻礙我承行祢旨意的障礙，開啟我的心目，留意到周遭人的需要，善用和分享從祢處得到的恩賜，服務周遭有需要的人，不再浪費祢的饋贈，更不希望錯過任何為「塔冷通」增值的機會，因為時間有限，生命是短促的。因我們的主耶穌基督。亞孟。
「捨己為人」的精神是祢對我們的期望，實在地為他人的益處而活來回饋祢。
聖神，請鼓勵我為弱小的弟兄姊妹服務，也提醒我時常將天國的福音傳遞給他們，
展示天父的愛、憐憫丶寬恕和慈悲 ; 讓更多人認識祢，分享祢的愛，接受基督的救恩。
這是我餘生的工作。求主予以成全。亞孟。
主，多謝袮的光照，使我看到袮給我的塔冷通—–金錢和時間。
通過20、21這兩天的默想，使我知道怎樣去運用袮給我的塔冷通了。
「為天主而活和工作」~ 感謝天主讓我最近加入《生命恩泉》這個大家庭工作，讓我可以全身投入，在工作領域上讓主帶領我作祂的工具。
但是，為天主而活和工作又豈止局限於表面上的傳教工作和教會團體的服務呢？天主的塔冷通是給每一個人的，天主的召叫也是給每一個人的。我們的生活裏，有大大小小的機會去為我們身邊最小的弟兄姊妹服務，我們願意回應天主的召叫嗎？小編最近體驗到，即使在我以為努力為主工作的同時，如果我忽略去照顧和體察我丈夫和子女的需要，我是在自打嘴巴，沒有管理好天主交給我的塔冷通~家庭，也沒有讓子女們在我身上看到愛的臨在，那我所做的一切都是徒然的。
願主助佑我們活於當下每一刻，以愛體現和分享天主給我們的塔冷通。
Jesus, please help me to live and work for you in my daily life and use wisely the talents you gave me instead if bury them in the ground.
Thank you father God ….Amen