TEN years ago I sat on the board of a religious magazine, where a priest was the treasurer. I found he had signed eighty-seven blank checks and left them in the trust office. Doing that he felt he did not need to travel all the way to the trust office to sign cheques anymore, but could still have the post of treasurer printed on his letterhead! He wanted a name without responsibility!
Later he stood for the post of a bishop and lost, and I pointed out to him, this passage from the Bible: “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the 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 the 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.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he 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 scattered no seed, 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 sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 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. ….. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ There may be many of you who have been passed by for promotion, or are wondering why bigger responsibilities are not being given to you. Fulfil your small responsibilities and be rewarded with greater ones!
