The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 495

Then it is not an easy, le.zy turning to one's neighbour for help the.t will do any good. Those who are 1·,3ady pass in to the me.rriage, and" the door is shut." A new thing it is for thnt door to be shut. So long has it stood open, thrown wide back, that we forget there is a door that can shut that entrance. But the time comes when whosoever will shall not be saved, when it will be ve.in pointing,men to the door, when whosoever is outside there remains. The greo.t lesson our Lord himself draws from the parable is that since we know not the day nor the hour of his coming, our only safety is to we.tch through them all. And for those who have found in Christ se.lvation and life, the expectation of his speedy coming can only be grateful and stimulating. It is this which occupies the future; whenever you look in that direction it is the Person of Christ that meets the eye. He teaches us to look forwe.rd from the sorest day of our lives to that certain day when we shall meet and enjoy himself, and enter into that joy that is satisfying his ample nature. From the saddest, darkest night he bids us we.tch for that morning that shall more surely rise upon us than to-morrow's sun.-D. Vers.14-30.-Theparable of the talents. There a.re three pare.bles which illustrate the relation of work and wages in the kingdom of heo.ven-the labourers in the vineye.rd, the pounds, and the talents. What this parable chiefly illustrates is that men are rewarded, not solely in proportion to the quantity of work produced, but that their ability and the means at their disposal are taken into account. And in order that this life be a fair field for the test of fidelity, two or three things are requisite, and these are noted in the pare.ble. L What is committed to our trust is no trifle, but the goods of our Lord-all he he.s on earth-whatever can produce on earth the fruit he himself wrought for and died for, There is no interest of his carried forward without the labour of men; if his servants cease to work, his cause on earth is at an end. II. The Master distribntes his goods "according to the several ability" of his servants. Each gets whe.t each can conveniently and effectively handle, and no one is expected to produce results out of proportion to his ability and his means. IIL It iJI only " after a long time that the Lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them." They are not summoned to a reckoning while yet embarrassed by the novelty of their position; they have time to consider, to we.it opportunities, to try experiments. The wise have time to lay up great gains, e.nd even the foolish to have learnt wisdom. It is not without significance that the servant who did nothing at all for his master was he who had received but one talent. This is the peculiar temptation of the man who hiu; little ability. By showing no interest in that situation in life that God he.s seen fit he should fiil, he would have us believe he is qualified for a higher. You are in the same condemnation when you refuse to do nnything because you cannot do a great deal; when you refuse to help where you cannot lead; when you hesitate about aiding in some work because those with whom yon would be associated in it do it better and show better in the doing of it than yourself. This miserable fear of being mediocre, how many a good work has it prevented or crippled I The insolence of this man's words is not intentional He reads off correctly hie own state of mind, and fancies that his conduct is appropriate and innocent. .All wrongness of conduct is at bottom based on a wrong view of God. Nothing so conduces to right action as right thoughts about God. If we think, with this servant, that God is hard, grudging to give, never really delighting in our efforts after good, and that whatever we attempt in our life he will coldly weigh and scorn, then manifestly we have no heart to labour for him. But this view of God is unpardonably wrong, for the very heartiness with which the other servants were greeted refutes it. Moreover, the action flowing from it is inconsistent. If the Master is so slow to recognize sincere effort, so oppressive in hill exactions, why did you not at least put your money into the hands of men who would have found a use for it and paid you a good interest? There are numberless ways in which the most slenderly equipped among us can fulfil the suggestion here given. There is no lack of great works going on for our Lord to which we may safely attach ourselves, and in which our ta.lent is rather invested for us than left to our own discretion. The parable docs not acknowledge any servants who have absolutely l)othiug, There is something to be done which precisely you can do, something by 011, nv, 1-46.] TRE GOSPEL ACCORDING '110 ST. MATTHEW. Ml