parable of the talents

[Nathan Newman]

It's an odd parable and is a primary one used by those promoting
Chrisitianity as a gospel of wealth, but that is an unlikely interpretation
for a couple of reasons.  One, the story is not one of individual
entrepreneurs but of servants entrusted with capital and their success or
failure in acting on behalf of the master.

It is also embedded in the most apocolyptic part of Matthew when the Rapture
is envisioned.  The whole story seems more a metaphor for whether people
given gifts by God will multiply them in the world in service to God.  It is
notable that the parable is immediately followed by God praising those took
care of the poor and strangers, for "whatever you did for one of my brothers
here, however humble, you did for me" and notes that those who were miserly
will go to eternal fire, for "when I was hungry you gave me nothing to
drink" etc.

A more reasonable reading of the parable, supported by other parables, is an
exhortation to act in the world, not to sit on ones gifts with caution.

-- Nathan

----- Original Message -----
From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com>
To: "lbo-talk" <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 7:06 PM
Subject: parable of the talents

[posted from non-sub'd address]

From: sawicky at epinet.org (Max Sawicky)
Subject: Gospel of St. George
Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 19:00:01 +0100

Matthew 25
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten
talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance:
but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.

can anybody explain this?  Was Matthew the first supply-sider?

mbs