Personal Finance King

A Personal Finance Money Blog from a Christian Perspective

  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recommended Sites
You are here: Home / Love & Finance / Is the Parable of the Talents Wedding Appropriate?

Is the Parable of the Talents Wedding Appropriate?

October 24, 2016 by Barnaby

Our Modest Ice Sculpture
Our Modest Ice Sculpture

Many years ago when Nora and I were engaged to be married, we hardly ever argued. When she spoke, bluebirds sang. When she walked by, roses floated under my nose. When she kissed me, my toes tingled.

That’s the way I remember it anyway. Let’s call it the pre-honeymoon honeymoon period.

Then we started to plan the wedding. I wanted the reception held in the Grand Ballroom of the DuPont Country Club, she wanted a space that wouldn’t dwarf our medium-sized group. I wanted an ice sculpture (!), she wanted anything but an ice sculpture. I wanted alcohol, she wanted to save money for a down payment on our new life together. “You only get married once, right?” I said. No answer. Not a good sign.

Then planning for the wedding ceremony itself. We knew we’d have a couple scripture readings, but which ones? Nora led with “Love is patient, love is kind…” from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

“Everyone uses that one,” I said, “And besides it’s not about romantic love but the agape love we should demonstrate for all people. And it’s sort of like the Lord’s Prayer – it’s repeated so often that it becomes rote and devoid of meaning for most people.”

Then I blurted out: “What about the Parable of the Talents?”

Silence. And no eye contact. Definitely not a good sign. Was she upset I rudely rejected her suggestion, or was the parable the problem?

I’ve always liked the Parable of the Talents. You know the story where the Master entrusts different sums of money to his three servants, then, when he returns, judges how well each did managing the money. It is told a couple times, with variations: Matthew 25: 14-30 and Luke 19: 12-28.

From a literal perspective, the lesson is obvious: When blessed with material resources, don’t hide it under a mattress, but put it to work, so that the money will be multiplied. Basic Investment 101, right?

Of course, Jesus didn’t come to Earth to teach personal finance lessons. Parables always have deeper meanings and I felt good about that too.

Nora doesn’t like conflict, but she doesn’t like feeling she is being taken advantage of either. The next day, as gently as possible, she says “Are there any other scripture verses that are meaningful to you?”

I hadn’t yet become an expert in woman-speak, but this was obvious. You know, how “How do I look?” means “Tell me I look good” and “Do what you want” means “If you love me, you won’t do that”?

In other words, “I don’t like the Parable of the Talents, let’s use something else.”

Do I take the easy harmonious road, or the one with big potholes that threaten to tear out the undercarriage? I’m feeling bold, perhaps dangerously so. “What don’t you like about it?”

“Where do I start?” she says. “Why does the master give his servants different amounts to manage? That doesn’t seem fair to me. And why does all the investment benefit go to the master, while the servant shoulders all the risk? And why is the master so harsh to the servant who carefully maintained his principal, albeit without growing it? That sounds like something I would do!”

Nora concluded: “And do we really need to have ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ read during our ceremony?”

That did seem like a bit of a downer.

Fairness has always been a cornerstone of Nora’s approach to life. If I spent $40 on a Christmas gift for my brother, I’d better not spend $20 on my sister – it’s not equitable.

That’s a good philosophy for sibling harmony, but it’s obvious that God does play favorites. He’s got a covenant people. Jesus had an unnamed disciple that he loved above the others. King David was clearly a favored servant. And, as in the parable, he gives and expects more from some people. It calls to mind Luke 12:48 – “For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required.”

I could see how Nora could sympathize with the servant who hadn’t grown the money he was entrusted with. She can be wild and super fun, but when it comes to money, she is very cautious. To the likes of Billy the Kid, Ivan the Terrible, Dora the Explorer, and Peter the Great, you could easily add ‘Nora the Fiscally Conservative & Risk Averse’. That’s too long to ever catch on, but you get the point.

As a fiancé and future husband, that conservative approach warmed my heart. I had a similar philosophy. They say that financial differences are the #1 marriage killer, so I felt comfortable that neither of us would gnaw our finger nails off while the other engaged in wild day trading of stocks.

But were we in union with God’s approach? What’s good for the marriage is not necessarily beneficial for our relationship with Him. Rereading the passage, it’s obvious that God doesn’t want us to play it safe. He wants us to enthusiastically employ the gifts He gives us in His service.

Also, it’s clear that the rewards and punishment are great for those who do – or don’t do – God’s will. Including weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Despite Nora’s initial reservations, the Parable of the Talents made the final cut, beautifully read by Nora’s graduate school roommate Hannah. I’m not sure, but I think I saw Nora clench her jaw when Hannah got to the ‘weeping and gnashing’ line. Not typical wedding material, but maybe it would jolt someone out of their complacency.

And no, I wasn’t a complete steamroller. Nora got her wish regarding the grand ballroom and alcohol (both nixed). And by the end of planning, she was as enthusiastic as I was about commissioning a small ice sculpture. Two fiscally-conservative people committing to a lavish and unnecessary purchase – maybe we could get outside our comfort zones after all.

Filed Under: Love & Finance Tagged With: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, fiscally conservative, love is patient, Luke 12:48, Luke 19: 12-28, marriage, Matthew 25: 14-30, parable of talents, risk averse, wedding, weeping and gnashing of teeth

About Me

About Barnaby King Welcome to the Personal Finance King blog, which explores issues of Money, Faith, Work, and Family. I am Barnaby King. More
Subscribe to Receive New Posts by Email:

Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription.

RSS RSS Feed

  • Quick Takes: Riding Greyhound, Winning Mega Millions & Human Composting
  • Know Your Value
  • My Tiny Bitcoin Investment Lost 64% of Its Value

Most Popular Posts

1. How Should We Respond to Needy People on the Street?
2. We Ported Our Landline Phone to Google Voice, Saving $46 Per Month
3. What Is the Role of Faith in Personal Finance?
4. 9 Life and Finance Lessons from “Alexander Hamilton” Biography by Ron Chernow
5. Top 8 Free and Offbeat Historic Things to Do in Baltimore
6. Why We Live in Baltimore Despite Its Problems
7. How a Prized Pocket Knife Was Imperiled on a Trip to See the Rockettes
8. Is 16 Too Old for a First Phone?

Categories

  • Earning Money
  • Faith & Finance
  • Kids & Finance
  • Love & Finance
  • Misc Finance
  • Politics & Finance
  • Saving Money
  • Travel & Finance
  • Uncategorized
  • Work & Finance

Archive

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • August 2022
  • June 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016

Copyright © 2023 · Metro Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in