Parable of the Talents

 “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 thy 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 beside them. 

His Lord said unto him, Well done, 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 thy Lord.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Synopsis

The parable of the talents centers on a wealthy man embarking on a trip far from home. Before he leaves he entrusts each of his three servants with a sum of money (see Matthew 25:27) wisely based on their abilities and skills. The men are charged with increasing what they have been given while he is gone.

talent- G5007: τάλαντον: talanton- 

1. the scale of a balance, a balance, a pair of scales

2. that which is weighed, a talent

a. a weight varying in different places and times.

Talents, weighing roughly 75 U.S. pounds (34.3 kilograms), were a common weight used for large quantities of gold or silver. One servant was given five, another two, and the third just one talent of silver to increase. We know they were given silver and not gold since the word "money" in Matthew 25:18 is derived from the Greek argurion (Strong's #G694), a neuter term which means silver coins.

Performance review

In this parable the master returns home and conducts a performance review to assess what was or was not achieved while he was gone. Both the person who received five talents and the one who received two were able, through persistent hard work, to double what they were given (Matthew 25:16 - 17). Both men were praised the same and both received identical rewards which amounted to additional responsibilities (verses 21 - 22) overseeing far greater riches (Luke 16:11).

The servant who received only one measure of silver, however, buried it in the ground. It may have been he hoped his master would not return so that he could feign the money was his (putting such a sum in a bank would identify it as belonging to his master, see Matthew 25:27). Although he did not lose the money indulging in sin (like the prodigal son), his lack of faith and unwillingness to carry out his master’s instructions earned him the assessment he was both wicked and lazy (verses 18, 24 - 27).

Symbolism

The master of the parable represents Jesus Christ. His going away on a long journey symbolizes his post-resurrection life in heaven. The three men represent people who, upon conversion, become servants (slaves) of God since their lives have been purchased through Jesus' sacrifice (1Corinthians 6:19 - 20, 7:23). The talents of the parable symbolizes the spiritual gift(s) God gives to each Christian and, to a lesser extent, the resources (time, money, etc.) believers possess.

The Lesson

God expects Christians to expand and build upon what they have received. He requires all believers to zealously use their skills and resources to spread His truth (Mark 16:15), serve His church (1Corthians 12), and do many other righteous works so that He may be glorified (Matthew 5:16).

The Warning

The servant in the parable who rejected his master's orders, made excuses and hid the resources he received instead of increasing them was chastised and severely punished.

And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30, HBFV).

Christians cannot afford to be lazy or take for granted the blessings and salvation made available to them. God is serious about wanting a return on the investment he makes on every individual that is called and chosen!

Immensely Encouraging

The parable of the talents is surprisingly encouraging because it reveals God judges fairly and equitably. Each converted individual will be rewarded based on what they produced with the gifts God gave them, the resources at their disposal, their own strengths and weaknesses, and so on. A person will be praised or condemned based on what they did or did not do with what they had to work with. This righteous way is diametrically opposite to the world's Satan-inspired competitive system where people are rewarded (or not) based on how they compare to others.

One of the phrases that leaps off the page to me when I read this story is “to each according to his own ability.” This leads me to ask the simple question: what has God given you to do? What is your role and expectation in the kingdom?

Remember, he began the parable by saying the kingdom of heaven is like. God has given you a responsibility, according to your ability. So often we leave the work of preaching the gospel and making disciples to those who are “called” to do it. Well, the reality is that calling is for all of us. Some may have more responsibility if God has called them to do that in a full-time capacity, but we are all called to this purpose. These are the goods God has delivered to you and me.

Whether God has positioned you to do this full-time or not, please recognize what God has given you. The message of the gospel (the goods) is alive in you if you know Jesus as your savior.

2. What Are You Doing with It?

Now that you are aware of the responsibility, because it applies to everyone, what are you doing with it? I don’t just want to be theoretical here, I want to be very practical. Remember, one had 5 talents, one had 2 talents, and one had 1 talent. I want you to shift your mindset for a moment and understand something. Everyone is in full-time ministry. The difference is what is the primary focus of your ministry.

Some people’s ministry is only focused on the gospel and disciples all the time (5 talents). Some people work full-time outside of a church or “ministry” setting and may volunteer to serve in church. For this person the majority of their ministry happens in their jobs and communities (2 talents or 1 talent). So being a teacher, business person, an accountant (or whatever your occupation) is full-time ministry.

The difference is that the primary focus of your ministry is not just preaching the gospel. You may have kids to teach, or people to manage, or numbers to crunch—but it is still ministry. In the course of working, you can shine light and share the truth of the gospel when the opportunities arise.

The bottom line is you may not be able to do as much as someone with 5 talents, but you still can contribute with the talents God has given you.

In this parable, the talents represent strengths, skills and abilities God gives to people. Some abilities we’re born with, while others are learned and developed over time. It was because of this parable that the word talent became associated with abilities in the Middle Ages.

God expects all of His servants to grow and use what they have been given as much as they can.In the parable, the master expected a greater gain from those who had been given more money to invest. Likewise, God expects more from those He’s given more abilities. That doesn’t mean He expects nothing from those who have been given less. In the parable the first two servants produced the same percentage increase. God expects all of His servants to grow and use what they have been given as much as they can.

The basic principle is that God expects more from those who have been given more (Luke 12:48). The implication for us is that we are to use and increase what we’ve been given to the maximum extent possible.

If you’ve been given strength and energy, invest and use it in energetically serving others. If you’ve been given certain technical skills, make use of them in serving God. If you’ve been given financial means, put them to use in helping others. If you’ve been given understanding, strive to learn more and humbly share it with others.

n the parable of the talents, the faithful servants went to work with what they were given and grew. When they presented their results to the master, they were rewarded (Matthew 25:21, 23).

A Christian is expected to produce and grow spiritual fruit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

But how does one grow in these qualities?

Peter gives a kind of formula for spiritual growth in 2 Peter 1:5-7: “Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” People who grow in these areas will be in God’s Kingdom (verse 11).

Many of Jesus’ teachings and parables emphasize the importance of growing and producing fruit (Matthew 12:33; 13:31-32; 7:17-20).  

Build yourselves up on your most Holy Faith- in and of Christ Jesus. He desires mercy, not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God.