The Parable of the Talents Expanded

I came to Panera Bread here in Manhattan to sit and have a quiet time to read a little in the Word of God (Bible) and relax before my day begins. So I get my orange juice and asiago cheese bagel and go into the back room to get away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the place. When I sit down, I realize that in the opposite corner of this small back room is a mother nursing here infant while keeping an eye on her boy, I’m guessing the boy was about 5 or 6 years old. So I think to myself, great, I’ve come for some quiet time and I choose to sit in the same room as the obnoxious kid. But as I try to ignore the scene and fail, I hear the situation that is playing out across the room. The little boy is crawling all over the mother, the mother tells him repeatedly to stop, and after ignoring her instruction, she tells him, “You know what, I think we’re not going to go to Target.” You might think this is a rather random response, but something important just happened there. I’m going to infer from that comment and the boy’s response that she had told the little boy that they were going to go to Target where he was going to receive something that he wanted. Only first they were going to go to Panera for some breakfast. I don’t know if this is exactly what happened, I’m just guessing based on what I heard. Anyway, the point is he was given an opportunity to have something good, but because of his misbehavior, he lost that opportunity. I can relate to this situation because as a child, my mother doubtless went through many of these episodes.

What all this is reminding me of is a passage in Matthew that says “For to everyone who has will more be given and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” This passage comes from Jesus’ parable of the talents which deals plainly with possessions, namely money. But we can apply the lesson learned to many areas of life. This little boy at Panera could have had a nice trip to Target for something desirable, but because he had no self-control (good behavior) his trip to Target was taken away. He was given an opportunity, but not respecting it or being mindful of it, his opportunity was taken away. I think this scenario exists between us as Christians and God as well. God, no doubt has all manner of good things prepared to throw our way, but because of our lack of self control to follow his instructions that he repeatedly gives us, we lose some of those things he has prepare for us, or at least postpones their coming. As children of God, Christians have the promise of every good thing, but because of our lack of self-control (good behavior) we are denied these things because we are not ready for the responsibility that these things carry.