The Pulpit Commentary — Matthew — Volume 2 — Section 505

Ver. 15.-The moral value of our responsibilitie,. Several distinct lines of thought open out from this parable. 1. The diversity of the talents with which men are entrusted. 2. The common responsibility of all before God, be their talents few or many. 3. The certainty found in the very nature of a trust, that a reckoning-day must come. 4. The true apprehension of life is gained by treating it as a stewardship. 5. The apparent insignificance of a man's talent can never excuse its neglect. The point to which attention is now more especially directed is, that God works out a gracious purpose in moral character by putting men under responsibilities. In the case our Lord brings before us, no doubt the lord wanted his property cared for during bis absence; but, beyond and above that, be wanted his servants tested and cultured, by meeting responsibilities, into a faithfulness which he could recognize and reward when he returned. L OUB B.ESPONsmn.ITIEs. Life is full of such from its beginning to its end. See the Divine idea in the two heads of the human race. Tbe first Adam trusted with the garden, and trusted to leave alone the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The second Adam trusted with the work of redemption. Show (1) that we train our children by giving them responsibilities, expecting them to do things. (2) Youth begins to feel the gravity of life, and, laying hold of life-responsibilities, cultures manhood. (3) The progreu of life is ever developing new trusts, through business, family, social, and religious relations. Illustrate by a few special cases, such as: (1) A man waking suddenly to the consciousness of some particular gift. (2) A girl changed into a thoughtful, self-controlled wome.n by becoming a wife and a mother. (3) A man fully accepting the religious life. He is no true man-he is but a child still-who has not discovered and felt his life-burden. II. OuB. RESPONSE TO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES. This our Lord so skilfully illustrate■ in three specimen instances. We can properly respond, because they are only given up to the measure of our ability. We should be crushed if they were too much for our strength. We can respond by opening our whole natures to accept them, as the iiowers open to the sunshine. It is a beginning of good thus to lift ourselves up to meet responsibilities. We begin to feel what possibilities are in us. The true con- ception of the angel is not with folded wings standing, but with poised wing ready to fly. Waiting to meet bis trust. From some points of view all human trusts ~eem little. Estimate their moral influence, and no one of them can be thought little. -R.T. Ver. 24.-<JO'Tll,plainvng of other, when we otWselvu are m the wrong. This is familiar enough to all who have the management of families. The child in a temper is always ready to complain of his mother's temper. The child who has done wrong is quick to make out that somebody else was in fault. The same thing is found in business and IIOCial relations. Servants complain of masters. One class of society complains of another class. More than half the sorrows of humanity would be removed if men would only look at home, and set themBelves upon the correction of their own faulLs, the remedying of their own failings. In this parable nothing can be plainer than the fact that this man with one talent had bet-n wilfully neglecting what he knew to b@ oa. xxv. 1-46.] THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. 511