Jesus of Nazareth: What He Wanted, Who He Was

And yet that is only one side of the story. For on the other hand the same Jesus calls his hearers to absolute decisiveness and a marshaling of all their strength in light of the reign of God. In the Coptic Gospel of Thomas, mentioned above, we find a parable that points in that very direction. It portrays a resistance fighter who plans a political murder and prepares himself at home to the last detail. Again and again he draws his sword and thrusts it into the mud wall of his house. When he is sure that he is quick enough and strong enough, he goes out to impale the man who is to be eliminated.

That parable resembles in many respects the similitude about the deceitful manager (Luke 16:1-7). The story itself is just as immoral, the event is described with the same soberness and precision, and the real message points in the same direction. Therefore, we may regard the parable of the terrorist as an authentic Jesus parable. It reads: “The Father’s reign is like a person who wanted to kill someone powerful. While still at home he drew his sword and thrust it into the wall to find out whether his hand would go in. Then he killed the powerful one” (GThom 98).

Here again we should note the catechetical brevity. Obviously a good storyteller would develop the parable in more detail. But a good storyteller like Jesus would place the emphasis in his depiction of events on the preparatory self-reassurance or training of the terrorist because that, and not the carrying out of the murder, is the crucial point. The murder can be taken care of with a short statement, because what the storyteller means to say is something different: the reign of God demands a person’s whole commitment. One may not go to sleep but must engage passionately, do everything one can in order to obtain a share in the reign of God. Only “the violent bear it away” (Matt 11:12).

The Parable of the Talents

Thus the reign of God requires people who go for broke. That is exactly the point of the parable of the talents or, as it is often called, the parable of the “money given in trust”:

[With the heavenly reign] it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”

But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest.

“So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 25:14-30)

At first glance it seems that everything about this parable is clear. Apparently it means to say that God has given each person different abilities and expects that each will apply the abilities given to her or him. At any rate, that is how the parable is commonly interpreted. God requires much of those to whom God has given much; from those to whom less has been given, less is accordingly required.

But was that all Jesus wanted to say? Did he only mean that “you should apply the abilities God has given you”? Jesus was executed for what he said and did. Let me repeat: nobody is executed for teaching nothing more than bourgeois morality.