Risk?

our gifts, our talents are like that knife. God gave us something beautiful, something which can do a lot of good things, but placed in our hands we don’t know quite what to do with it. Placing these gifts in God’s hands, placing our lives in His hands, then, then we can see how wonderful the gifts are, we can see what truly wonderful things we can accomplish with God’s gifts.

A second story:

A pastor wrote:

"I was approached by a foreign student whose relatives, with whom she was living, had become unemployed. At that time, she was called by her family saying her parents were ill and needed her help, could she return? The request came to me, could the church help? Facing a $1,000 ticket which was more than the discretionary fund in the church budget would allow, I decided to ask some individuals. Of the selected 7 individuals, 5 didn’t even want to hear all the details and said, "pastor, if you need the check, it’s yours." Of the two who had some reasons for the put-off in a couched refusal, both represented the wealthiest persons with the most means!"

Third Story:

Are you a Risk-taker or a safety-seeker?

Responding to the increasing destructiveness of high winds in the Midwest, one developer in Tulsa, Oklahoma, offered an optional tornado-safe room in the new homes he was selling. It cost an additional $2,500 for the room&emdash;which can also be used as a closet, bathroom, or vault when not needed for safety.

What would you do if you were building your home there? I know what I would do &endash; I would go for the tornado-safe room in a skinny minute. This New Englander is scared to death of tornadoes!

If you opted for the room, you were like Nine of the first ten buyers.

The tenth couple didn’t get the room. They chose to have a hot tub installed instead. Why do you think they did that? Were they foolish young folks?

Actually, they were 75 years old. I suppose they figured if the Good Lord had gotten them through 75 years without being killed by a tornado, he could get them through as many more as He chose and they’d rather enjoy the Jacuzzi than worry about tornadoes.

[from: Americans Are Facing More Disasters, USA Today (5-23-00)]1

All of these stories illustrate points in our gospel lesson. Jesus is making a point that we should risk and that what he gives us we should use to His glory and to the glory of those around.

At first glance to this parable, it might seem like it is capitalism gone amuck. It would seem Jesus is saying that the rich should get richer. For Jesus said a man was going on a journey and gave five talents to one servant, two talents to another and one talent to yet another each according to his ability.

Then the man returns and wants to know what happened to that which he gave each man. The first two servants used what the master had given them and made more, but the third servant did not do anything with what was given him. Notice, the master did not ask for his talents back, but was pleased because the first two did something with that which was given them.

The first two servants took a risk for the future and were willing to risk that which was given them. And that is the point, isn’t it?

Jesus is telling us that we have been given talents, gifts, abilities and we should use those for the kingdom of heaven. He was saying to the third that he really did not