LUKE 19:12-26

Jesus said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ … But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

Gospelthink: I tell the story to make you understand that you must use the talents that you have. Do I find that I am too lazy when it comes to spiritual matters?

Dr. Bennet Omalu is a brilliant doctor pathologist who recognized a problem with National Football League football players who had committed suicide. The movie "Concussion" is his story. He did not know what the problem was because he was not aware of what football and the NFL was. But as he became more aware of the sport, he began to see the problem. He still did not understand why people would allow hits to an unprotected brain, but even more he could not understand the animosity toward him simply for pointing out the problem. He had a decision to make with regard to his future actions, and was ready to give up. But his wife Prema pointed out to him that he had to speak for the dead because no one else would. He had made a discovery that people had to be made aware of. 

Jesus wanted his followers to use the gifts that they had been given. In one of his stories, he told them that if they use the gifts and talents that they had, they would receive a reward. Likewise he said that those who did not use those gifts would be punished. For Jesus, it was not enough for his followers to know that they had been created by God with certain abilities. In his mind, those followers had to use their gifts for the good of humankind.

Dr. Bennet Omalu was a gifted man, a brilliant pathologist who respected the dead people that he worked with in such a way that he believed each of them had a story to tell. His job was to discover that story, and then "speak for the dead" as he and his wife phrased it. He loved America but he did not understand the sport of football. As his dead patients "spoke to him," he had  discovered the condition known in the medical field as CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a condition caused by too many blows to the brain area. After he tried to publicize it, he was met with such strong opposition, and he was ready to give up. His wife, in effect, told him what Jesus said--you must develop the gifts that you have, and let the consequences fall where they may.

Each of us have talents. We have been given a human body that we are to take care of as best we can. Part of that humanness deals with the gift of using the talents that we have. We study a person like Dr. Omalu in the movie "Concussion" or we call to mind Jesus' story of the gold coins, and we soon discover that we possibly could do so much more than we are doing now.

One of the problems with our humanness is the possibility of doing little with the gifts that we have. Perhaps we should be more aware of our abilities to help ourselves and our world.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, You call us to use the talents that You have given to us. May we have Your grace to make us more aware of how we can help ourselves and others. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Each of us has something special that we can do on behalf of humankind.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(session: approximately 55 minutes)
1. What scene from this session of movie is most striking and why?
2. What is most striking about Jesus' story in the Gospel and why?
3. Money was obviously a "topic" in Jesus' day as is clear from his story. In your opinion, why is money so important in our world?
4. Why is it true that everyone of us has something special to give?
5. In your opinion, how can an autopsy "speak to people"?
6. What is the ultimate reason that Dr. Omalu could not influence the NFL at first?
7. It has been suggested that human beings are basically lazy, that is, not using the talents they have. Do you agree with the statement? Yes or no and why?
8. Scene analysis: What could have helped Mike Webster and Justin Strzcelczyk and the other football players pictured in the movie as they suffered?
9. Analysis: Why did Dr. Omalu "talk" to his patients?
10. Dialogue analysis: Omalu explains to his future wife Prema that sometimes in America, you have to "fake it"? What does he mean?
11. Analysis: Were the criticisms of Dr. Omalu by the NFL justified? Yes or no and why?
12. Analysis: Will this movie make any impact on the game of football in America? 

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America