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A man who is preparing to leave on a journey entrusts his possessions to his servants. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. These folks were a more honest (hopefully) version of money changer than those who did business in the temple precincts. Unfaithful service led to condemnation, the removal of ones stewardship, and an eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness, away from the presence of our Lord. Talents. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Heaven is not to be thought of as me laying beside the pool, sipping a tall, cool one, as one of my fellow elders commented this past week. 29(K)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. 2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Thus, we can safely conclude that edification or spiritual growth is also profitable for the kingdom of heaven. Revelation makes it clear that in the last days, Jesus will subvert his opponents, punish them and be named king over the world. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; [John 15:2], NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word. He is not harsh, nor does He require that we do the impossible (make a profit where He has not provided the means). My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die (Philippians 1:20). 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!. Did this third slave think that there would be no reward for his faithful service because his master was a hard man? Bible Verses about Parable of the Talents. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? And if our labors are joyful, we will delight in the thought of further labor. Amen (Romans 9:1-5). Dennis Rainey. The first two servants quickly272 set to work with their masters money. From apodemos; to go abroad, i.e. 26But his lord answered and said to him, You (J)wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. This parable is paired with the parable of the 10 virgins, who made the mistake of not having enough oil when the bridegroom arrives. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. I am reminded of this passage in the Book of Hebrews: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. The third servant is lazy, because he does not go to work with the money. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. 23 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. 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. I saw something there that both amazed and troubled me. Pertaining to self, i.e. You have been faithful in a few things. Our Lords rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees is often couched in stewardship terms. "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to . Yes, there are official positions for certain church tasks (preaching, evangelizing, teaching, etc.) If we were to make an equation of this parable, it would probably go like this: Resources (talents) + Labor (work) + Time = Profit. Let me see if I can defend my allegation. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. 22 The king said to him, I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! in Luke is there another group, in addition to the masters servants those who dont want this man to become their king, and who send a message asking him not to return. Enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:20-21). Two of the slaves seem eager to show their master what they have accomplished in his absence. Heaven is described in terms of work, not play, of activity, not passivity. To gain, acquire, win (over), avoid loss. Proud member What is the meaning of the Parable of the Talents? And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! The talents were distributed on the basis of ability, not as the bestowing of ability. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved unto good works: 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Is this not fruit? Speed and thrust increase. Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose in religion. This is only speculation. third servant claims that he was afraid of his master. 16 So the first one came before him and said, Sir, your mina has made ten minas more. 17 And the king said to him, Well done, good slave! To work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor. 11 If then you havent been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will entrust you with the true riches? 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). One man may design a church building, a cathedral. Return to your labor! 5 Pharaoh was thinking, The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor. 6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people: 7 You must no longer give straw to the people for making bricks as before. And what should I say? 3 And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[ a] and entrusted to them his property. I now see the answer, which appears to be consistent with all of the places where this principle is set forth. "Parable of the Talents" Bible Craft Demonstration Use these hands-on learning activities when teaching from Matthew 25:14-30, where Jesus told the Parable of the Talents. When the third servants excuses are set aside, it becomes evident that this man is lazy he didnt do any work. Luke, we are told that the reason for the parable was to correct the misconception that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately; no such reason is stated in Matthew. 273 William Hendriksen, in his commentary on Matthew, finds enthusiasm and joy in the accounting the first two servants gave to their master. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Community Bible Chapel. The story in Matthew 25:14-30 unfolds as such: A man goes away on a trip. If he were afraid to take any risk, then why did he not at least put the talent in the hands of the bankers, who would conservatively invest it for him, and gain at least some interest? He admits he buried it in the ground because he was afraid to use it (Matthew 25:24-25, Luke 19:20-21). 25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. To give that up would be to hold him in contempt., This quote highlights that in the end, all talents are given by God to glorify him. We find this same principle stated in connection with the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18). What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? Weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness must, on the other hand, involve spending eternity without God, and without joy. each according to his ability. However, the talents (or minas in Lukes version) represent more than just the monetary resources God gives us. Before he leaves, he entrusts money to his slaves. One's own; by implication, private or separate. 15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for and maintain it (Genesis 2:8-9, 15). What is the meaning of the Parable of the Good Samaritan? Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. The slothful servant is sentenced to be deprived of his talent. - Unto one he gave five talents. Enter into (I)the joy of your lord., 24Then 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. The joy of the master must, in some way, equate to enjoying the bliss of heaven, with our Lord. This is a sobering question. How different was the outlook of the first two slaves. The master rebukes the third servant for not even putting the money in the bank, where he could have gotten interest on it. Those who are unfaithful lose not only their reward, but their stewardship. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and Jaye Martin, How to Know Your Life Purpose This slave actually thinks of his master as though he were a Pharaoh in character. Just as a businessman expects to make a profit, and rejoices when his employees increase his wealth, so God expects a profit and rejoices in it. Christ keeps no servants to be idle: they have received their all from him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Matthew 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. We take a little money and put it in the plate, and by doing so we are laying up treasure in heaven. I dont deny that this is true, in part, but it is not the whole of it. 33 Bible Verses about Parable Of Talents Matthew 25:14-30 ESV / 15 helpful votes Not Helpful "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. John Driver points out in his book Parable Church that at 2018s average household incomes, one talent would be about $1.2 million. I am now inclined to say that verse 13 fits best with verses 14-30. Let us listen carefully then, looking to Gods Spirit to enlighten our hearts and minds, and to empower our service, to the glory of God and our eternal good. In fact, if this were to take place today, that money would likely be worth less, due to inflation. One. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. This whole matter of profit expands the teaching of our Lord in Matthew 6: 19 Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Unwrap the Gift. Eventually, he tells his sister he will go to the Olympics and then to the mission field, because both honor God. But this work is joyful. 19After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Then he went away. Sharon Jaynes, Make the Most of Your Talents Look, But his lord answered and said to him, You. a certain weight or 'talent'. The original text is quite clear here it is the first servant (and we assume the second, as well) who immediately sets to work with his masters money. The, the definite article. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. The soil which produces no grain (in other instances, no fruit, or no profit) is bad soil. Luke 19:13,14 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come, Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular, Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. First, the master stayed away for a long time ( Matthew 25:19 ). William Hendriksen, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973), p. 881. Nicholas P. Constasobserves that early Greek church fathers described this event as Jesus tricking the devil, using his humanity as a lure to catch his adversary. These gifts have been seen to include personal abilities ("talents" in the everyday sense), as well as personal wealth. This is like one of those reality TV shows where people compete for money to invest in a project, only with a different agenda. After centuries of Israelites seeing themselves as Gods only favored people, he opened things up for Gentiles to become co-heirs (Ephesians 3:6). And so he simply hid the money, and now he returned it, without any gain. For less than $5/mo. 14 But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14). 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money in it. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he . Well talk about this a bit later, but for the moment, I am inclined to understand this expression in contrast to another in our text, And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30). 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, but you will eat the grain of the field. The words are in their substance like those in St. Matthew, but their absolute identity with those in the lesson drawn from the parable of the Unjust Steward (see Note on Luke 16:10) is every way suggestive.This parable is connected with that as its natural sequel and development. In one of my early trips to India, I went to the zoo. We should first consider the masters assessment of all three slaves: The first two slaves were commended as being both good and faithful. The term good is sometimes employed in a moral sense. From kerdos; to gain. At this point we would probably do well to look at work from a broader perspective; we should consider work from the beginning of time to eternity future. It is used in 1 Samuel 25:3 to describe Nabal, Abigails husband, who is a stubborn fool.281 Isaiah (48:4) uses this term to describe Israels abstinence. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, He gave them work to do. 14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. I will put you in charge of many things. I have often been puzzled over these words, repeated several times in the New Testament: For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. A poor man (a sort of enterprising beggar, perhaps) was busy entertaining the visitors to the zoo. He doesnt even take the trouble to take it to the money changers, and let them work with it to gain something for his master. They returned to their master with double the talents! He is evil in the sense that he is useless, or unprofitable. Notice how this same word279 is used in Matthew 7: In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad [literally rotten] tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17, emphasis mine). 20So 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. 21His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were (E)faithful over a few things, (F)I will make you ruler over many things. But Abraham said, Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish (Luke 16:25). In other words, Luke informs us that Jesus told this parable specifically to correct some misconceptions about the time of His return. Handed down. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. Come and share your masters happiness! (Matthew 25:21). It may be that you are not like the first two slaves, but like the third. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now (Romans 8:18-22). It would probably be unwise to study the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 without also considering a similar parable in Luke 19:11-27: 11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. The element of time. These things are good and beneficial for all people (Titus 3:4-8). I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel. 3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. As I thought of this slaves attitude toward his master, I was reminded of this passage in the Book of Exodus: 1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Release my people so that they may hold a pilgrim feast to me in the desert. 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should obey him by releasing Israel? From dunamai; force; specially, miraculous power. His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:1-4). A talent was worth even more: NIV footnotes for the Matthew passage state that one talent was 20 years wages. 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 Christians should not be molded by worldly standards (Romans 12:2). Jesus was also the stone rejected by builders, yet he became the capstone (Matthew 21:42). It is the real Christian's liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer's servant, in promoting his glory, and the good of his people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him, that died for him and rose again.