Parable of the talents
1 min read
At the risk of reaching for low-hanging Biblical fruit, consider the parable of the talents. It shares the story of servants given talents of gold. Two servants go and use their talents to earn more, whereas one just buries his talents in the sand. The landowner then curses him with the memorable, “For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Matthew 25:29)”
The normal interpretation of the story is that – as Christians – we are obligated to share the talents we receive, whether those be time, talent, or treasure.
There’s a twist in death though. You have no more time or talent. All that’s left is your treasure, which gives it an extra importance in estate planning.
The recipients of that treasure can vary greatly, whether it’s your family, local charities, your parish, schools, missionary work, or literally thousands of other causes. You’re not obligated to do anything specific… but you should be asking yourself both whether and how your estate is advancing the kingdom of God.