The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-25
International
SundaySchoolLesson
BIZ WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
For February 81 is: Rewards of
Faithfulness." Matt. 25:14-3o.
Socialism and the RibIe

For February 81 is: Rewards of
Faithfulness." Matt. 25:14-so.
Socialism and the Bible.
Persons who read more of radical
ism than of religion, are fond of ap-'
pealing to the Bible as the basis of all
their varied socialistic theories. Their
appeal. if they know anything about
the New Testament. is usually to the
brief communistic experiment of the
Apostolic Church, venture that ended
in poverty and disaster
If anybody wants to go to the Bible
for economies and sociology, here it
is, in the familiar parable which is
the present Sunday School lesson. 1t
is crowded with truth for our times
There is more of hope for human
progress in it than in any of the count
less treaties upon Bolshevism and less
extreme forms OF socialism. Suppose
We first of all quote the parable itself,
from the Weymouth Translation:
''Why, 1t is like a man who, when
going on his travels. called his bond
servants and entrusted his property
to their care. To one he gave five
talents, to another two, to another
one-to each according to his indi-
vidual ca pacity; and then started from
had received the five talents went and
employed them in business. and gained
five more. In the same way he who
had the two gained two more. But
the man who had received the one
went and dug hole and buried his
masters money.
After a long lapse of time the
master of those servants returned, and
had a reckoning with them. The one
who had received the five talents came
and brought five more, and said.
Sir, it was five talents that you
an a. to mo
"sYou have done we'll good and
trustworthy servant replied his
master; you have been trustworthy in
the management of a little. I will
put you in charge of much: share your
masters joy!'
1.-THE second, who had received the
two talents, came and said,
Sir, it was two talents you en-
trusted to me; see, have gained two
more
"'Good and trustworthy servant,
you have done we'll his master re-
piled; you have been trustworthy in
the management of little, will put
you in charge of much; share your
masters joy.
But, next, the man who had the
one talent in his keeping came and
said:
"'Sir. I knew you to be a severe
man, FedplnS WAtIe you Hdu iol soNH
and garnering what you had not win
moved. So, being afraid, went and
buried your talent in the ground;
there you have what belongs to YOU
You wicked and -slothful servant
replied his master, did YOU not know
that 1 reap where have not sown,
and earned what I have not win
moved? Your duty was then to de-
post my money in some bank, and so
when I came I should have got my
property with interest. So take away
the talent from him, and give it to the
man who has the ten tFor to evecy
one who has, more shall be given, and
he shall have abundance; b. from
him who has nothing. even he
has shall be. taken awayD 1T as
forN this worthless servant, put him
out into the darkness outside; there
will be the weeping and the gnashing
of teeth.'"
Whose Money Was 1t?
According to the most advanced of
modern theories, this householder had
no right to possess money of his own.
This same state of mind denies God
any sovereign or proprietary rights N
human life. But the words of Jesus
are explicit; it was his own money that
the man in. the story distributed TO
MS own servants for his own puf-
poses. Property, like life, must be en-
hanced or 1t will deteriorate.
Inc three servants had varying
capacity. even as have every group of
men today Te say that we are all
equal in character and in possibility is
to fieut the plain facts of life. If
human beings did not differ greatly.
Lenine and Trotzky would not be
running and running Russia today.
the master in the parable knew his
men, and he was fair to them all; for
ne gave each as much as he could
handie. What a blunder it would
nave been to have entrusted the Eve
talents to the one-talent man!
ei Eaen was given the opportunity to
fulfill a trust, and to prove his now
ers- With all the unsoeiaI selfishness
That there is in the world today. il is
none the less true that many business
men care more for their achievements
than Tor their gains. The work means
more than the dividends. AS a friend
said recently, himself a man of large
business responsibilities, when we were
discussing certain commercial failures;
1t isn't the money that matters; it is
life, life, life! that these men have put
into their work. To see your self
structure apse-that is the bitter
ness of it ALL
Life as a Talent.
OF course, Jesus was talking about
the kingdom of heayen-that ultimate
goal OF all wise seekers after a. better
order of human life-when He mar
rated this parable. Significantly, He
dealt in terms of individualism, as God
always does. in both rewards and pun
ishments. And it was the faithfulness
of the single man that he stressed His
idea clearly is that the kingdom is to
come by way of man sandman fidelity
to opportunities and responsibilities
One does more for all the world by
living a true and growing life than by
joining any party or society, or by sub
seribing to any set of degmas.
Life is the talent of which every one
of us is steward. What we do with our
life is the real measure of what We.
do for God. The two-ta1ent man may
be quite as successfulin kind, and earn
the same reward, as the five-talent
man. -ss
Each is responsible for his use of his