Lecture 2
Lectio 2
Parable of the talents
Parabolum talentarum
25:14 For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods; [n. 2032]
25:14 Sicut enim homo peregre proficiscens vocavit servos suos, et tradidit illis bona sua; [n. 2032]
25:15 and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability, and immediately he took his journey. [n. 2036]
25:15 et uni dedit quinque talenta, alii autem duo, alii vero unum, unicuique secundum propriam virtutem, et profectus est statim. [n. 2036]
25:16 And he who had received the five talents, went his way, and worked with the same, and gained another five. [n. 2044]
25:16 Abiit autem qui quinque talenta acceperat, et operatus est in eis, et lucratus est alia quinque. [n. 2044]
25:17 And in like manner he who had received the two, gained another two. [n. 2046]
25:17 Similiter qui duo acceperat, lucratus est alia duo. [n. 2046]
25:18 But he who had received the one, going his way, dug into the earth, and hid his lord’s money. [n. 2047]
25:18 Qui autem unum acceperat, abiens fodit in terram, et abscondit pecuniam domini sui. [n. 2047]
25:19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. [n. 2048]
25:19 Post multum vero temporis venit dominus servorum illorum, et posuit rationem cum eis. [n. 2048]
25:20 And he who had received the five talents coming, brought another five talents, saying: lord, you did deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained another five over and above. [n. 2050]
25:20 Et accedens qui quinque talenta acceperat, obtulit alia quinque talenta, dicens: domine, quinque talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia quinque superlucratus sum. [n. 2050]
25:21 His lord said to him: well done, good and faithful servant, because you have been faithful over a few things, I will place you over many things: enter into the joy of your lord. [n. 2052]
25:21 Ait illi dominus eius: euge, serve bone et fidelis, quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, super multa te constituam: intra in gaudium domini tui. [n. 2052]
25:22 And he also who had received the two talents came and said: lord, you delivered two talents to me, behold I have gained another two. [n. 2055]
25:22 Accessit autem et qui duo talenta acceperat, et ait: domine, duo talenta tradidisti mihi, ecce alia duo lucratus sum. [n. 2055]
25:23 His lord said to him: well done, good and faithful servant, because you have been faithful over a few things, I will place you over many things: enter into the joy of your lord. [n. 2055]
25:23 Ait illi dominus eius: euge, serve bone et fidelis, quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, supra multa te constituam: intra in gaudium domini tui [n. 2055]
25:24 But he who had received the one talent, came and said: lord, I know that you are a hard man; you reap where you have not sown, and gather where you have not scattered. [n. 2057]
25:24 Accedens autem et qui unum talentum acceperat, ait: domine, scio quia homo durus es, metis ubi non seminasti et congregas ubi non sparsisti; [n. 2057]
25:25 And being afraid, I went and hid your talent in the earth. Behold here you have that which is yours. [n. 2064]
25:25 et timens abii, et abscondi talentum tuum in terra. Ecce habes quod tuum est. [n. 2064]
25:26 And his lord answering, said to him: wicked and slothful servant, you knew that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not scattered; [n. 2066]
25:26 Respondens autem dominus eius dixit ei: serve male et piger, sciebas quia meto ubi non semino et congrego ubi non sparsi: [n. 2066]
25:27 therefore you should have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I would have received my own with usury. [n. 2070]
25:27 oportuit ergo te mittere pecuniam meam nummulariis, et veniens ego recepissem utique quod meum est cum usura. [n. 2070]
25:28 Take away therefore, the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. [n. 2073]
25:28 Tollite itaque ab eo talentum, et date ei qui habet decem talenta. [n. 2073]
25:29 For to every one who has will be given, and he will abound, but from him who has not, that also which he seemed to have will be taken away. [n. 2074]
25:29 Omni enim habenti dabitur, et abundabit, ei autem qui non habet, et quod videtur habere, auferetur ab eo. [n. 2074]
25:30 And cast the unprofitable servant out into the exterior darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. [n. 2075]
25:30 Et inutilem servum eiicite in tenebras exteriores: illic erit fletus et stridor dentium. [n. 2075]
2031. Above, the Lord set out a parable about the judgment in which someone is rejected owing to the fact that he does not preserve a spiritual good interiorly received; but here he sets out a parable in which someone does not multiply the goods received, whence it is divided. For
2031. Supra posuit Dominus parabolam de iudicio, in qua reprobatur aliquis propter hoc quod bonum spirituale interius susceptum non conservat, hic vero ponit parabolam, in qua quis bona suscepta non multiplicat: unde dividitur. Quia
first, he treats of the distribution of gifts;
primo de distributione donorum agit;
second, of their use;
secundo de usu eorum;
third, of the judgment of the users.
tertio de iudicio utentium.
The second is at and he who had received the five talents, went his way; the third, at but after a long time, the lord of those servants came.
Secunda ibi abiit autem qui quinque talenta acceperat etc.; tertia ibi post multum vero temporis et cetera.
Concerning the first, he does three things:
Circa primum tria facit.
first, he sets out the need for distributing the gifts;
Primo ponit necessitatem distribuendi;
second, the distribution;
secundo distributionem;
third, the departure of the one distributing.
tertio recessum distribuentis.
2032. He shows the need when he says: for even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods. Here you should note that this man is Christ. And we can say that he went abroad in three ways: because he traveled in place, for although he is in the place proper to him through his divinity, namely in heaven, yet he is far off according to the flesh, because no flesh had ascended there. Hence, and no man has ascended into heaven, but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven (John 3:13).
2032. Necessitatem ostendit in hoc quod dicit sicut enim homo peregre proficiscens vocavit servos suos, et tradidit illis bona sua. Ubi debetis notare quod iste homo Christus est. Et possumus dicere quod peregre proficiscebatur tripliciter: quia pergebat in locum, qui quamvis sit sibi proprius per divinitatem, scilicet in caelum, tamen peregrinus erat secundum carnem, quia nulla caro ibi ascenderat. Unde Io. III, 13: nemo ascendit in caelum, nisi qui descendit de caelo, Filius hominis qui est in caelo.
Similarly, he departed into heaven because, being a foreigner in the world, he departed into heaven; why will you be a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man turning in to lodge? (Jer 14:8).
Item proficiscebatur in caelum, quia in mundo peregrinus existens in caelum proficiscebatur; Ier. XIV, 8: quare futurus es quasi colonus in terra, et quasi viator declinans ad manendum?
Likewise, it can be understood spiritually: for now he is absent from us, because we are absent from him; while we are in the body, we are absent from the Lord (2 Cor 5:6). But when we see him, then we will not be like foreigners, but like citizens and members of God’s household.
Item potest intelligi spiritualiter: nunc enim peregrinatur a nobis, quoniam nos peregrinamur ab eo; II ad Cor. V, 6: dum sumus in corpore peregrinamur a domino. Quando autem videbimus eum, tunc non erimus sicut peregrini, sed sicut cives et domestici Dei.
2033. And one should note that, as Origen says, where as is set down, something should be joined to it, unless it is set out in a likeness, as is had above, for as lightning comes out of the east, and appears even into the west: so will the coming of the Son of man be (Matt 24:27). But here it is not set down in a likeness, and nothing is set down afterward; because of this, it should be read in this way: someone going abroad as a man, for Christ is both God and man. Hence according as he is God, he does not set out abroad, because all things are naked and open to his eyes, (Heb 4:13). But he goes abroad as a man; and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father (John 1:14), i.e., as the only begotten of the Father.
2033. Et notandum quod, sicut dicit Origenes, ubi ponitur sicut debet iungi aliquid, nisi ponatur in similitudine, sicut habetur supra XXIV, 27: sicut enim fulgor exit ab oriente, ita erit adventus Filii Dei. Sed hic non ponitur in similitudine, et non ponitur postea aliud; propter hoc debet sic legi. Aliquis peregre proficiscens sicut homo, quia Christus et Deus et homo est. Unde secundum quod Deus, non peregrinatur, quia omnia nuda et aperta sunt oculis eius, ad Hebr. IV, 13. Peregre autem proficiscitur sicut homo; Io. I, 14: vidimus eum tamquam unigenitum a Patre, idest sicut unigenitum a Patre.
2034. And because he was setting out abroad, it was necessary that he entrust the care of his own things to someone; and he does this when he says he called his servants, and delivered to them his goods. And
2034. Et hoc fuit necesse ex quo peregre proficisceretur, quod curam committeret de suis; et hoc facit cum dicit vocavit servos suos et tradidit illis bona sua. Et
first, the liberality of the one giving is touched upon;
primo tangitur liberalitas dantis;
second, the diversity of the gifts;
secundo diversitas donorum;
likewise, the discretion of the giving.
item discretio dandi.