Proper 28 (33) – Year A
November 15, 2026
Gospel Lectionary Text
Matthew 25:14-30
25:14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them;
25:15 to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
25:16 The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents.
25:17 In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.
25:18 But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
25:19 After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
25:20 Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.'
25:21 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
25:22 And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.'
25:23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 'Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;
25:25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
25:26 But his master replied, 'You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?
25:27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.
25:28 So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents.
25:29 For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
25:30 As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
Context
Welcome to the 25th Sunday after Pentecost. In our Gospel this week, Jesus tells a parable about a master who entrusts his servants with talents before going away. Two of the servants double what they’ve been given, while one buries his talent in the ground. The usual interpretation is that God expects us to work harder, be more productive, and make better use of our gifts. Miss the mark and you risk ending up in the outer darkness.
But this parable isn’t really about productivity. After all, Jesus tells this story during his final teaching before his arrest and crucifixion. He is preparing his disciples for life in the confusing time between his departure and return. The question is not, “How can we avoid failure?” but instead, “How will we learn to live in his absence?”
Notice that the master entrusts each servant with an astonishing gift and then gives them freedom. He doesn’t leave detailed instructions or micromanage their work. Instead, he invites them into a partnership. The first two servants embrace the freedom of the invitation and discover themselves becoming fruitful participants in the master's work.
The third servant does something different. He buries the gift. Why? Because he imagines the master to be harsh, demanding, and impossible to please. His fear shapes his response.
The deepest question in the parable is not what we do with our talents. It’s how we imagine God. If we believe God is a rival, a taskmaster, or a trap, we will spend our lives protecting ourselves, which is a dark and lonely place indeed. But if God truly delights in our flourishing, then faith becomes less about avoiding failure and more about daring to participate in the ongoing act of creation itself.
Question
If faith is less about avoiding failure and more about participating in God’s ongoing creation, what might you be free to try?
Reflections
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
By Joel Aguilar |
The parable of the talents has haunted me for a long time. It has frightened me since I was a teenager. I remember hearing the youth pastor preaching about this passage several times. Every time he brought this parable up, I felt uncomfortable.
Real Talent?
By Pat Thompson |
For those of us who were raised in the United States, we have a tendency to read the Parable of the Talents through the lens of meritocracy—your reward is the result of your ability and efforts. If you recall, the story is about a master who goes away for a long time and entrusts large…
Wait… God Did What?
By Lina Thompson |
If we view this parable through the lens of an honor-based culture, not a wealth-based culture, then this parable unlocks beautiful truth about where the Kingdom of God is located.
Unlikely Hero in a Familiar Parable?
By Scott Dewey |
I have loved ones crushed by the powers of the world and thrown out. They're struggling. Sometimes they are faithful, sometimes not. Me too.
Praying Eucharistically - Weekly Homily by James Alison:
Understanding the Bible anew through the Mimetic Theory of René Girard.
Poetry
Excerpt from The Book of Bebb
by Frederick Beuchner
“He’s (Brownie) played it so safe all his life that he’s never really lived. He’s slid his life under his tail and sat on it. The man’s got spiritual hemorrhoids. The trouble with folks like Brownie is they hold their life in like a baked bean fart at the Baptist picnic and only let it slip out sideways a little at a time when they think no one will notice. Now that’s the last thing the Almighty intended. God intended all the life a man’s got inside him, he should live it out just as free and strong and natural as a bird.”
Prayer
Coming soon.