Good morning, brothers and sisters. I'd like to read the parable of the talents. It is from a New Testament Matthew chapter 25. The term "Talent" has two meanings. The one is skill as you know. The other is a unit of currency. The literal meaning of talent in this Parable is a unit of currency. But the parable also symbolizes the skills given by God. Let's read.
The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
Those who have much will receive more, and they will have more than they need. But as for those who don’t have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them.
What does the parable teach us?
Does the parable illustrate free market capitalism?
"The rich get richer and the poor get poorer."
Was Jesus a capitalist?
Did Jesus tell that the Kingdom of Heaven was like a free market capitalist world?
Some people say that Jesus was a capitalist because of this parable. As you know, many people think that Jesus was a socialist. It is not a topic today whether Jesus was a capitalist or socialist. I put the argument aside. I would like to talk about two kinds of mindset today; owner mindset and victim mindset.
First two servants thought what they can do more for goodness with talents they received from their master and took the actions.
On the other hand, the last one did not think the meaning of the talent he received and took no action. He might have resentment to the master. He might feel that the life was not fair comparing to other two servants received five and two, much more than him.
There is a English idiom born with a silver spoon in one's mouth. It means to be born into a very rich family and having a privileged upbringing. The similar expression exists in Korea and Japan, too.
the meaning is to be born into a very rich family and having a privileged upbringing and the similar expression exists in Korea and Japan too.
수저계급론 (Spoon class theory) in Korea. 親ガチャ (Parent lottery) in Japan.
These expressions are usually used to show resentment or disapproval. What kind of mindset is seen from these expressions?
It's a victim mindset. It is saying life is not fair and my life depends on my circumstances. I am a victim of my circumstances. Our thoughts tend to go towards victim mindset. Why?
Let's go back to the our ancestors. Victim mindset started from our first ancestors. It's Genesis 3 12-13 illustrating Adam and Eve’s excuse after fall.
The man said, “The woman you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?!”
And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”
Adam said; I fell because of God and Eve. I am a victim.
Eve said; I fell because of Lucifer. I am a victim.
Genesis 4:4-5.
The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful.
Cain also fell into victim mindset when God did not take his offering.
We often face challenges to fall into victim mindset. Job in the Bible is an example of one who faced the challenges.
Job was a righteous man who was always doing good deeds, had virtue and wealth, and was admired by everyone as a man of honor. One day, however, Job's situation changed drastically. His best friend betrayed him, he lost his fortune in a disaster, and his entire family died. Having suffered the pains of the world, Job said to himself, "I have done nothing wrong. I try every day to live as a respectable person. But why do I have to suffer like this?”
In the depths of despair, when Job prayed to God, "I cannot live any longer, let me die." Then he heard God's voice calling out, "O Job!” Job listened carefully, expecting God to comfort him, saying, "You have done well so far.” The voice of God sounded loud and clear.
“Gird up now thy loins like a man." Job 38:3
These were the only words God gave him.
But with these words, Job stood up straight. He realized that life was God's grace and not something we could create. Job decided to stand up straight and walk with his eyes fixed on God, so that he can live appropriately as a recipient of the grace.
God reminded Job the ownership mindset toward his life.
When we face challenges in our life and are about to fall into victim mindset like Job, what do we need to remember?
God is a source of ownership mindset. This is from Divine principle. “The human fall is the result of man's own error. However, God, too, is responsible for the results, as the Creator. God has felt compelled to restore the result of man's error to its original state before the fall.
God will save this world of sin full of grief by all means.”
When I first learned Divine principle and found someone would be responsible for the suffering of human kinds, I felt relief and hope.
Ownership mindset is ultimately mindset of Heavenly Parent. What do “Only Begotten Son”, “Only Begotten Daughter”, and “True Parents” mean?
Jesus and True Parents have ownership mindset toward all human kinds as Heavenly Parent does. They took responsibility for sins of all human kinds.
These are the examples how Jesus and True Parents took responsibility to have ownership mindset.
Palm Sunday is Sunday before Easter. Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem knowing he would be tried and crucified. If Jesus didn't go back to Jerusalem, he might have not been crucified. But he went into Jerusalem to take ownership and responsibility over all humankinds' sins.
True Father went to prison six times. He could avoid but he took ownership and responsibility to save all humankind.
True Mother's determination. This is her message right after True Father's Ascension. “At the moment of Father’s ascension, I promised Father that I would work to fulfill all that he had desired to do for humanity until my last day on earth.”
True Mother’s Message: We will now make our Unification Church a living and breathing church on September 23, 2012
Someone may say that the terms “Only Begotten Son”, “Only Begotten Daughter”, and “True Parents” are used to make the person special and a godlike figure. The terms actually mean the determination to take full responsibility for humanity.
In conclusion, how to have ownership mindset? The first thing to do is to reflect talents we have. You may think "I don't have any talent". Our life itself is gift from God. God gave our life and our life came from many sacrifices. You are born because of your mother's sacrifice. Mothers hold babies in their stomach in nine months. Without that sacrifice you could not be born.
The next point is to seek the meaning and purpose of the talents you receive.
Then think like Heavenly Parent and use the talents for public. Those who are born with more talents than others are commit to use them for the world and other people, and that he/she must never use those talents for personal gain.
We become owners of our talents if we use our talents for public.
Let us become the Owner of Cheon Il Guk! The Family Pledge all of one to eight start from our family Owner of Cheon Il Guk. We are expected to become the Owner of Cheon Il Guk. Small steps we can take is to attend Sunday service and the tithe as the owner of Triangle Family Church. You may come to Sunday service especially for young ones because you have no choice to come, because your parents come to church. But eventually you should come to Sunday service as a owner of Triangle Family Church. You have seven days 24 hours. If you offer your small portion of time just 2-3 hours a week, then God will bless all of your time.
If you tithe 10 percent of your income, then God will bless all your income.
Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Parent, thank you for this day. We gather here to attend Heavenly Parent. Heavenly Parent expects us to be the owner of the Creation. That's why you gave us responsibility and expect us to fulfill our responsibility, become owner of the Creation, and enjoy the Creation. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve couldn't fulfill their responsibility and fell into victim mindset. Throughout human history, people fell into victim mindset. Then Jesus and True Parents came to this earth to teach us to be owners. They showed us the example to be owners. They took full responsibility for sins of all humankinds. They went extreme suffering course, but they never complained, never gave up, kept taking responsibility. They expect us to take some portion of responsibilities, become owners, and enjoy fully over God's Creation. Heavenly Parent, it is not easy. We face many challenges in our life. But let us remember our life came from God. It's a gift from Heavenly Parent. Let us have strengths to overcome challenges and let us be owners of Cheon Il Guk. Thank you, Heavenly Parent. I'd like to report everything in the name of Blessed Central families.
