Don’t you just love it when you read something and it lines up perfectly with what you know in your gut is true? And when it’s wrapped up in God-talk and Bible verses, well, that hits different. Right?

Sorry. Nope. It doesn’t happen that way. That move is what theologians call “proof texting,” looking for proof of what you want to find in the Bible. Just pick out a small passage or a few verses that hint at what you want it to say and ignore everything around it. It’s less about discovering truth and more about finding backup.

Beyond theological positions, it’s also known as leverage. People have been using that trick forever. Borrow a little authority from God, religion, or some respected group, then slap it on your own opinion like it’s certified. Use the power of one group or belief and transfer it to your position. That’s how Jesus’ message has been twisted, watered down, and dragged off course for centuries. And this is one of them.

Financial Leverage

Three servants are given bags of gold by their master with instructions to invest it as he is preparing to take a long trip. The first servant had five bags, immediately invested the money, and soon it doubled. The second servant had two bags, and likewise, he doubles his stack.

But a third servant, with only one bag, hid it in the ground for safekeeping. No hustle. No risk. No growth. Just dirt.

The two servants who invested and doubled the money were lauded by the master when he returned. “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

But the third servant?  He got roasted. Not because he lost any money. Not a dime was missing. He got called out for being too scared of failure and the wrath of his master if he’d lost any of the money. He misjudged how his master meant it when he had said to invest it, at least get some interest in a bank account, not to let it mold away in the dirt.

Now some read this and think Jesus is giving a TED talk affirming good financial planning and growth strategies. Certainly, as any stock market investor will tell you, risk is part of the game. But do your homework, put your money in good accounts, give it some time. Grow your wealth. Sure, there’s some truth in that. Anybody who plays the stock market knows growth usually comes with risk.

The problem with the third servant was his risk tolerance was too low, and while he didn’t actually lose any of the money, he didn’t have any growth either. He’d never be a good candidate on Shark Tank, that’s for sure.

Step back a minute though. If you think Jesus was preaching capitalism and telling everybody to become mini-Wall Street CEOs, pump the brakes.

Bigger Than a Bank Account

Jesus talked a lot about money, some say more than he did about prayer. Granted, money gets everybody’s attention, people lean in for bags of gold. It was important to him, but not for the accumulation of revenue funding the good life. When he told a story with money as a central part of the plot, we need to listen up and take notice.

So where is Jesus going with this? If you think he is espousing a spiritual capitalism, take a back seat. Any smart student of literary form would know to look for deeper meaning beneath the surface.

Aptitude Leverage

Some translations of the Greek make it easy. Instead of saying the master gave out bags of gold (though that is a great visual), the translations refer to the master’s distribution as five talents, two talents, and one talent. That’s an idea you can run with. Now we’re cooking!

Think about all the gifts God drops in your life. If you subscribe to blessings as gifts from God, then talents, skills, abilities (and by extension, all good things) are to be developed, expanded, utilized in such a way that one gets better because of it.

Those things aren’t meant to sit on a shelf collecting dust. They’re supposed to grow.

You work on your gifts. You sharpen your skills. You develop what you've been given.

And if you do it right, there’s more impact, more growth, and more goodness spreading around because of it.

Yeah, you can still throw money into this pile, but there’s so much more. Intellect is another example; there are a lot of smart people out there but proper education, exposure to ideas, training in critical thinking are vital to brain function and thought processing.

You can be naturally smart, but if you never learn, never challenge yourself, never think deeper, that gift just stalls out.

Personal Leverage

Health, for instance, is another blessing. And blessings need maintenance. You can’t live off junk food, avoid movement, and expect your body to thrive.  Good health requires good diet and exercise. Your body was built to move; otherwise, you rest, you rust. So get out there with the right fuel in your belly and build that muscle tone and cardio rate. Take care of what God gave you.

Want more? Relationships. Same thing. We all have them. But healthy relationships take work. It takes understanding family and social dynamics with effective communication skills to have successful and supportive relationships. Add in understanding, patience, grace. Families don’t stay strong by accident. Friendships won’t run for long on autopilot. Love has to be invested. Gifts that never get used eventually start collecting dust. In short, God wants us to use and multiply them so there’s more blessing for us and others.

Fine, But Hold Up

We moved Jesus from a supporter of capitalism to the realm of sociology and individualism. But that’s not the deepest layer. While there’s some validity in each point, take another look at this. Jesus began his story with, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by…” That changes everything. The problem with the visual of money or the concept of talents and blessings is they fail to fully grasp what can bring meaning and significance to life. Sorry.

While a measure of wealth, health, mental power, and even the bonds we form with others are significant and need our focus and care such that they last and enrich our lives, that’s not the real treasure in the story. Jesus is saying there is more.

The master gave out of his own wealth and riches to his servants. He entrusted them with the best he had, something valuable, precious. See the allegory here. God does the same thing. Jesus’ life and message are to give to others what he brought from God and as God. He lived and died to embody God’s very heart: Love, mercy, acceptance, forgiveness.  And Jesus wanted to be known by his servants in that Love. It is worth more than five, ten, a thousand bags of gold. In the Kingdom of Heaven, that treasure is known as grace.

The third servant missed the whole point. He never trusted the generosity of his master, never stepped into what was offered. What followed wasn’t just punishment. Regret. Regret for what could have been, regret for what blessing and affirmation would have been showered on him, regret for not realizing the gracious acceptance and generous love of God was his fate. That’s the meaning behind the visual of “outer darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Use It or Lose It

Invest your life working for and growing the full love and grace of God. Don’t bury what God gave you, the love, mercy, and grace Jesus brought. Put it to work, let it grow in you, spill over onto other people. Build your life around it. Be included now and forever in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Good and faithful servant, receive the blessing and enter into God’s celebration:

“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given,

and they will have an abundance.”

Matthew 25:14-30

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The Trouble with Jesus: Considerations Before You Walk Away by Constance Hastings

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