In the children's game hot potato, the goal is not to have the potato in your hands when the timer goes off…or in the more modern version, not to have the potato in your hands when it springs apart. If you do, then you are out. There is a bit of that idea present in this morning's gospel story…the third servant who buries the master's talents wants the responsibility out of his hands as quickly as possible, so buries the money as soon as the master is out of sight. Strange as his action seems it was a perfectly acceptable way of safeguarding valuables in that society. Not only that, rabbinical tradition stated that anyone who buries money that was put into their care is no longer liable for its safety. The servant got rid of the "hot potato" and was taking a safe path, burying it absolves him of any responsibility for the master's money.
There is no precedent really for the master's actions in this parable. The amount of money being given is extraordinary, each talent representing about 15 years of wages for a day laborer. To the slaves who earned nothing, even the one talent given to the third person is an enormous amount of money. This story would simply never happen-that such people would find themselves entrusted with such wealth by their owner who then simply disappears for an unknown length of time. There is no contract, no rules…the three are simply given free reign with the talents.
There is also no precedent for the slaves' behavior except for the third slave who follows a well known teaching by burying the money. In burying the money not only is he safeguarding it, he is making sure that he doesn't practice usury, lending or using money for interest a practice forbidden in both Testaments. In contrast the first two slaves take great risks. The first one goes wild…see him as a day trader, or an investor in high yield junk bonds who hits it rich. The second one is a bit more cautious, investing his talents in a more diversified portfolio. In spite of their gains, however, the two are going against accepted practices of the day. The third, putting his money in a no interest checking account so the money is ready for withdrawal when the master returns, is following the rules. Yet he is the one condemned when the master returns.
We all know the rest of the parable. Upon the master's return the first two slaves receive praises for their risky behavior. The master had risked much in giving them his money, and in kind the first two slaves risked much in their use of their master's money. They are invited to feast. The third slave, in taking the safe and responsible route is punished and cast into the outer darkness. His fears paralyzed him into inaction. In risking nothing, the slave actually risked losing everything.
I can sympathize with the third slave. He plays it safe. He does the prudent, accepted thing for his time. Not only that, he is following the Law of Moses in his actions. How can he be faulted! Think of it this way…the third slave is like one entrusted with the best china and can't bring himself to use it. How often do we save the best china for only the most special of occasions…and when we save it for only those occasions, its use is worrisome. We worry about chipping it, dropping it, and horrors-breaking it outright. The whole time it is out we hardly dare to breathe and can't enjoy the occasion. Once the china is back in place, we can let out our breath until the next time. For fear of destroying it the very best is hidden away for safekeeping lest we lose it. And yet, ironically, we end up losing it because we are afraid to use it.
In Romans, Paul writes: "For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but have received a spirit of adoption." We are not called to be fearful people, burying what is given to us, hiding the abundant love of God within ourselves, within our walls. Doesn't it make sense that the God who is crazy enough to love us and risk it all on us, expects the same behavior from us? As the disciples of Jesus Christ we are called forth to risk being in relationship with others, to love the most unlovable. We're called to risk failure, to try again even if something once failed. Many years back when Annual Conference was still in Ocean City I encountered two women in distress standing by the elevator at St. Peter's UMC. I asked if I could help them, and they replied they were trying to figure out a way to the second floor without using the steps as they were both unable to use stairs. I thought perhaps they were unsure how to use the elevator they were standing in front of, so asked if they needed help with that. They replied, well no….they had been at Annual Conference last year and the elevator hadn't worked then. As the church it is not enough for us to continue doing things as they have always been done in the face of a changing world. It is not enough to always follow the directions as if life can be clearly mapped out. Remember maps only exist because someone dared to venture out to find what was there. As God's people we can't hide away our best, saving it for some unknown celebration.
Don't mistake this story to be a story about economics and making the most of what we have. It is about how we behave. That is clear from its context. The very next story tells us how we will be judged. Judgment will have nothing to do with our place in the social register, or how much we have or made with what we have…judgment will be based on how we treated each other, and particularly how we treat the least of our brothers and sisters. This is a story about fear and risk. It is about turning the accepted order upside-down, and doing what it takes so that others might know the love of God that we know. It is a story about living in the abundance of God's joy.
Nations, including our own, often judge their success or lack thereof on a measure called the GNP, or Gross National Product-the value of goods and services produced by a country. In that system people are valued as they contribute to the GNP. The tiny nation of Bhutan, located in the eastern Himalayas measures it's economy by a different standard. It is the only country in the world to measure its wellbeing by the GNH, or Gross National Happiness. It is a serious attempt to question much of the accepted notions of economic development. In Bhutan economic growth is asking questions such as: does everyone have access to education and healthcare? Anyone who has a grievance can get a hearing with Bhutan's king. In a paper entitled, "Gross National Happiness: Towards Buddhist Economics" Sander Tideman writes that Bhutan's initiatives point us to the need to base development on spiritual values, rather than merely material values"
While Bhutan's ideals aren't perfect they do offer a different way of deciding what is crucial in measuring success. And, their economic system is also a reminder of what is going on in our gospel text. As God's people, much has been risked on us. The story reminds us of that. Enormous amounts of money are entrusted without guidelines, enormous responsibility is given. But, that is exactly what God's love is all about. From the very first call-when Abraham was given the promise, to know we have been kept in God's love. God's risk on us is great. God's very creation has been entrusted into our care. The life of God's son was given for us.
We have not been called forth to live in fear, hoarding away the love God has given us. As we have found great joy in knowing God, so we are called out. Called forth as those who go to live. In the abundance of God's love and joy we give out best. Keep the best china out, set God's abundant feast so that others may know what we have found!