How Much is a Talent Worth?

Many translations of today’s Gospel use the word “Talent” for money given to three servants who either grow it into a fortune or bury it and get punished by their employer.  You might remember this word from the Exodus story in which 29 talents of gold were used to build the Tabernacle.  But how much is that?  Some sources value one Talent at 6,000 drachmas, and one drachma was the average laborer’s daily wage.  Let’s do the math: if you work 300 days a year then one talent is exactly 20 years of work, a lifetime of labor in those days!  The aptly named “Matthew Principle” states: “to those who have everything more will be given, from those who have nothing more will be taken.”  This is sometimes called the “80-20 Rule,” but economists and psychologists call it the “Pareto Distribution.”  It posits that in any creative field, a tiny number of individuals produce most of the output.  More specifically, the square root of all the pieces involved do half of the work, or possess half of the total.  It’s a natural law that even applies to the mass of stars and the population of cities, not just money.  Jesus’s parable taught us that as you start to fail, it compounds rapidly, but as you succeed, the output can be exponential.  (Remember, even Hemingway said bankruptcy happens “Two ways.  Gradually, then suddenly.”)  This begs the much harsher question about the times we squandered our God-given-gifts.  Ask yourself: when was the last time you were timid or useless, afraid to seize the day, happy to let opportunities slip by because you were too content?  Could you have moved the world if you shared your talents with it?  Don’t you want more out of life?!  You certainly don’t have to be rich, but when God gives you talents, do not waste them.