There’s a familiar adage that says, “90% of communication is non-verbal.” This might be a slight exaggeration, but it is largely true. Much of what we communicate to others is done by means of facial expressions, physical gestures, tone of voice, and situational context. For example, sarcasm and praise are easily distinguishable from one another based on non-verbal communication. Shouting “Well done!” when one’s favorite sports team makes a foolish mistake has a meaning very different from the meaning conveyed by shouting “Well done!” at a university graduation ceremony. The words are identical, but the meaning is not. 

While this adage mentioned above is true, there is an observation about inter-personal communication that is even more true. While a large portion of communication is non-verbal, all communication is self-communication. Using the examples above, sarcasm aimed at a sports team communicates clearly one’s allegiance and expectations, and congratulations communicate clearly one’s generosity and empathy. All communication, verbal and non-verbal, refers 100% to the person communicating; communication is self-revelation. This observation provides insight into the parable in today’s Gospel reading. 

In the parable, an unnamed man decided to entrust some of his wealth to his managers while he took a journey. Quite obviously, the man was very wealthy; a “talent” exceeded a lifetime’s wages for an average worker at the time. In addition to being very wealthy, we are told that the man was very demanding. (Mt 25:24) 

Two of the man’s managers doubled the money entrusted to them while the remaining manager preserved the money intact. The one who preserved his employer’s money undiminished was excoriated by the employer who said, “Throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” (Mt 25:30) 

Based on the relatively few words spoken by the wealthy man in this parable, we can surmise that he had an exceedingly great sense of entitlement and that he was intolerant of disloyalty. Further, we can surmise that the first two of the managers’ judgments about their employer’s intentions differed significantly from the third manager’s judgment. The rather sparse verbal communication contains a great deal of non-verbal information. 

To readers of the Gospel today, the parable probably seems easy to understand. The parable seems to praise enterprising effort and the pursuit of profit or reward. Jesus’ original audience, however, would have had a very different reaction to the story. In ancient Judea, all material possessions were believed to exist in finite quantities that were already completely distributed amongst the population. In that culture and economy, the only means to acquire increased wealth was to take it from someone else. To Jesus’ audience, this parable would have represented the sentiment expressed by the familiar adage, “the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.” That original audience probably would have admired the manager who hid his employer’s wealth because that man refused to engage in the usuary and fraud that would have been required for the other two to double their employer’s investments.  

The parable, however, is not a lesson about ancient or modern business practices. Jesus intended for his audience to surmise a great deal of information from a parable that can be very misleading. Jesus used an easily recognizable example of unethical behavior (usuary, fraud, or theft), by the two managers praised by their employer as a counter-intuitive way to speak about religious faith. He was telling his audience that faithful religion demands complete trust in God despite the circumstances of one’s life. He expected his disciples to be as dedicated to his teachings as the wealthy man was dedicated to increasing his wealth (and as dedicated as the third manager was to obeying his conscience). 

While the parable communicates some truth about religious faith, it communicates 100% of Jesus’ character. He was so deeply convinced of the necessity of absolute trust in God that he even used examples of negative behavior to communicate a positive message. (Lk 16:1-8) 

As disciples of Jesus, we are expected to identify the religious values he intended to represent by referring to a “talent,” that is, an exceedingly large sum of money. There are probably numerous valid possibilities here; I would like to propose just one. 

Each person has a huge impact on the people and things in their immediate environment. Our communication, both verbal and non-verbal, provokes a response in every hearer. This is, in fact, what we intend when we communicate. The shout of disappointment at a sports blunder intends to provoke improvement, and the shout of approval at a graduation intends to provoke a sense of well-being.  Our religion requires that we attend both to our communication and the responses it provokes. 

Catholicism’s highest virtues are forgiveness, trustworthiness, and ecclesial unity. These, like the “talents” in the parable, have value that exceeds a lifetime’s earnings. These virtues lift human society up from the selfishness and divisions that are the causes of personal and societal suffering. Moreover, these virtues have a lasting positive effect on all around us. 

Jesus was insistent that his disciples live in a manner that proclaimed his teachings. All people’s behavior reveals what they trust and believe; those fortunate enough to be baptized are obliged to behave in ways that reveal to the world trust in God and belief in Jesus’ teaching. 

What are the “talents” mentioned in the parable? They are the immeasurably valuable examples of faith, forgiveness, and mercy that we, Jesus’ disciples, are obliged to show the world. As we approach the holiday season, each of us should reflect on what our lives communicate about us.