The Use of Talents and the Missional Church

4.1. INTRODUCTION

As stated earlier, the Kingdom of Heaven and the leadership of Jesus Christ is the central message of Matthew’s gospel. Matthew 28:18-20 states that before being taken up into heaven, Jesus sent His disciples to preach this message to every nation:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.”

Relating this to all that has been said so far, and especially to the use of Talents, how does the great commission that Jesus gave to His disciples fit in?

4.2. JESUS CHRIST AND THE COMMISSIONING OF HIS DISCIPLES.

Matthew 28:16 says it was on the mountain of Galilee that the great commission took place. That mountain of Galilee was where Jesus preached the long sermon recorded in Matthew 5-7. The mountain is described by the Holy Scriptures as a place where people meet with God (cf. Isa. 37:24; Luke 9:28-29; Rev. 14:1; etc.). 209 This implies that Jesus appeared as a new Moses in Matthew 5-7, delivered a new teaching about the Law (cf. Exd. 20:1ff.) and revealed Himself as far greater than Moses: He was God and the teaching He delivered was fully from Him as God (cf. Eph. 1:21-23; Heb 1:3; Rev. 15:3-4). 210

Therefore, here in Matthew 28:16-20, the commissioning of the disciples on the mountain of Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection indicates that He is God in His fullness.

The fact that the disciples worshipped Him and His words “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” are evidence that He is God. 211 In relation to what has been said earlier, He indicated that He himself was the Patron who had authority over His disciples. The latter are members of the holy family He has set up, i.e., His Kingdom. The authority He has as God / Patron adds value and weight to His commissioning and puts those who are commissioned in the position of servants. 212

One can say that He considered himself as the Patron who went on a journey and entrusted his property to his servants in Matthew 25:14ff. This is where the use of Talents and ability have their place in the commission: Jesus is sending His disciples, to whom He had entrusted the property (i.e., the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven and the blessing which follows) and given the ability (charisma) to each one. They will accomplish the mission Jesus sent them to do by using the resources and ability given them as His disciples.

The image and principle that link Matthew 5-7 to this great commission in Matthew 28:16-20 and Exodus 20:1ff. illustrate God’s purpose with this commission: the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven to set all nations free from everything that enslaves them in all aspects of life. This is carried out by making disciples of Jesus from all nations. It has been stated earlier that Jesus’ disciples (μαθητες))213 are those who learn from Him; that is to say those who put into practice Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, and consequently live together with Him. ‘Disciple’ here is a synonym of “child of God”, i.e., member of God’s family. One becomes God’s child or member of His family by being ‘baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’, i.e., by being united with Jesus and His cross (cf. Rom. 6:3ff.; Col. 2:12) and by being breathed and led by the Holy Spirit (cf. John 20:19-31; Gal. 3:26-4:8; Rom. 8:14ff.). 214

Disciples should teach those who have been set free and renewed by the cross and become Jesus’ disciples / children of the Kingdom of Heaven to obey everything that Jesus has commanded them: the teaching in Matthew 5-7 and elsewhere, the new teaching concerning the Law (Torah), and especially obedience. Jesus summarized the Law or Commandment by “Love YHWH your God…Love your neighbour as yourself” (Matt. 22:37-39). In the light of Jesus’ ministry and His statement in Matthew 25:35-36, whatever the disciples do for the least of his brothers is an expression of love for Him. This should be evidenced not only by a healthy relationship with society but also by good works, i.e., by doing diaconal work for those who need it, to set them free from any spiritual, social, economic, and political bonds.

God or Jesus, as the Father / Patron in His Kingdom, has great goals for the world which is His property, and for all that live in it (cf. Ps. 24:1ff.; John 3:16). So, He gives responsibility o and sends His followers / the Church, which is His body, in order to fulfill such goals. In other words, He calls and sends all believers in Him to commit themselves to bring the Gospel of His Kingdom to the world, in order to serve others, and to achieve His goals for them (cf. Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; etc.). Thus, diaconal work is also included in the mission He sends His followers / the Church to do. The adjective “diaconal’ describes a work done in the spirit of diakonia. As defined earlier, diakonia is “service to the gospel by words or deeds that meet people’s needs so that they reach the standards set by God for them”. 215 The diakonia vision is a world where people live decently, according to God’s plan for them, free from all kinds of poverty. Putting it in other words, diakonia aims at changing the political, economic, social, and cultural systems that cause poverty, violence, and slavery for people. 216

Jesus sums up the ministry God the Father sent Him to do in this world as the work of a servant (cf. Matt 20:20ff; Mark 10:43-45; Luke 4:16-20). As the body of Christ, the Church is sent by Jesus Christ to do the same: diaconal work characterizes the nature of the Church and of her ministry. That is to say, diaconal work is included in the mission God / Christ sends the Church to do so as to build a bridge between it and society: to bring the gospel to the world (cf. Matt. 28:19-20). 217 The missional side of the work and the diaconal one cannot be separated one from the other.

The use of Talents / property and diakonia are inseparable, and so are mission and the use of Talents: the use of Talents / resources is the very heart of the mission to people outside the Church.

4.3. THE USE OF TALENTS / PROPERTY IN MISSION

Much has been said earlier about the Kingdom of Heaven being a new socio-economic organic family, as in Matthew 25:14-30. In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus commissions the children of that Kingdom to make for Him disciples of all nations. From Jesus’ point of view, according to Matthew, the people of His Kingdom are those who understand His teaching (cf. Matt. 13:11). 218 When Jesus commissioned His disciples / the Church before being taken up to heaven, their mission was to make disciples from all nations (Matt. 28:18-20; cf. Mark 16:15-20; Acts 1:5-8). This involves proclaiming the Gospel of the

Kingdom of Heaven so that all nations receive it and become members of God / Christ Jesus’ socio-economic organic family.

As explained earlier, the first two slaves, who performed their responsibility in accordance with their Patron’s will and trust, and made his property increase twice as much, were appointed to “be in charge” of the increased property. It was pointed out that the original verb translated into “to put in charge” (Matt. 25:21, 23, καθίστημι [kathístemi ], καθιστάνω [kathistánō], Eng. to conduct, to put in charge)219 implies that they were given a new responsibility to improve and exercise stewardship over the property in their own way. According to Matthew 25:35ff., stewardship of the property should include diaconal work to the poor and the outcast from society, meaning using it to enable them to live a life worthy of children of the Kingdom because they, too, are members of the new socio-economic organic family of God. The Kingdom of Heaven is a Kingdom of freedom: a kingdom in which God’s aim is that all people live in such freedom wholly and in every aspect of life. 220

As stated above, the mission Jesus sends His disciples / the Church to carry out is to make disciples of all nations, by baptizing them into the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to obey His commandments (Matt. 28:19-20). In addition, baptism unites them with Jesus Christ and His cross (Rom. 6:3ff; Col. 2:12): that is one way how God adopts them or makes them become part of the new socio-economic organic family in Him (Gal. 3:26-4:8). Teaching them to obey His commandments implies putting love into action by meeting people’s needs for them to reach the standard set by God and to live in complete freedom in every aspect of life (cf. Matt 25:315ff.). In Matthew 19:17 ff., love in action consists in ‘selling possessions and giving to the poor’ (πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς [ pōlēsón sou tà upárchonta kaì dòs ptōkoĩs]). 221 It has been mentioned that the detail of Jesus’ teaching about His commandments are recorded in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7). The children of the Kingdom of Heaven live out such commandments in complete freedom. In the light of Matthew 19:17ff., love in action is evidenced by the children of God’s Kingdom or members of the new socio-economic organic family having their possessions in common and benefiting from them. Therefore, those who have possessions / Talents should use them to make those who are outside the Kingdom become members of God’s new socio-economic organic family and equally benefit from them.

It is to be pointed out that ‘to teach’222 (διδάσκω [didáskō]) means ‘to make those who are taught understand and put into practice all that is taught to them’. The Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven (cf. Matt. 5-7) as a socio-economic organic family is what is being taught. The mission of the church is to make this become the way of life in all nations, and the use of Talents / property is of great importance in such a mission.

219 EDNT, 1990 ed., s.v. “καθίστημι, καθιστάνω”.

220 Harris, Proclaim Jubilee, 38; read also Yoder, The Politics of Jesus, 61-66.

221 Love is the core value of the commandment (cf. 22:36-40; read also 5:19) and Matthew 25:35ff. is about putting it into practice (Read also Matt. 19:17ff.).

222 BDAG, 2000 ed., s.v. “διδάσκω”.

4.4. CONCLUSION

In order to achieve His goals for the world, God / Jesus sends the Church to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven to all nations. Mission is the nature of the Church and diaconal work is part of it or bound to it. Diaconal work consists in proclaiming the gospel through work. In doing so, the use and stewardship of Talents / property holds an important place. By sending the Church to carry out mission work, God wants all nations to enter the Kingdom of Heaven where people live in complete freedom in every aspect of life.

CHAPTER FIVE: