I listened to an economist talk today in a TED talk. That is how I often relax on a Sunday afternoon. I am not opposed to football and will watch a game now and again, but often I find a TED talk worth tuning into. This gal is an economist who was trying to tell me that monetary systems like the US and UK don’t need to worry about national debt. Not so sure I buy all that. Seems to me that debts need to be paid. But it was interesting to think about. Perhaps I had too many people who experienced the Weimar Republic’s hyperinflation to be quite so cavalier about Government money printing operations.
This week Jesus talks about money, lots of money. In fact, he brings up the monetary sums which only governments can really rack up. In the ancient world those sums were measured by a talanton. This comes into our language as a “talent” which confuses everyone who has an aptitude for playing the piano, running very fast, or any of the many other talents we count as worth noting. Jesus is not talking about that sort of talent. He means money, lots of money, government debt-sized amounts of money.
But I contend that all this money is our heavenly treasure, the enormous treasure which God has placed in our hands. What else could that be other than the forgiveness of sins? The servant who is ready for the return of the master who will expect an accounting of that investment should be investing the treasure. How else does one invest forgiveness except in sinners. We do not bury the treasure in the back yard of our lives, hiding it from others. We invest, running the risk, watching the stock grow and flourish as another heart hears the good news that Jesus has died for your sins too.
