Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-31

In last weeks lesson we learned how
Jesus had impressed upon His apostles
the necessity of being thoroughly pre-
pared at all times for His return He
knew that they were expecting an early
establishment of the kingdom and in
the parable of the Talents, He taught
them their duty to live life of service
while they watched for His return,
which would take place after a long
time. In this parable, that it Is claimed
has introduced the word, talent" into
every language, He sets forth to His
disciples their relation to Him as
stewards. He taught them the personal
responsibility for the utilization of every
faculty and opportunity in the develop
ment of His work, while He was absent
The valuable trust that He committed
to them called for a trust accounting,
when He, "the certain man." who
Travelled into a far country should re-
turn and demand an accounting for
their use of the talents, intrusted to
them for development through trading
It's message of stewardship is one of
the greatest that Jesus gave to His
followers. It should tremendously affect
our Interpretation of the meaning of
life. All that we are and can possibly
be has been given us by the Lord. Our
Master has personally invested in us, so
that We could be workers together with
Him in the development of His kingdom
Originally the talent was measure of
weight. 1t represented about. IS pounds
'The heavy talent was double that of
the light talent. The talent of silver
was worth SLIGO and that of gold about
$4,000" In His program for the
evangelization of the world the risen
Christ committed 10 the people, who had
declared their faith in Him. the work of
His kingdom He sent forth the men,
bership of the early church to win the
r"~r'd H~carse He bod come into the
life in the flesh for the purpose Of re-
Yealing the Father and establishing the
k4ngcGm among men. While all men
have been given the same opportunity
of salvation, yet in the disposal of His
trust to all, He gave ito every man
according to his several abilities" The
Lord knew His servants abilities and
limitations. They differed in their
trusts Of mental, moral and physical
endownentS; and also in those out
ward trusts which we call the oppor-
tunities of life.
Faithfulness and SlothfuIness.
Each one of the servants belonged to
the absent Lord. He had appointed
them temporary trustees of His property.
They expected that He would demand
an accounting from them individually
when He returned. Each was given an
opportunity to trade with his Lords
goods. There was equality of right or
of condition of service, yet Jesus
recognized the fact of life that it is
diversity and not equality. When the
Lord returned and demanded an ac-
counting, He did not reward those who
had gained in their trading in proper
| ton to what they had gained. He re-
warded them for their fidelity, because
it is required in a steward that he be
| found faithful. He rewarded equal
! faithfulness equally. Our talents de-
/ velop through use.
Unused talents are lost through
| neglect. This is in accordance with
the principle that capacity is extir-
pated by disuse." The muscles that are
disused wither in power. Fish in the
Mammoth Cave have lost their power
Of vision through their neglect of use.
Ignatious Loyola prescribed certain
methods of prayer for his followers
which he called Spiritual Exercises. /"
They aimed to keep spiritual leaders in
close contact with the source of spiAt-
ual power. Nothing weakens ones
| spiritual life more than the neglect of
! close communion With God in prayer.
From the one who was slothful and
n1tsuscd the truEt that had been given
him OF the Lord there Ea5 taken away