Talents
A fascinating bit of trivia came to light during a Bible study the wifeösphere and I attended. It has to do with a story Jesus told, commonly known as the parable of the talents. From the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 25:
Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.Jesus then tells how the master heaps praise on the first two servants, but condemns the lazy, fearful servant.
It so happens the author of a Gnostic gospel from the second century rewrote this story, stating the third servant squandered his talent. This completely undermines the point of the story, which is about sins of omission, although that's not what interests me right now. The author wanted to magnify (as he understood it) the guilt of the third servant. He wondered how he could make the servant's wastefulness more shocking. He could have written simply that the servant squandered his money on harlots, but that option apparently seemed too mild. He searched for the extreme example of a disreputable, disgraceful, contemptible class of people with which to associate the servant. When he found it, his version looked like this:
But the man who had received the one talent squandered his money on harlots and flute players.
Umie the Umlaut says, "ask your doctor about the Fredösphere!"
1 Comments:
Reminds me of a old joke I have heard through the years. Perhaps it is from the Gnostic Gospels, Part II? A man wanting his sons to understand the use and value of money, gives his three sons $100 each and instructs each to invest it wisely. He tells each of them to return the $100 in 30 years, interest free, and to tell him how they did. Well, the father dies after 29 years and before the funeral the three sons agree to each leave $100 in his casket. At the funeral, the first son leaves a $100 bill and says "I have used this $100 to make $10,000 over the years. Thank you father." The second son leaves his $100 bill and says, "I have used this $100 to make $20,000 over the years. Thank you father." The third son says, "I have used my $100 to make $10 million dollars over the years. Thank your father." He then takes the two $100 bills the first two sons have left and leaves a personal check for $300. - Steve K.
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