“Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.” (Leo Buscaglia) Human beings are considered the crown of creation. The book of Genesis states that we are created in the image and likeness of God. This image and likeness enable us to think, reflect, and act freely. It also includes the talents that we all inherit. The actualization of our talents contributes to our self-actualization. All of us are called to realise our talents and help others realise theirs. In the parable, we see a generous master who entrusts his talents to three of his servants. Talent cannot be measured merely as a definite sum of money; rather, it is a quantity. It can be money, gold, silver, or any other valuable item. This master is a brilliant man because he did not distribute the talent equally. He gives them according to each person’s capacity. He gives five talents to the first one, three talents to the second servant, and one talent to the third servant. He expected them to trade with it and increase it. The first two servants did as the master wished; they increased their talents to double. The first one earned five more, and the second one earned three more. Anyhow, the third servant hid his talents in the mud and failed to live up to the expectations of his master.
When the master came back, all submitted their accounts. The master was pleased by the commitment and fruitfulness of the first two servants. He welcomed them to his happiness. Whereas, the third servant submitted the talent as it was and complained about the demanding nature of the master. “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” (Mt.25:24,25) He knew his master quite well, but it did not prompt him to become the best version of himself; rather, he succumbed to laziness. When Master heard his complaints, he asked him whether he could have deposited that talent in the bank instead of hiding it in the mud. So that he could have received at least some interest. Therefore, he was sent out into darkness.
This parable is an exhortation to recognise and realise our own talents. This talent can be our own special skills or spiritual gifts. Every talent helps us to grow. The moment we realise that these talents are a gratuitous gift from God, we grow closer to Him. When we use these talents for the wellbeing of our brethren, in fact, we grow in our love for fellow brethren. Therefore, we can never take our talents for granted. It is clear from this parable that all of us have to give account of the talents that we have received from God when we stand before the Lord at the end of our life journey. If we come to know only at that moment what talents we had but failed to recognise and realise, then it could be a great tragedy in our lives. We will be similar to the servant who hid his talent in the mud. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to assist us in recognising all the God-given talents and grant his grace to grow deeper in our awareness of our talents so that we may use them for the greater glory of God.