Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. | Hebrews 2.1-4
We looked at the Parable of the Talents on Sunday, and I belabored a point on the Spiritual Gifts: God equips those He calls, rather than calling those who are equipped. God does not need the most talented to get His work done, and actually makes a point of to use the less talented to accomplish His work: God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1.27). If you are a critical reader of Scripture, you will notice that in the parable the gifts are distributed: to each according to his ability (Matthew 25.17). So what do we do with that?*
Many have taken this and used it to create a theology of strength: a belief system that centers around getting things done and using the most powerful people to do it. In this, the doubling of the talents is the goal of the story; the production drives the means. It seems to fit as the master returns and validates those who through their work and business acumen have netted a return. They are praised because they have proved themselves worthy.
Here is the problem with reading the story this way: it turns God into a secondary character. He responds to the actions of the servants rather than driving them. He gives grace based as a reward rather than a gift. What would have happened had one of the servants worked hard but made a bad investment or had yet to see a positive return? Would God have smited Him for not being ‘good enough?’ Is God main concern really getting the job done?
This is one of those places where what sounds right and true simply is not. Believing that God is as concerned with accomplishment makes sense to us because we are obsessed with it, but we are talking about the God who created everything by speaking it into existence. We are talking about the God who has a plan to redeem the world fully and to sanctify ALL THINGS through His work. We are talking about a God whose main concern is revealing His love and grace to us. The whole point of the gospel is to recognize our utter unworthiness and know that He loves us anyway. The problem with the final servant is not about ability, but that he did not trust the grace of the master enough to risk his life as an act of worship.
The gospel is the lens through which we must understand all of life, including how we read the Bible: Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
* to answer the Hermeneutic question, it comes down to how we understand the word translated ‘ability.’ While most translations use the word ability it comes from the Greek word dynamin (δύναμιν), which appears 33 times in the NT and is translated to ‘power’ or ‘power of God’ or ‘miracle’ in 30 cases. In one of the few where the word ‘ability’ is used (in the KJV and NAS) it refers to Sarah’s ‘ability’ to conceive of a son (Hebrews 11.11). All of this to say, it is not talking about natural abilities, but supernatural power of God to fit with His plan.