一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主（瑪25:14-30）
主人是個知人善任的人，他在遠行之前，召集了自己的僕人，「把財產托付給他們：按照他們的才能，一個給了五個『塔冷通』，一個給了兩個，一個給了一個。」（瑪25:14-15）有些僕人不負所托，領了五個的，另外賺了五個；那個領了兩個的，也賺了另外兩個（25:16-17）。證明主人分散投資，是正確的做法！
從這個觀察所得，在這個比喻發生的宇宙裡，僕人最高的成就，就是把本錢加倍。即是說，把全數八個『塔冷通』交給第一個僕人所得的成果，與分散托付到不同僕人的成果都是一樣！
主人的明智，不但顯示在他懂得分散投資上；而且這樣分散投資，更反映了他的公義。倘若全數投放到最有本領的僕人手上，其餘的僕人祇會游手好閒，坐享其成。這不是僕人求之不得的安排嗎？可惜這樣做，便剝削了他們展露自己能力的機會，對他們不公平！所以，主人分散投資在幾個，而不是一個僕人身上，既明智，又公義！
首先，第三個僕人對主人的評價，即「你是個刻薄的人，在你沒有下種的地方收割，在你沒有散布的地方聚斂」（25:24），是正確的嗎？不可能！且看主人把自己的財產托付給他們，對他們是多麼信任。一個這麼信任自己僕人的主人，又怎可能會刻薄自己的僕人呢？事實上，在這個比喻的宇宙裡，有主人沒有下種的地方嗎？有主人沒有散布的地方嗎？沒有！所以第三個僕人是想把責任推卸到主人身上。
其次，即使主人明知這個僕人在推卸責任，但主人並沒有直接揭露他，反而順應他的指控，教導他正確的做法：「該把我的銀子，交給錢莊的人，待我回來時時， 把我連本帶利取回。」（25:27）雖然這個僕人最後受到應得的懲罰，但主人的慈悲是不容否定的。
各位兄弟姊妹，天主就是這樣的一個明智、公義和慈悲的天主，我們尚有何求呢？
天主保祐！
生命恩泉
圖片鳴謝：smartchurchsolutions.com
A Prudent, Righteous and Merciful God (Matthew 25:14-30)
The master knew the capabilities of his servants. Before he was going on a journey, he called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. “To one he gave five talents; to another two; to a third, one --- to each according to his ability” (Matthew 25:15) Some servants met the master’s expectation. “The one who received five talents … made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two” (25:16-17). It proves that the master’s strategy of diversification was the right thing to do!
From this observation, in the universe of this parable, the greatest achievement a servant could make is to double the capital. That is to say, giving all eight talents to the first servant would yield the same results as distributing the talents to different servants!
The wisdom of the master is shown in his diversification of investment. But this diversification also shows his justice. Had he entrusted all talents to the best servant, the rest would have been sitting idly to enjoy the fruit of the first servant’s labour. Wouldn’t it be the wishes of the servants? Unfortunately, such an arrangement would have denied the opportunities for them to show off their talents. It would have been unfair to them. Thus diversification shows that the master is both prudent and just!
In dealing with the third servant, the master shows his mercy! Why?
First of all, was the evaluation of third servant on the master, viz. “You were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter” (25:24) a correct one? Impossible! See how the master entrusted his possessions to the servants, how he trusted them! Would a trusting master be mean and demanding on his servants? In fact, in the universe of this parable, would there be a place where the master did not plant? Would there be a place where the master did not scatter? No! Therefore, the third servant was trying to pass the blame onto the master.
Secondly, even though the master knew that the servant was trying to evade responsibility, he did not bluntly expose him. On the contrary, the master followed the servant’s logic and taught him the proper way, “Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?” (25:27) Although the servant received his due punishment, this did not negate the master’s mercy.
Brethren! God is such a prudent, righteous and merciful God. What else can we demand?
God bless!
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