Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14-30 - “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’"

This is a long parable but the explanation is really quite simple. It also is very similar to to the parable of the minas in Luke 19:11-27 so I need not comment on this one. Both represent messages about what we are to do in this world before the Lord, our Master, returns. And He is returning. And we do not know when. Like the master in this parable, he was gone a long time but he returned.

When we come into relationship with Christ we are to become a new person. It's like the parable of the soils. It's all about how we receive Jesus, the Word. Do we take Him into our heart and let Him continue to do a work or do we let the cares of this world or troubles overpower His power?

And then as new believers we are entrusted with certain things. We have a "job" for the Lord now. My take on this is simple...it is up to us now to be about the work of the Kingdom, to be Jesus' hands and feet, to promote the same Gospel message that we received to a lost world. For some, like pastors, evangelists, it's a greater work than the average, everyday person without the "call" in their lives to be greater than just who they are in their surroundings. But all believers are called to share.

Jesus' words should be like a treasure to us. Words that, while not always easy, are life to us. When we have something great we want to share, shouldn't we want to do that? What do we do with what the Lord has given us? Do we share it or do we hide it? Some will expand the kingdom through their sharing, like the first and second servants, growing abundantly more for their master. These are true believers.

The third servant represents non-believers, in God's sense of the word. They have heard the word, and like the worst of all soils, it did not take. It has not changed the person. Something(s) have not taken root in their heart.

Our heavenly rewards are based on these three examples. We will hear well done if we have received, shared and lived out our new life. Or we can be like the third servant, receiving nothing in return in
the end, being put in a place where our eternal life is in jeopardy.

We can all learn by these examples. It's not too late to take hold of the Word, Jesus. Live like your life, and it does, depends on it. What have you done for God today?