Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0.15UNLIKELY
Disgust
0.15UNLIKELY
Fear
0.14UNLIKELY
Joy
0.55LIKELY
Sadness
0.25UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.56LIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.28UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.85LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.78LIKELY
Extraversion
0.17UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.37UNLIKELY
Emotional Range
0.81LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
Proper 28
Pentecost 25
Ordinary Time 33
13.
Use It Or Lose It
Matthew 25:14-30
"For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his
slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five
talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his
ability.
Then he went away.
16The one who had received the five
talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more
talents.
17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made
two more talents.
18But the one who had received the one talent
went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled
accounts with them.
20Then 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.'
21His 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.' 22And 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.'23His
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.' 24Then 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; 25so I was afraid, and I went and
181
hid your talent in the ground.
Here you have what is yours.'
26But 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?
27Then you ought to have invested my money with the
bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own
with interest.
28So take the talent from him, and give it to the
one with the ten talents.
29For 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.
30As for
this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
The parable has given us a new meaning for talents.
At the
time of the parable it was a unit of measure for silver or gold.
Now we have talent shows, talent searches, talent contests.
The
beauty pageants that came under attack from feminists for being
sexist with their emphasis on bathing suit competitions have
tried to shift to the talent of the women.
Scholarships are
offered as prizes so that talented competitors may continue to
develop their talents.
Some people still put the emphasis on the monetary nature of
the talent which was given to each of the slaves.
They find the
parable an admonition for stewardship.
They stress the
importance of investment of money to produce a good return.
A college president was once ruminating on the nature of
government and foundation grants.
His observation was that the
biblical statement that to whom much has been given more will be
given was accurate.
Some of the neediest colleges that did not
have a previous track record of receiving grants had difficulty
getting any.
Wealthy colleges with large endowments from
previous grants seem to have an easy time raising even more money
through such grants.
The question arises, of course, as to whether these
applications of the parable are what Jesus intended when he told
it.
182
Context
Context of the Scripture
Matthew 25.
The parable of the wise and foolish maidens
immediately precedes the parable of the faithful and unfaithful
slave.
In both parables the emphasis is on what should be done
while waiting for an absent lord.
The parable of the wise and foolish maidens stresses the
importance of preparedness.
Having sufficient oil for the lamps
stresses the inward nature of the preparation.
The parable of
the Talents stresses the active, outward use of that which was
received from the owner of the property.
Both end with those who were faithful in waiting for the
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9