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It is understandable, reasonable to play it safe when afraid. Early hearers of this parable would have been very aware of what would happen to a servant who took risks with a master’s property. They would also have been very conscious of how the religious and civic authorities of their day had dealt with Jesus, a man with a talent for taking risks - touching lepers, feeding hungry peasants, having dinner with Roman collaborators.
Yet the earliest Christians repeated this story of risk-taking, reinforcing the understanding that their master expected them to use their talents to engender the growth of the kingdom of heaven. Given the steadying awareness of Divine Presence in their lives, they were able to master their fears and share themselves and their resources freely with others.
This parable beckons us to follow. We are not called to bury or horde what God has given us; we are invited to share of ourselves and of the resources we have been given. Trusting in God’s love, we need not live out of fear but rather can act out of love. The willingness to take risks and act generously makes manifest the graces that have been given to us. Then grace flows - and we and those we encounter "share in our master’s joy."