Christianity puts emphasis on the importance of the "name"-it is not just a tag, but also an identity: a being, a meaning. It is not merely a coincidence that whenever a parable tells the story of a selfish, wealthy man, the narrator never mentions the person's name. The parable usually ends with the reader not knowing who the "rich man" is.
Compare such "________ and the rich man" parables with that of "________ and some generous person" stories. You'll notice in the latter that the good person has a name-a personality to call his own.
I will not be surprised if you are asking why I am giving such theological lecture. After all, I am supposed to be reflecting on the readings given. I will go into that in a little while. I am just giving you an idea on how the early Christians-if not Jesus Himself-distinguished the good men from those who were not.
The parables tell the stories of people who are selfish and shrewd-these are not
The Parable of Talents will lose its meaning if we practice Finance in a way that is offensive to our fellowmen. We turn away from God whenever we use such knowledge in order to evade our taxes or to fool others.
Take the Parable of the Talents as an example. If that was the only story that I decide to reflect on, my arguments might take a defensive tone. It would seem as if I am trying to rationalize that the reason I am earning money-through whatever means possible-is because it is what God called me to do.
True, God wants me to nourish the talents he has given me-the talent, in this case, is knowing how to earn more money. But as I have said, the Parable of the Talents alone is not enough in such circumstance. Many misconceptions are bound to arise. However, if one includes the other parables in the argument, it is quite apparent that a person need not only nourish the money-making skill that God has given him. He should al
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