THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY Evening THE TALENTS Passage to be read: Matt. xxv. 14-30. O understand this parable we must remember that T° the servants spoken of were really slaves. It might seem a strange act on the part of this proprietor to intrust his goods to servants, in our modern sense; but in the old world the slaves had far more power, and were intrusted with far greater responsibilities, than commonly fall to the lot of servants in our homes. In the Latin plays of Plautus and of Terence the slave is a constantly recurring character; and even in the Bible, we find the slave occupying very confidential posts. Abraham's slave is the steward of his household (Gen. xv. 2). We read in Proverbs of slaves acting as teachers (Prov. xvii. 2). And Ziba, the slave of Saul, who himself had fifteen sons and twenty servants, was put in charge of the goods of Mephibosheth, very much as the servants are, in this parable (2 Sam. ix. 2, 10). We must try then to realise these old-world ways, if we wish this parable to be a living story. T makes an interesting study for us, too, to compare this passage with that which precedes it. The story of the Ten Virgins and the tale of the Talents were either spoken by Jesus at the same time, or else were designedly placed side by side by Matthew, who felt that each threw light upon the other. For the former is a parable of watching, and the latter is a parable of working and every Christian watcher is meant to work, and every Christian worker is bound to watch. And the former centres in the heart-supplies, while the latter moves in the sphere of outward service, as if to indicate that, in the Christian life, the heart must always come before the hand. Why did the five foolish virgins fail? Because they were over-sanguine and easy. Why did the man of the one talent fail? Because he was overcareful and afraid. Thus Jesus, in His infinite compassion, moves round the whole circle of the heart in warning. I need nothing more than a study of the parables to assure me that He knew what was in man. NOTE, first, how our gifts are proportioned to our power of using them. In the parable of the Pounds, which we have studied in Luke, you remember that each man got one pound. That is to say, there are certain things (what were they?) that the wisest and the weakest share alike. But here, one man gets five talents, the second gets two, the third gets only one; but they get according to their several ability (v. 15). Now I think that Jesus meant us to learn from that that all we have is wisely and justly given. He wanted to teach us that all our several differences, which sort us out into such strange variety, are not the work of any accident, but of the discriminating hand of God. Are any two girls in the Sunday-school the same? Is not one brighter, stronger, quicker, than the other? It was that which flashed before the mind of Jesus, when He made this householder give different sums. We are not to be jealous of another's gifts. We are not to think how happy we would be, if only we were like-put in the name yourself. We are to remember that all we have is God's, and God has given us all that we could use. The question is, How are you using it? Are you trying to be faithful in the least? Then, 'because thou hast been faithful over few things, I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' AGAIN, mark how non-use is misuse. In the parable of the unjust steward (Luke xvi.), the steward is accused of wasting his master's goods. In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke xv.), the son recklessly squanders the portion he had got. But here, there is no wasting and no squandering; the slave returns every penny he received; yet his lord calls him a wicked and slothful servant (v. 26). Learn, then, that it is not enough to have a gift; the gifts of God are given to be used. God is angry, not only when a talented man does wrong: He is angry when a talented man does nothing. The sure way to have a gift withdrawn, is to be too lazy or too timid to employ it-not to use, at last spells not to have. Henry Drummond used to tell us about the fish in the great caves of Kentucky, and how their eyes were perfectly formed, and yet the fish were blind. They had never used their eyes in the dark caves; the gift of sight that God had given them had been unexercised for generations, until at last non-use became misuse, and the power of seeing passed away. 'Heaven doth with us as we with torches do; Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues As if we had them not.' AGAIN, observe how we misknow God unless we try to serve Him. I do not know what the slave who got five talents thought of his master in his secret heart. But I know that when he did his best with the trust his master had committed to him, he found his master far more generous and far kindlier than he had ever dreamed. But the slave of the one talent said: 'I know my lord (v. 24). I know his temper and his character exactly.' And it was he (who was sure he knew his lord so well) who missed all that was most generous in him! That means, that if we never try to do God's will, we shall never know Him in His love and tenderness. The worst of burying our talent is, that it always keeps us from knowing God aright. Do we wish to find what a loving God He is? Do we wish to feel what joy He can bestow? Then we must be in earnest with every gift we have; we must trade with it, and take the risks. Slothfulness always misinterprets God-'I knew thee that thou art an hard man.' I wonder if the other two would have subscribed to that, when they were summoned into their Master's joy? TH 'HEN, lastly, note how Jesus uplifts language. If you had asked the boys and girls of Nazareth what the meaning of that word 'talent' was, they would have told you it meant a great sum of money-about two hundred and forty pounds with us. But now we speak of a very 'talented' boy, or we say of a man that he has splendid talents,' and it was Jesus who, in this little parable, lifted the word into these nobler meanings. When He found the word, it signified gold and silver; but when He left it, all gifts and graces were in it. That upward sweep is very Christlike. It is just what Jesus has always loved to do with words, and lives, and all the world. What He did for the word 'talent' by one parable, He is waiting to do for you this very day. THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY Morning ELIJAH'S DESPAIR Passage to be read: 1 Kings xix. 1-21. HAT first arrests us in this chapter is the sudden change in the spirit of Elijah. When we last WHA saw him he was in the glow of triumph. He was standing alone against the prophets of Baal, fearless when every power seemed hostile to him. Now he is flying from the rage of Jezebel; his victory has changed into dismay. When Knox had his second interview with Queen Mary of Scotland, and spoke to her in a bold and fearless way, some Papists standing by said, ' He is not affrayed.' Knox turned on them and answered, 'Why should the pleasing face of a gentlewoman affray me? I have looked in the faces of many angry men, and yet have not been affrayed above measure.' But Elijah, who had also confronted many angry men, lost heart when he heard the threatenings of Jezebel, and in our chapter we have him flying for his life. It is a lesson in the peculiar danger that attends all passionate, impetuous, and ardent natures. For an eager temperament such as Elijah's was, there are few perils like the peril of reaction. Some men spend all their days in a gray light. There is little sunshine, and there is little gloom. Others are singing under a blue heaven to-day, and it is they whose sky will be all dark to-morrow. Just think of Simon Peter on the lake-how dauntless in venturing on to the waves to Jesus! And then the next moment what a change of |