The Parable of the Talents. Part 1

The Parable of the Talents - Matthew 25:14-30.

In this Parable Jesus is urging us to be ready. For when Jesus comes again, we will stand before Him with our talents.

Today, a talent stands for our God-given resources-gifts, material possessions including money, and opportunities or skills.

In this Parable, the master symbolizes God. This parable is about a rich man who entrusted his property to his own servants and went to a far country.

“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. Matthew 25:14.

Before he goes, he gives his 3 servants different amounts of money, denominated by talents. To the first servant, he gave 5 talents; to the second servant he gave 2 talents, and finally to the third servant he gave 1 talent. Therefore, each servant received just the right number of talents to match his ability.

Upon his return the master asks his three servants to give an account of what they had done with the talents.

The first servant invested and had it doubled from 5 to 10 talents. The master praises him, ‘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.’ Matthew 25:21.

The second servant had his investments doubled from the amount of 2 talents to 4. The master praises him in the same manner, ‘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.’ Matthew 25:23.

The master’s response to the servants was exactly the same words. Both had produced the desired results; both the servants had doubled their gains. The master was pleased and entrusted them with more. They were also invited to share in the Master’s Joy.

However, the third servant with the one talent buries it in the ground. On the master’s return, when he is asked for a report on the 1 talent he starts with explaining ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ Matthew 25:24-25.

The third servant safeguarded his talent and for his lack of action, he blames the Master. In his words, he hid his talent. Maybe, because he feared, that he would lose it. And then he gives the talent back to his master. In his opinion he considers his master to be a harsh man who reaped where he didn’t sow.

To which the master reminds him that he could have put the 1 talent into the bank and it could have gained interest, but he did nothing. He missed an opportunity to multiply what he was given, making him a worthless servant.

(This is sometimes our attitude too; we fear things we cannot understand-we fear the unknown. We hesitate and we don’t take a step. We hold onto what we have-doing absolutely nothing.)

The master then takes the one talent away from the third servant and hands it to the first servant who has ten talents.

For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 25:29

The third servant did nothing and suffered the consequences. It was what he should have done but failed to do, that was his sin. All that was expected of him was to make the one talent in addition to what was given to him and in accordance with his ability. But there was nothing to show. As a result, he was condemned by the master.

The Parable of the Talents will help us live more in line with God’s purpose in all areas of our lives.

The time and resources that we are entrusted with in this life are not our own. God gives them to us, and our job is to live a fruitful life with what we’re given.

Please continue to read The Parable of the Talents. Part 2