The Parable of the talents
Jesus tells us a parable in which He is represented as a man who is going away on a journey. Before he leaves, he calls his servants and entrusts them with his property. The master gives his servants various talents. A talent is a form of currency equal to about 20 years of wages. The average salary in the United Kingdom is about £29,000 per year. So each talent equals £600,000 in today’s currency. This master has great faith in his servants. To one servant, he gives five talents, which equals three million pounds. To another, he gives two talents, which equals 1.2 million pounds. To the third, he gives £600,000. These are no small amounts! The master is entrusting them with a great amount of money and trust!
As we will see, the servants represent believers. The talents represent the gifts that God has given us. They are things like faith, mercy, forgiveness and God’s grace. How do we define God’s grace ? God’s grace is Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, paying the penalty for our sins that we should pay for ourselves. The fact that we don’t through faith pay for the penalty for our sins means that we have eternal life and forgiveness of our sins and that our relationship with God is restored. God gives us also physical and earthly gifts too, like intelligence, singing, teaching, serving, leading, listening, loving. They can also be opportunities, too. He gives us these “talents” to work in and to expand His Kingdom. Let’s see how this parable progresses.
The master gives each servant talents according to his ability. He entrusted them with what they could handle. He didn’t give them too much that they couldn’t handle it. He didn’t give them less than what they needed so that they couldn’t succeed. He gave each person the right amount according to what they could do. He then goes away, and they don’t know when He will return. This is just like Jesus. We don’t know when He will return.
As the master is gone, the servants get to it. The one who had received five talents, 3 million pounds, immediately started working, and through trading, he took the five talents and made another five! He made another three million pounds! The man with two talents, 1.2 million pounds, went out and made another two talents! Like the other man, he too, made 100% profit. But what does the third one do? He took the £600,000, the one talent, and made…..nothing. He covers it with dirt! He takes the large sum of money and buries it in the ground.
Now, after a long time, the master of the servant returns, and he wants to see how his servants fared without him. The man with five talents steps forward, and he brings the other five talents with him. He says, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; look! I have made five talents more.” The servant is excited to show his master what he had done and joyfully gives it to Him. He remained faithful to his master. To that, the master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The servant is praised for his work, and is entrusted with more. He is called into his presence. The man with two talents then steps forward, and brings with him his extra two talents, his extra 1.2 million pounds. The master tells him exactly the same thing.
These two servants represent Christians who remained in the faith when the Lord returns. They represent Christians who had a living and active faith that used what God had given them to benefit His Kingdom. Christians who remain faithful and in the faith when Christ returns will be able to enjoy eternal life with Him.
But what happens to the person who did nothing? What will happen to him? There was a minister who worked in a library and he tells this story, I was made a shift manager in a library. That meant that I supervised the student workers below me, and that I was able to assign the tasks that would be done for that evening. One night, I assigned a worker to clean the books that had mould on them, and I stayed at the desk to check in books and to put them back on the shelves. Sometime after I was finished, I walked around to tidy up and then to check on the progress that was being made. As I was walking to the where the student was, I saw a patron that was reading a book by a shelf and asked if they needed help.
The patron looked up and turned around, and my jaw dropped from shock. It was the student worker! I asked, “What are you doing? I told you to clean the books.” He said, “O, well, I didn’t want to do that. I have just been reading.” He could have at least done some of the other tasks that needed to be done instead of leisurely reading, I thought. I was quite upset and disappointed with him. In the parable, the master feels the same way.
The third servant steps forward with the one talent that he had been given. Like the others, he addresses his master, but does so in a different way. He opens his mouth to blame him! He blames the master for his lack of work and productivity. He insults him and his generosity. He slanderously says, “I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” If that was truly the case, then why didn’t he do anything? He apparently was afraid of the master but not afraid to insult him. This servant takes no blame or fault in his inactivity. He claims no fault for being unprepared for his master’s return. This servant represents the person who does not remain in the faith when Christ returns. These people will not enter paradise with Him.
Then, what does the master say? “You wicked and slothful servant! If you truly felt that way, then why didn’t you do anything? You could have at least invested it and given me the interest! You could have done something. Take his talent and give it to him who has the ten talents. Cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” right? This parable ends with the one who is not prepared being separated from the Lord and joy of Heaven.
Our Lord is coming back. Are you ready for Christ’s return? Which servant do you want to be from the parable? Do you want to be the one who is called “good” because of Christ’s death and resurrection for you, and for me. Through faith, God calls us not just “good”, but also “forgiven, redeemed, saved, child, heir, precious, loved, and more!”
Our God not only gives us grace but He also gives us gifts to serve Him in His Kingdom and to expand it. This serving is not done for salvation but is done in response to salvation. Our God has given us all His gifts of grace, salvation, faith, and love. However, He gives us different gifts to serve Him in His Kingdom, and to expand it. Some of us might have a servant’s heart. Others might be a good leader, some are blessed with financial sense. Some of us have the gift of music. There are some who have the gift of teaching, others have the talent of being compassionate, listening, or being good with children. The examples and lists could do on and on. What talents or abilities has God blessed you with? How can you joyfully use those things to serve Him in His Kingdom as you wait for His Coming? Whatever those gifts might be, remember that He has given them to you according to your ability.
As we heard from Matthew again today, Jesus is coming back. Our Lord is coming back again one day, and He wants us to be ready. Through faith in Christ, you are ready, and one day He will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master.”