Dear Sutton and Savannah,
Financial wealth is not a measure of wisdom. Praise is not a measure of worth. And even though everyone has equal value, culture does not value people equally. I hope, over time, you will value your worth, grow confident in your wisdom and experience the inner wealth of peace.
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A Proper 28 - (Texts, Art, Hymns)
Readings for Sunday,
Judges 4:1-7 / Psalm 123 / 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 / Matthew 25:14-30
Summary of Matthew 25:14-30
In Matthew 25 we find the parable of the talents. The master entrusts financial resources to those who work for him. On the day of reckoning, those who increased the master’s wealth were rewarded, and the one who did not increase the master’s wealth was punished.
Scripture as Mirror of the Soul
A striking feature of the parable is the punishment of the unproductive servant. He returns what was entrusted to him, but with no gain. He is called worthless, and is thrown into outer darkness where there is weeping and suffering. I am drawn toward that part of the reading because it makes me uncomfortable. And I have found that discomfort is often the beginning of growth. This passage seems to be a parable about growth.
Everyone has a different combination of talents, abilities, experiences, influence and personality style. These differences enable us to make a unique contribution to the community of which we are a part. The parable seems to describe a day of judgement where an external entity (presumably God) rewards and condemns how we have handled our unique set of attributes.
But what if this parable simply provides a story about the psychological ideas of fear, regret and shame. What if the inner voice of judgement identifies the places within us that we honor and the contrasting places that are filled with fear. When we don’t know what to do with a part of ourselves that doesn’t fit, we often bury it. We stuff it deep into the unconscious. We might try to numb the pain of our own embarrassment through addiction, denial or isolation. The natural consequences of our own behavior can lead to sorrow and suffering.
Is it possible that we are invited to explore the expanse of our own soul with curiosity and grace, to use the quirkiness of our own interests and personality to create safe space for ourselves and others. The reality may actually be that unaddressed fear far more frequently robs and cripples us than the object of our fear ever does. Scripture suggests that perfect love casts out fear. Can we find within ourselves a love that will extend into the buried places of our life; dark experiences, regretted actions, wounded memories, embarrassing moments, and quirks that don’t seem to fit? Could love be the fertilizer that allows buried seeds to sprout and produce a crop of abundance?
Psalm 123 - Scripture as Prayers of the Soul
Oh Lord, where do I go for help? An employee goes to the boss. A citizen goes to the judge. A patient goes to the physician. A disciple goes to You. When the soul aches from the contempt or scorn of others, who provides relief? When the ego is crushed by the perceived opinions of others or the tangible actions of others, where can one find relief? Have mercy on me.
I pray you build me back up, one step at a time, one thought at a time. May I string together a series of moments that stretch into minutes where I believe in myself again, and find worth from within instead of being dependent upon the praise of others. And without realizing how far I’ve come, may one day those minutes become years of living with greater freedom, compassion, and trust in the person You created me to be. Amen.