The parable of the Bad rich man and the one of the Talents.

1
Theme: Paráble of the rich bad man and he one of the Talents.
Source: the Gospel according to Spiritism, XVI: items 5 & 6.

THE PARABLE OF THE BAD RICH MAN

5. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every
day' and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed
with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to
pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was
buried: and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And
he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in
water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus
evil things: but now he is comforted and thou art tormented. And beside al/things, between us and you there is a
great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would
come from hence.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five
brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment Abraham said unto him, They
have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them:
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they would repent And he said
unto them, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be pursuaded, though one rose from the dead
(Luke, 16:19-31).

THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

6. For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his servants, and
delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man
according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey Then he that had received the five talents went and
traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other
two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them and so he that had received
five talents came and brought other five talents, saying Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: Behold, I have
gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: Thou hast
been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. He also
that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: Behold, I have gained two
other talents besides them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and
faithful servant, Thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: Enter thou
into the joy of the Lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord I knew thee that thou art a
hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid and went
and hid thy talent in the earth: Lo, there thou has that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked
and slothful servant, thou knowest that I reap where I sowed not and gathered where I have not strawed: Thou
oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers and then at
my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto
him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance: but for him
that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew, 25: 14-30).
*****
CONSIDERATIONS:

1
Study given by Antonio Martinho Fernandes at the Centro Espírita Joana
d’Arc, São João de Meriti, RJ.on 02/ 11/ 2010.

1
 Jesus reminded to whoever had ears for hearing that he would send the Spirit of Truth who would teach us
and he would make to remind what Jesus' had taught and that might come to be forgotten', 2 for now in Jesus'
teachings one sees very clear that Jesus as well as Spiritism taught the' Laws of Causes and effects' 3 and the one
of progress of the souls',4 because one sees in the parable of the bad rich the stagnation in his progress and the
explanation that the cause of selfishness, or be without trying to be rich before God brings the effect of wasting his
time which is offered him, and it will come the time for rendering accounts to God, and he will be of empty hands
suffering the consequences of his bad living, because with the disincarnation he loses the material goods, to the
which he had held on so persistely.
Now, the one of the Talents presents the man's evolutionary progress, as well as the Spiritism presents that
virtues multiply with the man's effort, and that 'the devil of today will be the angel of tomorrow.' 5
Jesus' words are salvation words, because he taught the effects of certain causes, alerting us and
persuading to live in agreement with the teachings that he gave us, like so with parables he got to plunge in the
people spiritually the results of our actions, because materially the people already understood, especially in the
agriculture that what one planted would germinate and would grow what was planted, but spiritually the people were
blind and ignorant, then our divine Master elucidating in the whole ways-and-means the spiritual life and moral
consequences in the future of our souls, thus opening the understanding of the people to that reality in the life of the
spirit.
Thus showing very clear that we are responsible for our future 'in the earth as in Heaven', 6 because 'our
works do follow us',7 therefore our 'free will',8 but with the responsibility of that law, thence Jesus' efforts for not
leaving us ignorant, afore the future of our souls, and the need of us to learn, making an effort spiritually in the
investment of that future, because the grave doesn't destroy the soul, because it is of 'divine and eternal essence.' 9
Jesus' vision for everyone, indiscreetly was the eternal happiness and our perfection, because He incited
'Be perfect as your Father of Heaven',10 and tirelessly Jesus mentioned 'example I give you', 11 logically not to show
us that 'he was superior to us although He is', 12 but so that we may follow him in the road of goodness morally and
worthily.
Due to the hardening of the men of then days, his words were sometimes rough and simple, because he
could only break like so the attachments which people had to the matter, since it was come the era of the spirit to be
developed in morals and in intelligence, thence Jesus to have thrown himself assiduously and indesistably to the
sowing of the Gospel ‘by order of our Father and his Father who is in Heaven' 13
*****
Let us see in the' Spirits 'Book’on the soul and also on the moral
laws, the subjects: 134, 135, 136. - 615, 616, 617, 618. - 171. :
The Soul
134. What is the soul?
"An incarnate spirit."
- What was the soul before its union with a body?
"A spirit."
- Souls and spirits are, then, the very same thing?

2
John, XVI: 26.
3
The Gospel according to spiritism, V: 4-10
4
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 194
5
Allan Kardec, ‘Heaven and Hell’, 1st part, III: 6 - VIII: 12.
6
John, XX: 23.
7
Revelation, XIV: 15.
8
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 843.
9
A soul is of Divine essence because it does pre-exist incarnation and
survives the death of the body.
10
Matthew, V: 48.
11
John, XIII: 15.
12
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 623.
13
John, VII: 16-29.

2
 "Yes; souls are only spirits. Before uniting itself with a body, the soul is one of the intelligent beings who
people the invisible world, and who temporarily assume a fleshly body in order to effect their purification and
enlightenment."
135. Is there in man anything else than a soul and a body?'
"There is the link which unites the soul and the body."
- What is tile nature of that link?
"It is semi-material-that is to say, of a nature intermediate between soul and body, as it must necessarily be.
in order that they may be enabled to communicate with each other. It is by means of this link that the spirit acts upon
matter, and that matter acts reciprocally upon the spirit."
Man is thus formed of three essential elements or parts: -
1st. The body, or material being, analogous to the animals, and animated by the same vital
principle;
2d. The soul, or incarnated spirit, of which the body is the habitation;
3d. The intermediary principle, or perispirit; a semi-material substance, which constitutes the innermost
envelope of the spirit, and unites the soul with the body. This triplicity is analogous to that of the fruit, which consists of
the germ, the perisperm, and the rind or shell.
136. is the soul independent of the vital principle?'
'“The body is only the envelope of the soul, as we have repeatedly told you."
- Can a body exist without a soul?'
"Yes; but it is only when the body ceases to live that the soul quits it, Previous to birth, the union between
the soul and the body is not complete; but. when this union is definitively established, it is only the death of the body
that can sever the bonds that unite it to the soul, and thus allow the soul to withdraw from it. Organic life may vitalise a
body without a soul, but the soul cannot inhabit a body deprived of organic life."
- What would our body be if it had no soul?'
"A mass of flesh without intelligence; anything you choose to call it, excepting a man."

Characteristics of Natural Law

614. What is to be understood by natural law?
"The law of nature is the law of God. It Is the only rule that ensures the happiness of man, for it shows him
what he should or should not do, and he only suffers because he disobeys it."
615. Is the law of God eternal?
"It Is eternal and unchangeable as God Himself."
616. Can God have prescribed to mankind in one age what He has forbidden in another?
"God cannot be mistaken. Men are obliged to change their laws, because they are imperfect ; but the laws
of God are perfect. The harmony which regulates both the material universe and the moral universe is founded on
laws established by God from all eternity."
617. What are the objects embraced by the divine laws? Have they reference to anything but our moral
conduct?
"All the laws of nature are divine laws, since God is the author of all things. The seeker after science studies
the laws of nature in the realm of matter; the seeker after goodness studies them in the soul, and practises them."
- Is it given to man to fathom both these divisions of natural law?
"Yes; but a single existence does not suffice for doing this."
What, indeed, are a few years for acquiring all that is necessary to constitute a perfect being. if we consider
only the distance that separates the civilised man from the savage? A human life, though prolonged to its utmost
possible length, is insufficient for such a Work ; much more is it so when cut short before Its term, as is the case with
so large a proportion of the human race.
Some of the divine laws regulate the movements and relations of inert matter; they are termed physical
laws, and their study is the domain of science, others of these laws concern man, as considered in himself and in his
relations to God and to his fellow-creatures they are termed moral laws, and regulate the life of relation as well as the
life of the soul.
618. Are the divine laws the same for all worlds?
"Reason tells you that they must be adapted to the special nature of each of those various worlds, and
proportioned to the degree of advancement of the beings who inhabit them."

Justice of Reincarnation.

3
 171. What foundation is there for the doctrine of reincarnation?
"The justice of God, and revelation; for, as we have already remarked, an affectionate father always leaves
a door of repentance open for his erring children. Does not reason itself tell you that it would be unjust to inflict an
eternal privation of happiness on those who have not had the opportunity of improving themselves? Are not all men
God's children? It is only among selfish human beings that injustice, implacable hatred, and irremissible punishments
are to be found."
All spirits tend towards perfection, and are furnished by God with the means of advancement
through the
trials of corporeal life; but the divine justice compels them to accomplish. in new existences, that which they
have not been able to do, or to complete, in a previous trial.
It would not be consistent with the justice or with the goodness of God to sentence to eternal suffering those
who may have encountered obstacles to their improvement independent of their will, and resulting from the very
nature of the conditions in which they found themselves placed. If the fate of mankind were Irrevocably fixed after
death. God would not have weighed the actions of all in the same scales, and would not have treated them with
impartiality.
The doctrine of reincarnation-that Is to say, the doctrine which proclaims that men have many successive
existence-is the only one which answers to the idea we form to ourselves of the justice of God in regard to those who
are placed, by circumstances over which they have no control, in conditions unfavourable to their moral
advancement ; the only one which can explain the future, and furnish us with a sound basis for our hopes. because it
offers us the means of redeeming our errors through new trials. This doctrine is Indicated by the teachings of reason,
as well as by those of our spirit-instructors.
He who is conscious of his own inferiority derives a consoling hope from the doctrine of reincarnation. If he
believes in the justice of God, he cannot hope to be placed, at once and for all eternity, on a level with those who have
made a better use of life than he has done but the knowledge that this inferiority will not exclude him for ever from the
supreme felicity, and that he will be able to conquer this felicity through new efforts, revives his courage and sustains
his energy. who does not regret, at the end of his career. That the experience he has acquired should have come too
late to allow of his turning it to useful account? This tardily acquired experience will not be lost for him ; he will profit by
it in a new' corporeal life.”…”

*****
Reincarnation is the opportunity, it is the open door that God gives us for us to readjust ourselves in the
laws of God, with the help of God who favorites us with 'forgetfulness, which is as a pardon of God',14 so that we can
resume in the rescue work of ourselves, retrofit, progress of our souls in the morals and in the intelligence, necessary
to our spiritual ascension, because our souls as they are of eternal essence cannot be stagnated eternally in the
condemnation of unhappiness, and the attraction of the Love of God calls us up for his Breast of affection and love as
a mother attracts for herself her son just in a glance of eyes.
Still more on that subject, Jesus tells us that God is as a father who waits of open arms for his prodigal son,
and when he returns He not only receives him without giving him embarrassment, as He provides him with a party. 15
We have no doubts whatsoever on that honorary attribute of God, to whom we entrust the future of our souls in our
faith and hope, because we do feel ourselves insignificant polluted by our inferiorities and materiality, caught in the
earth-to-earth waiting for the spiritual call for the resting of our souls.
Life in the spiritual world is the natural life of the spirit, 16 but as the spirit needs evolution and progress to be
able to live uniquely in the spiritual world, he needs to be reincarnated in a physical world; to acquire the degree that
the perfection of his spirit requests, and in the case of his degree to deserve world of ‘Tests and atonements’ 17 as it is
the Earth subjected, his work is laborious and of a lot of fatigue, thence the soul to wait the liberation for his resting
and it rejoices when his hour in the purposes of God arrives.
And as perfection is not gained of only one jump, the soul requests a lot of reincarnations 'as many as might
be necessary',18 and our omniscient God makes arrangements in His laws among some others' the reincarnation law'

14
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 392.
15
Luke, XV: 11 - 21-32.
16
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 153.
17
The Gospel according to Spiritism, III: 13,14,15.
18
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 169.

4
and the one of 'causes and effects' 19 which they are emerged adjoined in the law of progress, in the law of love, in the
law of work, in the law of fraternity, in the law of charity, in the law of solidarity, in the law of justice amongst others
which are decreed by God, to serve us, to help and to accompany our spiritual growth, having none been created to
punish us, but to raise us little by little to the upper landings of spirituality step by step, jumping over on our stepping
or effort all of the accessory phases to those apexes granted by God for all His children, without there being from Him
privileging, therefore none of having received benefits without having deserved them, however the meritorious
reception for well having worked for oneself and for his Master.
It is said that the good-thief won Paradise by faith, but we should understand that he had the merit of
humility, if it had not been for that virtue, he would not have asked Jesus to be remembered, and however once in
Paradise he won't be in the same spiritual level, since the law of progress demands a continuation of evolution. His
faith consisted of the knowledge of Jesus' virtues and he could entrust like so his faith and hope in the Master;
Our knowledge given by Jesus and by Spiritism, do centralize us so much in our spiritual life in the present
life as in the one of the future after our disincarnation, and those acknowledgements give us a faith and hope
centralized in the attributes of God and in the use of reason and of logic.
God does not always act helping us directly, but through laws by Himself instituted that the one who is more
advanced may help the one less advanced , and being so Jesus a highly advanced Spirit did not avoid promising to
help the good-thief, not only for the demand of the law, but because Jesus himself by nature was a spirit who
irradiates love, compassion, understanding, tolerance and justice, even because in himself the laws of God are
imbued, emanated, impregnated and recorded in his very being, in his very most essence, being part of his soul of
divine essence. Jesus does have condition of helping us all and his call as a spirit can still be accepted and be
corresponded, wherefore he says? 'Come unto me you who you are tired and oppressed and I will relieve you' 20
As for the laws of the more advanced to help the less advanced and the laws of fraternity and of solidarity,
Jesus constantly gave us that example, because those laws are imbued in ‘love one another’; Jesus at the hours of
the end of his mission suggested: 'love one another as I have loved you',21 here is the love to us requested.
God is just and He doesn't request anybody more than his grade of service can offer, the servant who knew
the greatness of his Master scared himself and buried his talent, but Jesus encourages us not to have fear and to
offer always the best of us, to the service of God indirectly, serving the neighbor, and thus in that affair a growing
ourselves spiritually, because it is' giving that one receives.' 22
The knowledge of the attributes of God 23 gives us the safety of a better future to us all, increasing our faith
and hope in that future, since in the revelation so much through Jesus as through Spiritism, unlike the old ones who
saw God as a 'God of the armies',24 a persecutioning God who exterminated people and caused fear to the people, 25
we know on the contrary through the attributes of God to us revealed, that God loves us, that He is our Father and our
Creator,26 and, therefore as unchained of the fear and terror, thence the influence and impulse to serve Him better,
lovingly, respectfully, admirably, voluntarily, thankfully, happily, spontaneously and for certain adorably.

Well, may God be with us, as well as formerly, today and always.

19
The Gospel according to Spiritism, V: 4-10.
20
Matthew, XI: 28.
21
John, XV: 12.
22
Luke, VI: 38.
23
The Spirits’ Book, I: 10-13.
24
I Samuel, XV: 9-11.
25
One ought to remember that the Law of causes and effects is so
accurate that many think that it is God Himself who punishes,
nevertheless in truth many a time it is a reaction to some undue action.
26
John, XVI: 28. XX: 17.

5
 Jesus reminded to whoever had ears for hearing that he would send the
Spirit of Truth who would teach us and he would make to remind what Jesus' had
taught and that might come to be forgotten',27 for now in Jesus' teachings one sees
very clear that Jesus as well as Spiritism taught the' Laws of Causes and effects' 28
and the one of progress of the souls',29 because one sees in the parable of the bad
rich the stagnation in his progress and the explanation that the cause of selfishness,
or be without trying to be rich before God brings the effect of wasting his time which
is offered him, and it will come the time for rendering accounts to God, and he will
be of empty hands suffering the consequences of his bad living, because with the
disincarnation he loses the material goods, to the which he had held on so
persistely.
Now, the one of the Talents presents the man's evolutionary progress, as well
as the Spiritism presents that virtues multiply with the man's effort, and that 'the
devil of today will be the angel of tomorrow.' 30
Jesus' words are salvation words, because he taught the effects of certain
causes, alerting us and persuading to live in agreement with the teachings that he
gave us, like so with parables he got to plunge in the people spiritually the results of
our actions, because materially the people already understood, especially in the
agriculture that what one planted would germinate and would grow what was
planted, but spiritually the people were blind and ignorant, then our divine Master
elucidating in the whole ways-and-means the spiritual life and moral consequences
in the future of our souls thus opening the understanding of the people to that
reality in the life of the spirit.
Thus showing very clear that we are responsible for our future 'in the earth as
in Heaven',31 because 'our works do follow us',32 therefore our 'free will',33 but with
the responsibility of that law, thence Jesus' efforts for not leaving us ignorant, afore
the future of our souls, and the need of us to learn making an effort spiritually in the
investment of that future, because the grave doesn't destroy the soul, because it is
of 'divine and eternal essence.' 34

27
John, XVI: 26.
28
The Gospel according to spiritism, V: 4-10
29
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 194
30
Allan Kardec, ‘Heaven and Hell’, 1st part, III: 6 - VIII: 12.
31
John, XX: 23.
32
Revelation, XIV: 15.
33
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 843.
34
A soul is of Divine essence because it does pre-exist incarnation and
survives the death of the body.

6
 Jesus' vision for everyone, indiscreetly was the eternal happiness and our
perfection, because He incited 'Be perfect as your Father of Heaven',35 and tirelessly
Jesus mentioned 'example I give you',36 logically not to show us that 'he was superior
to us although He is',37 but so that we may follow him in the road of goodness
morally and worthily.
Due to the hardening of the men of then days, his words were sometimes
rough and simple, because he could only break like so the attachments which
people had to the matter, since it was come the era of the spirit to be developed in
morals and in intelligence, thence Jesus to have thrown himself assiduously and
indesistably to the sowing of the Gospel' by order of our Father and his Father who is
in Heaven' 38

Extract from the study ‘Parable of the bad-rich and the Talents’, given by A. M. Fernandes
at the Centro Espirita, Joana d’Arc, São João de Meriti, RJ. On 02/11/2010.

35
Matthew, V: 48.
36
John, XIII: 15.
37
The Spirits’ Book, Q. 623.
38
John, VII: 16-29.