About the Hymn
In the “Parable of the Talents,” which Jesus shared on Tuesday of Holy Week, the master gives three servants three different amounts of money to manage while he is gone: one talent, two talents, and five talents—or, as the NIV states it, one, two, and five bags of gold.
The word “talent” is derived from this biblical parable. Though in biblical times, the term was purely a unit of weight or money, in the Middle Ages it began to denote any gift or ability, and that’s its primary meaning now.
Though much can be said about God’s gifting, this hymn text strives to emphasize the following points:
- God gifts everyone liberally with time and talents—talents including both personal abilities and also personal wealth. Though some may be more gifted than others, all are gifted in some way. No one can say they have nothing to offer.
- God intends his gifts to be used in freedom, joy, and gratitude; not compulsion or fear. We serve because we want to serve, not because we have to serve.
- We can use our gifts to serve our next-door neighbors as well as those “under distant stars.” Service done in exotic or faraway places is no more noble or valuable than service done within our own homes and neighborhoods.
- We use our gifts for the sake of the gospel. This includes speaking the good news (Mark 16:15: “preach the gospel to all creation”) and living it (John 15:8: “bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples”).
- We can serve not only with our strength, our might, but also with our meekness, our vulnerability, our silence. Both the dynamic speaker and the compassionate listener are using their gifts wisely and well.
- We understand that some of our acts of service have been preordained by God: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). The mystery of God’s providence is that even as we freely make our choices, God may be guiding us along a path prepared long ago.
- We begin each day, each task, with prayer. Another hymn, “With the Lord Begin Thy Task,” is the referent for this line.
- When our powers dim and earthly service is done, the Gifting God will greet us with an approval of our work for Jesus’ sake: “Well done!” This is not to say that we earn heaven by our faithful use of God’s gifts. No, it’s our Savior’s work that has opened the door of heaven for us. But as the parable attests, God is concerned with how we live our lives and pleased when we have used our earthly time and talents faithfully and joyfully.
- Finally, we borrow the words of Paul (1 Corinthians 10:31) and humbly say that everything we do is for the glory of God.
The hymn should be performed at a relaxed♩= ca. 80.
Text
1. The Gifting God has given each of you
a trove of time and talents for your use.
Embrace them all with joy and gratitude—
all for the glory of God.
Take up your gifts to meet your neighbor’s needs:
To lighten loads, befriend and warm and feed.
Be Jesus’ helping hands in ev’ry deed—
all for the glory of God.
2. Take up your talents for the gospel’s sake:
share Jesus’ love with all whom God has made
and leave the Spirit’s blessing in your wake—
all for the glory of God.
With both your might and meekness, you can serve:
inspire and lead with silence and with words;
add grace and beauty to this fallen world—
all for the glory of God.
3. Perhaps the Gifting God will send you far
to share your gifts beneath a distant star,
but just as dear is work done where you are—
all for the glory of God!
Here is a myst’ry: God is guiding you,
so that the selfless deeds you plan and do
are works God long ago prepared for you—
all for the glory of God.
4. So with the Gifting God begin your task.
For open doors and blessings boldly ask,
and serve with thanks and praise from first to last—
all for the glory of God.
When earthly talents fade, when race is run,
the Gifting God will greet you, faithful one,
and say, “Well done, my servant, yes, well done!”
All for the glory of God!
© 2017 Laurie F. Gauger
Lectionary Reading
Year A, Season after Pentecost, Proper 28 (33): Matthew 25:14–30
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
