Low Expectations

Sep 2: Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus teaches us with parables as well as more straightforward instructions. As we see in Paul’s letter, the early Church took those and applied them to their own lives. We’re expected to do the same, even these many centuries later.

Reading 1

1 Thes 4:9-11

Brothers and sisters: On the subject of fraternal charity you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. Indeed, you do this for all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Nevertheless we urge you, brothers and sisters, to progress even more, and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.

Like any good leader or teacher, Paul wants to recognize right behavior, and encourage it to continue.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 98:1, 7-8, 9

R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the world and those who dwell in it;
Let the rivers clap their hands,
the mountains shout with them for joy.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.
Before the LORD, for he comes,
for he comes to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with equity.
R. The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

When the final victory comes, not only will everyone sing, but everything—the seas and rivers, rocks and mountains. God made everything, and He saw it was good. When all is said and done, it still will be.

Alleluia

Jn 13:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I give you a new commandment:
love one another as I have loved you.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

This ties in more with the first reading than the Gospel.¹ Here, Jesus is giving his final discourse before the crucifixion to his Apostles; Paul is wrapping up his letter to the Thessalonians—their message is basically the same.

Gospel

Mt 25:14-30

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability.

Then he went away. Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.

After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.'

Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'

His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"

If you know the Parable of the Talents, you might assume today’s title is referring to the master having low expectations for the third servant. Not so!

One talent is 6,000 denarii; a denarii is one day’s wage. Bearing in mind that ancient Jews worked six days a week, one talent is about twenty years’ worth of wages. Even at the low end, this master is trusting his servants with a lot.

No, it’s the servant who had low expectations of his master. He thought his master was unreasonable, with an uncontrollable rage. He could’ve asked his fellow servants what to do; after all, as Paul says, we’re taught by God to love one another. But he didn’t ask for help; he took the most cowardly, fearful option.

He was afraid he’d be punished. But God isn’t like that; He’s forgiving and understanding. God has trusted us with a lot, even if it may not seem as much compared to others. It comes with a lot of pressure. Sometimes, Jesus’ commandments can seem impossible to follow.

And they are, if we try to do them alone. Instead, we should be asking help, from each other and the Holy Spirit. We should invest our talents, but like any good investor, we shouldn’t invest blindly. Look for tips!

1. Which is weird, right?