Soul Talks with PB

Gratitude is the starting point of being faithful to Jesus. From there, what do we do? The parable of the talents teaches us that we must take the initiative. The man who received five bags of gold (or five talents) "went at once" and put his money to work. The other servant did the same thing ("so also"). In other words, both took the initiative to do something with what their master had entrusted to them. Thus, they gained more: the first servant gained five more, and the second servant gained two more. The lesson is clear: to be faithful while waiting, we need to take the initiative and not wait around wasting time.

While the parable of the ten virgins teaches Jesus' disciples (and us) about watchfulness to avoid being deceived, He tells another parable, this time the parable of the talents, to teach them (and us again) about faithfulness while waiting. The parable begins with a rich man entrusting his wealth to his servants before going on a journey. To understand this story, we need to know what a "talent" signifies. During the time of Jesus, a "talent" (translated here as "bags of gold") was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage, which was obviously a huge sum of money. Entrusting such wealth to servants reflects amazing generosity on the part of the master! Consider this: one servant received five "talents," another two, and another just one. Each received the right amount according to his ability, as perceived by the master. The main idea here is for the disciples (i.e., the servants) to remain grateful because they have been entrusted with much. Gratitude is truly the starting point of being faithful to Jesus.

Following the warnings of the previous chapters, Jesus begins to tell parables to illustrate the need to be watchful (25:1-13) as well as faithful (25:14-30). In this parable of the ten virgins, we see wisdom and foolishness illustrated and compared. No one knows the day or hour, or the times and dates of how the future will unfold, only the Father knows these things ahead of time. However, when Jerusalem is judged, it will be a terrible time of distress and suffering. It will also be a vindication of who Jesus is, the promised Messiah. Therefore, the disciples (and the believers after them, including us) must keep watch, because they do not know the day or the hour. Once the events happen (in their generation), they would see that what Jesus said was true.

Jesus was rejected in Jerusalem as the Messiah (Matthew 21 to 23). Jesus lamented this with sadness as well as with a threat of judgment (Matthew 23:37-39). But as he walked away, his disciples called attention to the temple buildings. Like most Jews, the disciples honored the temple. However, Jesus told them of what happen. The temple and all its buildings will be thrown down. His disciples wanted to know when will it happen and would that be the time when Jesus will be finalized recognized or revealed as the Messiah of Israel (i.e., the sign of your coming), thus signaling the end of the age, as they understood it. This is similar to the question attributed to them in Acts 1:6 (“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”). But instead of answering them directly, Jesus warned them, "Watch out that no one deceives you." Terrible things will happen before the end comes. But on the positive side, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world, and then the end will come.

Recalling the purpose of our salvation, trusting in the Holy Spirit, and putting our hope in the kingdom of God are essential steps toward bearing the fruit of love. However, there is one more thing we must do: we must align ourselves with the truth of what Christ has already accomplished in and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord has reconciled us with Himself by forgiving our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins through His death on the cross. We are no longer enemies of God; we are friends of God through our faith in Jesus. We are also united with Jesus in His death, resurrection, and ascension. We are now seated with Christ in the heavenly realms. Since we belong to Jesus Christ, we have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. We are no longer slaves to sin. Therefore, since our lives are now animated by the Spirit and we have eternal life, we have the power to obey the Lord. All we need to do is keep in step, or align ourselves, with the truth of who we are now in Christ. We must no longer live according to our old selves. By God’s grace, this is how we can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is love, together with all the other character virtues.

Recalling the Gospel and trusting in the Holy Spirit are essential steps toward bearing the fruit of love. However, we also need to place our hope in the kingdom of God. According to Jesus, the kingdom of God is already here but not yet fully realized. Through Jesus and His Holy Spirit, we can enter and witness the kingdom of God operating among us and within us. Yet, we are aware that sin, the flesh, and the world are still present. We continue to struggle and occasionally fail. Nevertheless, we must not lose hope. The gift of the Holy Spirit within us is a down payment on the certainty of the future—the full reality of the kingdom of God, where heaven and earth will finally be joined together. In the meantime, we must bear witness to the presence of God’s kingdom right now. We are called to reject the works of the flesh, which, according to Paul, are quite obvious. You don’t need special revelation to see them; in fact, we observe them all around us and even within ourselves from time to time. Thankfully, in Christ, we are now free to say “No!” to them and to be victorious to the glory of God.