Homily on the 16th Sunday after Pentecost. -Met. Korniliy (Titov)

-By Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov) Dear brothers and sisters! When we listen to or read the wise evangelical parables, we see the precision, simplicity, and beauty of the images that Jesus Christ chose to express the truth He wished to reveal. By using parables with images familiar to the common people—fishermen, merchants, and farmers, close to the life experience of His followers—the Lord disclosed in an accessible form the mystery of the Kingdom of God and the path to it. Today, the divine parable helps us penetrate the hidden depths of the Lord’s Word, transforming our inner life and giving it true depth and meaning. The evangelical Parable of the Talents, read today, teaches us to cherish the gifts of God given to each of us for attaining eternal salvation and to strive to multiply these gifts, lest we face punishment for sloth and negligence. The Parable of the Talents was told by the Lord in connection with His teachings about the Second Coming and the end of the world. This parable stands among prophetic warnings about preparing for the Last Judgment, continuing the theme begun in the previous Parable of the Ten Virgins. The Parable of the Talents recounts that “a certain man, going on a journey, called his servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey” (Matt. 25:14–15). The servant who received five talents went and traded with them, gaining five more. Likewise, the one who received two talents gained two more. But the servant who received one talent buried it in the ground. After a time, “the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them” (Matt. 25:19). The lord praised the first servant for his diligence, saying that “because thou hast been faithful in a very little, thou shalt have authority over many things” (Matt. 25:21). He also praised the second servant. The servant who received one talent justified himself and reproached the lord for harshness. The lord commanded that the talent be taken from him and given to the one who had ten talents, saying, “For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matt. 25:29). Finally, the lord ordered “that unprofitable servant to be cast into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:30). In the Parable of the Talents, Christ teaches His listeners that on the final day of the Last Judgment, every person will give an account for all that he has received from the Lord. The “certain man” going on a journey is Jesus Christ Himself, who intends to return to earth to judge the living and the dead. The servants represent us, the people, and especially Christ’s disciples and followers, who receive from the Lord various gifts and blessings to be used and multiplied for God’s glory, for the benefit of our neighbors, and for the salvation of our souls. The talents given by God are our spiritual and physical strengths and abilities. The prophet David speaks of the great gifts God has given to man: “Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour” (Ps. 8:5). In these gifts shine God’s reason, beauty, strength, honor, and spiritual wealth—all that God has given to man for attaining eternal blessedness in His Kingdom. God’s gifts, or talents, can be understood, first, as gifts of grace—faith, love, chastity, mercy; second, as natural or physical gifts—strength, beauty, intellect, health, and various abilities; and third, as external gifts—wealth, fame, authority, dignity, and success in good deeds. There is no person who has not received some talent from God. According to the parable’s meaning, those who have received more talents must do more good for their neighbors and perfect themselves in earthly life, as this is the proper use of talents. Just as in a mechanical clock, the wheels and gears are unequal in size but arranged so that one cog engages another to move the clock’s hands, so in the earthly order, there is inequality in human abilities, yet all is created “very good” by the all-wise mind of God for our benefit and salvation. The talents God gives us must be used not only for earthly matters and concerns but to acquire heavenly treasures to enter eternal life. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:19–20). This means we should act not for worldly, earthly gain but for heaven, for God, for eternity. We must not use God’s gifts solely for ourselves but for the good of our neighbors, as the Apostle says: “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification” (Rom. 15:1–2). If someone has wealth, share it with the poor and those in need. If someone is clothed with authority, labor for the good of those entrusted to you. If someone possesses intellect and knowledge, spread the light of goodness and benefit to others. If someone is gifted with chastity and piety, enlighten and guide others by word and example. In all our deeds, we must seek not personal gain or praise but to please God, that He may be the beginning and end of our actions, as the Apostle says: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). The Apostle urges us to cherish God’s gifts, given to us for salvation, lest we face punishment for sloth and negligence: “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1). These words, heard in today’s Epistle, are spoken to us, Christians, who, having received God’s gifts through Holy Baptism—our new birth—and obtaining saving grace in the Church’s sacraments, must use it to achieve salvation, grow in virtue, and inherit eternal life. Thus, the goal of Christian life is not merely to receive or “acquire” God’s grace but to ensure that this grace is not received in vain, that is, not fruitlessly or in futility. Though every Christian receives saving grace through the sacraments, not all use it to their benefit. God’s grace, like a seed, can grow and bear fruit with our care for this gift, or it can wither through our negligence and sloth, failing to manifest in our lives as if it were never there. With our care and labor to multiply God’s grace in our souls, spiritual fruits grow—love, joy, peace, patience, and the like. But if a Christian does not strive to multiply the grace given to him, the seeds of sin take root, dominating the soul and making the person a slave to sin and his sinful flesh. Where sin reigns, there dwell hatred, sorrow, envy, malice, strife, unbelief, and other weeds of life. The Apostle implores us, Christians, to ensure that the grace we receive is not used in vain, that is, not fruitlessly, and assures us that they, the apostles, are co-workers, that is, helpers and mediators between us, Christians, and God, so that we may prosper in a good life and in deeds of salvation while there is still time, saying: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Through the apostles, the Lord calls us not to squander the precious time for attaining our salvation, to store up good deeds, lest, when death overtakes us and God’s judgment comes, we find ourselves unprepared, regretting and pleading for time to repent, but receiving it not: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh” (Matt. 25:13), says the Lord. He warns us of this in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, of whom five were wise and five foolish. Their sleepy carelessness prevented them from preparing for the bridegroom’s arrival, who came at night and found them sleeping, unready to meet the Bridegroom—the righteous Judge. How often does our carelessness, sometimes good-natured and cheerful, sometimes malicious and irresponsible, hinder us from doing good and changing for the better? We do not hasten toward virtue, hoping there is still time, that things will somehow work out, that the Judge is not coming soon, and for now, we can eat, drink, and be merry with ease. But Christ says that the day of the Lord’s judgment will come suddenly, as it did in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37). Then, people ate, drank, married, and thought of nothing greater than daily pleasures; yet the Lord’s judgment approached and broke forth in wrath and flood. Of that day of judgment, the Lord says: two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, and the other left; two men will be in the field—one will be taken, and the other left. Our wicked carelessness hopes that God will not soon call us to account for our multiplying sins. The Apostle Peter says that God delays because He “is longsuffering to us-ward.” But long does not mean forever, and God will inevitably call us to account. The Lord gives each of us gifts, calling us to bear fruit as abundant as the gifts themselves. We are given a mind, but we do not enrich it; we are given a heart, the source of feelings, but it remains merely a source of self-love and pursuit of pleasures; we are given a will, which is sometimes fruitless or directed toward sinful deeds. Much is given to us, yet we often produce no fruit, leaving the Lord’s gifts unused. To achieve something, we often refuse to sacrifice our comfort, security, freedom, or even our life. We think, “I will return to the Lord what He gave me.” But when judgment comes, it will be revealed that what was given to us was never ours—it all belongs to the Lord. And the Lord will take it back or give it to those who, to fulfill His will, were willing to forgo comfort, security, and even life to bear fruit, to remain alive and life-affirming in this world, rather than idly and cowardly dead. The Last Judgment is fearful because, when the Lord comes, we will feel regret and sorrow that we lived our whole lives without noticing their depth and opportunities for salvation, living in self-love and cowardice, in sleepiness and carelessness, never meeting or knowing God, never becoming a “new” person. In our laziness and fruitlessness, we may blame others, life’s circumstances, or even the Lord Himself, as did the “wicked and slothful servant” who refused to labor over the gifts given to him by God. He saw how the faithful servants acted but deliberately did not follow their example, evidently believing he was only obligated to return what was entrusted to him, accusing the Lord of not giving him the desire or strength to multiply the wealth. And so, in the view of the slothful servant, the lord should have praised him for his supposed “frankness and integrity.” But the lord knew that behind this cunning “integrity” lay mere laziness and negligence. The slothful servant’s accusation of his lord’s cruelty is the typical self-justification of a sinner who, in his sinfulness, has lost gratitude toward God and thus portrays Him as harsh and unjust. The negligent and careless servant was deprived of what he had, for “unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath” (Matt. 25:29). Thus, to the rebellious servant, it can be said that no matter how proud he is, the Lord God is his Master, his wealth belongs to the Lord, and he must obey His laws, for there can be no higher law. There is no other path for us but to know God’s will and fulfill it, and we must not accuse God of anything, for He is good, and what He commands for our salvation is good, while evil is only that from which He warns us. We, brothers and sisters, must more often reflect on what the Lord will demand an account of at His righteous judgment, to see whether we are ready to answer Him or not. Reflecting on this, we see that the Lord, on the day of judgment, will test us as those who have received certain gifts: reason, health, length of years, and so forth—gifts we received from Him at birth. Fearful and great will be the trial to which every person will be subjected at God’s judgment for the use of their human qualities, gifts, and talents received from God; but far greater and more fearful will be the trials faced by every Christian as a Christian. Christ will ask Christians how they cared for their salvation, how they heeded the voice of the Gospel teaching, whether they kept the Lord’s commandments, whether they had steadfast faith and love for God and neighbor in their hearts, and whether they strove to avoid all sin so as not to break His commandments and thereby offend the Lord. At the Last Judgment, all the gifts, mercies, and bounties of the Savior, bestowed upon us through His incarnation, sufferings, and death, will be brought to our remembrance. We, Christians, will have to give an account of how we used the fruits of Christ’s redemptive sufferings. What will those who committed shameful sins, defiling the pure garment of their soul given at baptism, say in response? It is a grave sin for a Christian to bear no fruit of repentance and virtue and to remain a barren fig tree throughout life, merely occupying space on earth in vain. What answer will we give the Lord at His judgment if we do not preserve the grace that justifies and saves us, losing it through a wicked and sinful life? We will be left only to fall silent, like the servant called to the wedding feast but arriving without proper wedding garments, hearing the voice of the host: “Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?”—and he was speechless. Mindful of this fearful and great trial, we must constantly prepare for it, exclaiming with the prophet David: “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling.” Let us hasten without delay to prepare our souls while it is still in our power and there is time for repentance and correction, for “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Let us keep our souls ready, crying out: “Take heed, O my soul, lest thou be weighed down with sleep, lest thou be given over to death and shut out from the Kingdom. Lest thou slumber and remain outside knocking like the five virgins; but watch diligently, that thou mayest meet Christ the merciful, and He may grant thee the chamber of His divine glory.” May the Lord God help us in this! source