Article April 27, 2015 Issue

Overcoming fear in decision-making

Mimi Lofgren

I used to hesitate to interpret the parable in Matthew 25:14–30 about the kingdom of heaven, where Christ Jesus makes reference to the man who gave each of his servants a certain number of talents—a considerable sum of money—before he set out on a trip. When the man returned, he expected that his servants would have increased their talents, so that the man would make a profit.

Most of the servants doubled what they had been given. However, one of the servants buried his single talent out of fear that he might lose it or fail to make a profit. His master said, “Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury” (verses 26, 27).

Instead of currency, a “talent” can be interpreted to mean a natural ability or endowment. Either way, we understand from this parable that Jesus was saying we shouldn’t be influenced by fear, which can prevent us from using our talents to serve God. The master wasn’t expecting his servant to do something he wasn’t capable of, just as we never have anything to handle that is beyond our God-given abilities.

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