November 19, 2023
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
Like the passage from the book of Wisdom and the Parable of the Ten Virgins from last week, both the First Reading and the parable from Matthew today give us wise words on how to live faithfully according to the Gospel.
The First Reading is taken from the book of Proverbs (Prov. 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31) which is another one of the wisdom books found in the Old Testament. Like the book of Wisdom, Proverbs is a collection of sayings and instructions on how to behave wisely and show good judgment in matters of faith. Many of the verses contain lessons or words of advice given by parents to their children.
Today’s reading is one such example. It is a series of instructions given by a queen mother to her son, a figurative king of a place called Massa, named “Lemuel,” Hebrew for “devoted to God.” In this passage the advice for King Lemuel describes the type of woman who would make a worthy wife.
She is said to have many of the qualities of Lady Wisdom herself. She is far beyond the worth of jewels because she shows prudence in judgment, especially when it comes to handling financial affairs and running a household. She works hard and skillfully at her spindle yet reaches out to the poor and needy. And, most importantly, she is not conceited, nor concerned with her outward appearance, but rather respectfully fears the LORD.
This concept, “fear of the LORD,” is something which is sometimes misunderstood to mean being afraid or fearful of a mighty domineering God. But the real meaning of the concept “fear of the LORD” is intended to portray someone who is reverential and humble before God, making the will of God a priority in his or her life.
The queen mother tells her son Lemuel that such a wife is to be admired. She says, “The woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Acclaim her for the work of her hands, and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.” (Prov. 31:30b-31).
When we turn to the Gospel from Matthew for today (Mt. 25:14-30), we see another allusion to the concept, “fear of the Lord.” Here we encounter Jesus following up his parable of preparedness for the coming of the Son of Man from last week with another called “The Parable of the Talents.”
It is the story of a master who goes on a journey and entrusts his possessions to his servants and the outcome when he returns. He gives five talents to the first servant, two talents to another servant and one talent to a third servant. The first two servants invest quickly and wisely and make a profit, doubling the amount they had received. But the last servant merely digs a hole in the ground and buries the talent given to him.
After a long time, the master returns and recalls his servants to get an accounting of their investments in his absence. The first two servants both recount their success and the fact that they have made a profit by doubling their talents. For this they receive the same praise from their master: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.” (Mt. 25:21,23).
Lastly, the third servant who had received the one talent reports to the landowner saying, “Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.” (Mt. 25:24-25).
For this the servant receives a harsh response from his master, “You wicked, lazy servant! Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (Mt. 25:26a, 27-30).
The lesson of this parable seems quite puzzling: “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” It seems to imply something like “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer,” which we know is contrary to the teachings of Jesus with regard to the message of the Gospel.
But the true meaning in this case becomes apparent when we consider the metaphorical meaning of the people in the story and the unit of measure called the talent. The master would be Jesus after his ascension into heaven where he sits at the right hand of the Father. The servants would be the people of the Church who continue to await his return. And the talent would be the hesed of God, Hebrew for God’s all-encompassing love, mercy, compassion, and faithfulness.
This talent, the hesed of God, is the grace of the Holy Spirit which came upon the earliest disciples at Pentecost, symbolized by tongues of fire. Through the generations it has been entrusted to us as the members of the Church established by Christ. It is meant to be used to bring the love of God and the good news of the Gospel to those we encounter in our daily lives – family, friends, coworkers, and even strangers.
Like the first two servants, when we invest the grace of the Holy Spirit in others, it spreads rapidly like fire allowing the kingdom of heaven to pervade the earth. Then God invites us to share the joy of our accomplishments and also gives us more grace as kindling for the fire. But if we merely hold on to God’s grace, it fizzles like a match placed in a hole. What little we have been given has been wasted. We cannot be entrusted with anymore and are left to endure the darkness of separation from Jesus.
Therefore, it comes down to who we follow as a role model considering the characters in the readings for today. We can choose to be like the worthy wife from Proverbs who “fears the LORD.” She recognizes and acknowledges the goodness of God and the hesed she has received, and she wisely uses her talents for the good of her husband, family, and others. Or we can choose to be like the wicked servant of the Gospel who is “afraid” because he misconstrues the nature of his master and the talent he has received and foolishly squanders it by burying it in the ground.
This is what we acknowledge and acclaim in our Responsorial Psalm for today: “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, and who walk in his ways. What your hands provide you will enjoy; you will be blessed and prosper.” (Ps. 128:1).
