Prov 31:10-13,19-20,30-31
1 Thes 5:1-6
Matthew 25:14-15, 19-21
Bishop Untener's Homily
Sometimes when the Gospel for the Sunday Mass is a long one, the lectionary gives the option of using a shorter version, leaving many of the verses out. I chose that option today, not to save time, but because I didn't want us to get lost in the details.
Underlying this entire parable about the master who entrusts his funds to three of his servants while he is away, is something we might too easily take for granted, and it is this: Everything we have belongs to God.
In this parable Jesus is talking about the last judgment, and how we will be accountable for how we used everything God gave us. We hear this Gospel and are reminded that we're supposed to use all our talents and possessions well. But there is a prior truth that lies at the core of the whole thing: It all belongs to God.
You may say, "Well, we know that. God created everything, and everything that exists comes from God." But it goes deeper than that. Everything we have not only comes from God. It belongs to God.
This is very clear in the parable. The master entrusted the servants with his money. He didn't give it to them in the sense that it became theirs. It still belonged to the master. And they were to use it on behalf of the master.
The application to our lives is not complicated. Everything we have - our money, our possessions, our abilities, our opportunities - it all belongs to God. And it is given to us so that we can use it well on God's behalf.
To make this concrete, I want us for a few minutes to brainstorm what sort of things are included when we say, "It all belongs to God, and it is all to be used on God's behalf." Think about it. Raise your hand if you've got a thought, and we'll see how many examples we can come up with.
Money. Yes. That's probably the first thing that comes to mind, because that's the example used in this Gospel. (Whether you and I really treat money that way is another question, but I won't get into that now. Let's come up with some other examples, and let's make them as specific as we can.)
Musical ability. Good. That gets concrete. You may play a musical instrument, or have a good voice. It belongs to God. Actually, even if we don't have a great voice, we've all got music in us. Which raises an interesting question. If we believe that whatever music is within us belongs to God, why wouldn't a person give it to God when we're here in church and we're asked to give it to God - namely by singing to God? That's when the question gets real. Do I honestly believe that my voice - my ability to speak and to sing - belongs to God?
Time. Time! This can be the most precious possession of all. "It all belongs to God." Now, really, do I believe that my time belongs to God? If I do, then it could make a big difference on any given day. Other examples?
Intelligence. At first we might think of this as a gift of God, but then we start thinking of all our time spent in school, and our homework and hard work, (not to mention the cost of a good education) and we start to think that it's our own doing. We've earned it ourselves. Not true. It is God who gave me the gift of intelligence, and it belongs to God.
A smile. We all have the ability to smile. It's a gift from God that I can give to anyone - even to the person who works at McDonald's, or Wendy's, or a Seven-Eleven store. My smile belongs to God, to use on God's behalf. It's a gift I can give to others. Or not give.
Prayer. Now there's a gift I can give to anyone, at any time. I can see a person who looks "down" or who seems not happy . . . and I can say a prayer for them and know that God hears my prayer and because of it goes out to that person in a special way. Even a person who is homebound, confined to bed, can give this gift to others. God gives me the gift of prayer, and I can use it for my own good, and for the good of others. Or, not use it.
Courage. Interesting. The word "courage" comes from the Latin word "cor" which means "heart". If I have the God-given gift of having the heart to pursue something when others flag, then that's a gift I can give. I, who have courage, can encourage others. Again, it all belongs to God.
Skills. That's a way of putting it that captures a lot of gifts. Whatever skills I have . . . "it all belongs to God."
Children. Now there's an interesting thought. Children. Are they just "my children," or are they God's children? The truth is, they belong to God.
Being nice to others, entertaining, engaging. Some people have this in spades - social skills. Again, it belongs to God. I can use these skills for my own popularity, or I can use them on God's behalf. It's a good question. Do I use my social skills for myself, simply to make me "look better," or do I give this gift on God's behalf?
My possessions. All the possessions I have are really "borrowed" from God - my car, my clothes, the food in my refrigerator. It all belongs to God. This is where it really gets interesting.
We could go on, but obviously you've got the idea: It all belongs to God.
This is a very radical belief. Think about it. What percentage of the world believes this? What percentage of Christians believes this, not in theory, but concretely? What percentage of Christians practices this?
This simple parable of a master who entrusts his money to his servants, and then comes back to ask for some accountability, applies to each of us, all of us. To realize, and truly believe, that it all belongs to God can have tremendous implications. Every gift that I have belongs to God, and I am to use that gift, give that gift on behalf of God. We can say that we believe that, but perhaps we believe it just in theory. To believe that in practice, in the concrete, is to make all the difference in the world.
When we die, God will ask us, "What did you do with the gifts that I entrusted to you to use on my behalf?"
This simple parable, that we've all heard, that we all understand, can turn our life around. It's quite simple. It's to begin each day and say to myself, "It all belongs to God." And then to say, "O God, help me to use your gifts well today."
It's really quite simple. Not complicated at all. Try it the rest of today. You'll see - it changes everything. Everything.
Originally given on November 17, 2002