LESSON 22 – THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
In this lesson, Jesus gives us the Parable of the Talents. I really love the way Jesus uses parables. If you like detective stories, puzzles or just good mystery stories, Jesus gives us clues and hidden meanings and hidden codes for us to solve or interpret the meaning of the parable. It’s a nice challenge for us because it’s difficult to read the bible if it’s not understood.
Since we are in the eleventh month of bible study, as a reminder, I would like to go back to our Lesson 3 regarding The Parable of the Sower to see how we’re doing. Remember Jesus talks about how the soil represents people’s hearts and minds whereby the four soils represent the four types of hearts. The seeds that fell on the Path is the hardened material heart. The Rocky Ground represents people who initially respond with enthusiasm but quickly lose interest. The Thorns represent those that hear the word, but worries, distractions of life and the lure of riches prevent is from taking root. And finally, the Good Soil represents one who hears the word, understands it, and bears fruit a hundred, or thirty or sixty times. Monthly I ask myself, “Where is my heart?” I try very hard to be the Good soil. I hear and understand the word, but I am not always living it. I seem to vacillate between the Thorns and the Good Soil, but I am getting better and living a better life. How are you doing? Where is your heart? It’s important for you to know. Are you a true Christian, or are you are just going through the motions and being a false Christian? So, take stock of yourself now and then to analyze yourself.
Jesus gives us the introduction to the Parable of the Talent in Matthew 25:14-18: “For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded them; and he made five talents more. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.”
Two questions are what do the talents represent and what is a talent? The contemporary meaning of talent is that it means a natural gift that we possess such as the ability to teach or have some musical talent to put to work for God. However, it meant something completely different in biblical times. The disciples thought of the word talent as a specific amount of silver or money. Here we learn that talents are not natural abilities but are distributed based on natural ability. To clarify further, they are not natural abilities, but the number of talents given is predicated by the number of natural gifts possessed. So, in the story to the one he gave five talents was a man of great natural ability and many gifts. To the one with whom he gave two talents was not as gifted as the first, and to the one to which he gave one talent, he had fewer natural abilities. This is one of Jesus’ parables that is set in the context of investments. So, it is implied here that talent is something that can be invested and be risked producing profit or gain as well as the possibility of loss. In today’s terms it’s risky business. The decision to risk is at the discretion of the servants. The talent is the Lord’s property, and the investment is made wholly for his benefit which means that the servants are not to share in whatever profits may be made. However, as far as the servants can tell, any and all losses would be theirs, and all the profits would be the Lord’s.
I think we can agree that the natural gifts that God bestows upon us are his alone. They are his property, and the opportunities come based on how many natural gifts we possess. However, the opportunities that involve the possibility of gain to Christ come only to professed Christians. Most of us know what is right and what is wrong. We encounter moments regarding moral choices. Should I do what my friends want me to do even though I know it is wrong, or should I do what God wants me to do, and perhaps lose my friends?
Years ago, I was confronted with an exciting opportunity. I accepted a job as the sales trainer for a commodity options company. I loved sales, and teaching others to be successful in their endeavor made me very happy. My success was being noted by the president and six months later I was promoted to executive vice president. My income increased substantially, however a couple of months later, I noticed that some things the company was doing were not proper. The company president must have seen a little change in me, and he knew my wife and I were living in an apartment, and we did not yet have enough saved to place a down payment on a house. The president lived in a home in the most prestigious area of Oakbrook, IL. He asked me to come to the office one early morning and told me that he couldn’t have his executive vice president living in an apartment. He told me that he wanted to purchase a home for my wife and I near him in Oakbrook for cash, no mortgage. WOW! In the early 1970’s that house would cost around $250,000.00. I was shocked. Then he told me to take the rest of the day off and tell your wife the good news. Well, this was one of the most difficult decisions that my wife and I had to make. She knew that I was concerned about what was going on with the company, so after we both sat down, struggling with this amazing offer, we decided that I had to do two things. One, I had to decline the offer, and two, wait a week and resign. Thanks to God, that is what I did. To make a long story short, about a month later, the accountant had blown the whistle on wrongdoing to the assistant state’s attorney, and the president was indicted a month later.
Jesus teaches us in this parable about stewardship, to be careful and responsible managing something that belongs to another and the importance of using one’s gifts and opportunities to serve God. These God given opportunities that the talents represent are distributed to each according to his ability, but there will be an accounting.
“After a long time. The master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The one who had five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’ Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come share your master’s joy.’” (Matt 25:19-21).
In this parable, the servant made 100% return. He risked a possible loss to himself and used this opportunity in order that the work of Christ may be advanced. Jesus replies, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” What joy and accomplishment this servant felt when he heard the words, “Come share your master’s joy.”
Jesus continues his accounting: “[Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ (Matthew 25:22-24).
Notice that the second servant also had made a 100% return and Jesus said the exact same words to the second as he said in the first.
On to the third servant, Then the one received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter, so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ His Master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant” So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put the money in the bank so I could have got it back with interest on my return? Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matt 25:24-30).
We have heard the words, “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” in previous lessons. This means that the purpose of life is growth, increase, return. To fail in this purpose is to be fundamentally unprofitable. All life grows, and if it doesn’t it has already ceased to live and is no longer worth keeping. This servant didn’t gain anything because there was no investment. When he buried the talent, he could just forget about it and go about his own affairs. But since he took no risk for Christ’s sake, he didn’t gain spiritual influence and made no impact for eternal good. He lived for himself, and he obtained no spiritual power. His life counted for nothing.
The parable’s central message that God teaches us is about stewardship, accountability, and the importance of using one’s gifts and opportunities to serve God. He provides us with time, money, abilities as well as the Gospel itself, and he expects us to use these gifts for His kingdom, not just to let them lie dormant.
When we say that everything we have is a “gift from God, we don’t mean that what we have is now ours instead of God’s. We are privileged to be entrusted with talents, resources and opportunities to work for God’s purposes. If we do so, we take our place among the faithful, trustworthy servants of God, no matter how big or small our accomplishments may seem.
Note that this parable concerns money. It portrays investing, putting money to work is a Godly thing to do if it accomplishes godly purposes in a godly manner. Jesus is telling us to take risks! Live dangerously! Don’t be afraid. Push through! Risk yourself when opportunities arise. Don’t just try to hang on. We have risked ourselves to become Christians, now we risk ourselves upon his word, we share his word with people, and we trust in Christ’s redeeming grace, and rest our hope for eternity upon his work for us upon the cross.
Until next time, may peace, love and joy be with you always.