Context may help to open the story for us.
– It is situated by St. Matthew after the parable of the 10 bridesmaids, with its reminder to be ready for the Lord’s coming. It is followed by the story of the Last Judgement, ‘well done, good and faithful servant’. Why was our parable today situated there?
– The word ‘talent’ can throw us off the scent. We will apply the story to people who are talented in one area of life or another.
– We don’t know what it was in monetary value. In fact, one scholar describes it as silver, the equivalent in value of the wage of an ordinary worker for 15 years.
– The people who heard Jesus tell the story were mostly poor, so how could the story be good news for them, what in it would be good news for them? The scholars are of the opinion that the person with the one talent referred to the Jewish leaders, who had appropriated the message of Judaism to themselves, had standing among the people and weren’t open to change or innovation. They were doing well.
– Scholars seem to suggest that the gift is God’s the Good News of new life in Jesus. The issue is what we do with it. Images come – a child getting a Christmas gift and not bothering to open it, or membership of a club or association, and not bothering to get involved, or pull one’s weight, the friendship that is offered, but taken for granted and not nurtured.
Read the story again as Jesus telling you a story, and then see what strikes you in the story. Think about it, and then speak to the Lord about whatever strikes you. When you have done that, just rest in the Lord’s presence.