My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.
THE PRAYER OF THE HOLY GOSPEL.
Shine in our hearts, O Benevolent Lord, the pure Light
of Your Divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind
that we may comprehend the proclamations of Your Gospels.
Instill in us the fear that Your Blessed Commandmentsinspire,
so that, crushing carnal desires, we may seek the spiritual citizenship,
thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to You.
For You, Christ our God, are the illumination of our souls
and bodies, and to You we we offer up glory, and to Your
Father, Who is without beginning, and Your All-Holy, Good,
and Life-creating Spirit, now and ever and to the ages of
ages. Amen. [Divine Liturgy]
SUNDAY GOSPEL: SAINT MATTHEW 25:14-30
The Lord said this parable: "A man going on a journey called his servants and
entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to
another one, each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had
received five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents
more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who
had received one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts
with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five
talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made
five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant;
you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of
your master.’ And he who also who had the two talents came forward, saying,
‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’
His master said to Him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been
faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.’
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew
you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you
did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.
Here you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and
slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather
where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with
the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with
interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but
from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the
worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash
their teeth." As he said these things he cried out: "He who has ears to hear,
let him hear!"
Glory to Thee, O Lord,
glory toThee.
THE COMMENTARY AND BIBLICAL EXEGESIS OF TODAY’S GOSPEL READING IS GIVEN BY SAINT THEOPHYLACT:
"Having said the above. "You do not know the day when the Lord will come." He adds this Parable as well, showing that He will come suddenly. For like a man about to travel into a far country, so too the Lord has called His own servants and distributed His property among them, some toone, some to another. Christ, Who became man for our sake, is the "man travelling into a far country," in reference either to His ascent into the heavens or to the length of time that He is long-suffering and does not summarily demand works from us, but waits. His servants are those who have been entrusted with the Ministry (Diakonia) of the Logos/Word, such as bishops, priests, and Deacons, and who have received spiritual gifts, some greater, some lesser, each one according to his own strength, that is, according to the measure of his faith and purity. For into the vessel which I will offer to God. He places His gift to me. If it is a small vessel, a small gift; if it is a large vessel, a large gift. Immediately he who had received the five talents went and traded with them. See the speed with which he acts, not in the least bit negligent, but immediately trading and doubling what he had received. For whether a man (person) be gifted with speech, wealth, the authority of kingship, or any other power or skill, if he desires to benefit not only himself but others as well, he doubles what has been given to him. But he who buries the talent is he who cares ONLY FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT AND NOT FOR THAT OF OTHERS, AND HE IS CONDEMNED. But if you should see an intelligent and skilled man (person) misusing his intelligence in various pursuits, deceitfulness, and in earthly affairs, you may say that such a man (person) has buried his talent in the earth, that is, in earthly matters. But after a long time he who bestowed the silver talent returns. The silver talent may be in the form of A SILVER TONGUE, THE GIFT OF ELOQUENCE, FOR THE ELOQUENCE OF GOD IS AS SILVER THAT IS TRIED BY FIRE. Or, the silver talent may be any gift that makes one brilliant and glorious. He comes and demands a reckoning from those who received.
vs 20-30.
But of those who had worked and traded with the talents given to them are praised equally by the Master, each one hearing, "WELL DONE, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT." "Good" we understand here to mean "loving all mankind" and "with spite," he who imparts his own goodness to his neighbors. Those who have shown themselves to be faithful over a few things are made rulers over many things. But even if we are deemed worthy of gifts in this life, that is nothing in comparison to the good things that are to come. "The joy of the Lord" is the UNENDING GLADNESS WHICH GOD HAS, REJOICING IN HIS WORKS, AS DAVID says, With such a joy do the Saints also rejoice in their works, just as the sinners grieve over their own deeds and regret them. The Saints have the Lord AS THEIR WEALTH AND THEY REJOICE IN HIM. See that he who received the five talents and he who received two were deemed worthy of the same good things. Though a man (person) may have received but a few things, if he is a good steward even of his small gift, he will enjoy the same honor as he who was deemed worthy of, and accomplished, great things. For each one, according to what he has received, is seen to be perfect to the degree that he accomplishes what he has been given to do. Such are the good servants; but the wicked and slothful servant justifies himself differently, in a manner befitting to him. For he calls his master "hard," as many today call their teachers “hard" or "exacting." It is indeed exacting to look FOR OBEDIENCE FROM MEN, FOR GOD DID NOT CREATE OBEDIENCE WITHIN MAN, NOR DID HE SOW IN HIM AN OBEDIENT DISPOSITION, [BUT INSTEAD GOD GAVE MAN FREE WILL]. This is what the unprofitable servant means when he says, "You reap where you have not sown," that is, YOu require an obedient disposition from all men, although You have implanted in no man an obedient disposition. When the servant says that the master is hard, HE CONDEMNS HIMSELF. For the servant ought all the more to have been diligent knowing that his master was hard and severe. For if the master required this of others, so too would the master require this of him. And you, O unprofitable servant, ought also to have multiplied what you had received and made disciples from whom I, the Master, could demand what is due. Chris calls disciples "bankers," for both exactly account for that which has been delivered to them. What is the increase which He requires of the disciples? The showing of works transacted. For the disciple who receives the word from the teacher, must keep the word and given back in its entirety; but the disciple also adds to it the interest, WHICH IS THE DOING OF GOOD. So God takes the gift away from that wicked and slothful servant. He who has received a gift by which to benefit others, and does NOT so use it, FORFEITS THE GIFT ITSELF. Do you see that he who applies the greater diligence draws to himself the greater gift? To him who has the greater diligence, MORE GRACE WILL BE GIVEN AND IN ABUNDANCE. But from his who is not diligent, even the gift which he thinks he has will be taken away. For he who is not diligent and does not work and trade with what he has received, does NOT have the gift, but ONLY APPEARS TO HAVE IT. For he has blotted it out by his neglect."
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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +
With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George
The Eastern Orthodox Christian Ethos 