NOTES for Mat 25:14-30
Some Christians torment themselves trying to understand what talent they have, afraid of accidentally burying it in the ground. Others resent God for gifts that are too small. But if we look carefully at the lives of the saints, it turns out that often in earthly life they suffered most precisely because of what was central in their holiness.
A saint is someone who succeeds better than others at imitating God, someone who is more like Him. It is clear that God gives talents to the saints, but among the saints there are not so many genius artists and musicians. So perhaps by talent we mean the wrong thing?
Instead, the saints imitate Christ in His sufferings; they help Him carry the Cross. Is this not the explanation? Often we do not understand what Cross we are supposed to take upon ourselves. Perhaps the Cross and the talent are one and the same. Then it is clear that the talent is what we have to suffer through most of all. And it is clear that the greater the talent, the greater the responsibility and the greater the suffering, and therefore the greater the reward.