third servant seeks to excuse himself by accusing his master of being harsh. 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. 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). 270 I hate to have to disagree with the NET Bible translation here, but it seems to me that this translation does not adequately emphasize the force of our Lords carefully chosen words, especially in context. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you. I am saying that our labors for the kingdom have no point of termination except for our Lords return, and even then fruitful labor will continue in heaven. After being gone a long time, the master returns to settle up with his slaves (verse 19). The third servant is lazy, because he does not go to work with the money. The first presents his master with ten talents. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. If Adams sin brought about painful labor for mankind, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ (the last Adam 1 Corinthians 15:45) brought rest: 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. The parable of the talents is one of those Bible stories most of us know, yet its hard to understand. Is the salvation of lost sinners not profit in the eternal sense? William Hendriksen, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973), p. 881. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and, Take therefore the talent from him, and give. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. Have you trusted in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in His death at Calvary for your sins, rather than in your works (Romans 3:21-26)? He demanded that they make something out of nothing, so to speak. each according to his ability. By faith, have you entered into His labor, His saving work on your behalf on the cross of Calvary? I will end with these words from our Lord to the church at Sardis. 278 Actually, the good slave is both morally good and useful, but his usefulness is emphasized most in the context. 15 To one he gave five talents,[ b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Let us go a three-day journey into the desert so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword. 4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? However, Jesus claimed kingship in a way that confused many people, and the way his kingdom operates often offends our sense of propriety. He does not require us to make bricks without providing both the clay and the straw. The one who does not have but yet does have (because what he has is taken away) is the one who has his masters money, but has made no profit from it. He contended that this is why he was afraid to take a risk with any kind of investment. He made his way up to the bars, and then proceeded to harass this awesome beast. God expects to see a profit. 12 And if you havent been trustworthy with someone elses property, who will give you your own? (Luke 16:10-12). These verses are the opening to what is known as the parable of the talents. Parables of Jesus by James Montgomery Boice. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Minas? 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Good Samaritan? What is the meaning of the Parable of the Two Sons? Parable of the Talents. In my opinion, nothing in our text compels us to think (or even imply) that this might be the case. Working hard for the profit of the kingdom and the King is entering into the joy of our Master. Specifically, I am speaking of Matthew 25:13: Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). The one who gets the biggest return on investment gets the big promotion. Bible Verses about Parable of the Talents. His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:1-4). 12:6; 1 Cor. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 8 But you must require of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before. A talent, just so you know, was a measure of money. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give. It was his hope that in doing something spectacular he might receive a gift or donation. "For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to . This parable is paired with the parable of the 10 virgins, who made the mistake of not having enough oil when the bridegroom arrives. 3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. 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 is like one of those reality TV shows where people compete for money to invest in a project, only with a different agenda. The story in Matthew 25:14-30 unfolds as such: A man goes away on a trip. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. (2) Many of the commentaries acknowledge the abruptness of verse 14 as the first verse of a new paragraph. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. My study of this text has caused me to conclude that the paragraph breaks related to our text are confusing at best, and wrong at worst. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work270 and gained five more. Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents (or the Talents' parable) to his disciples. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou 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. Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed (Matthew 25:24, emphasis mine). Before he goes, the master brings his servants together (three in the Matthew version, 10 in the Luke version). John Driver points out in his book Parable Church that at 2018s average household incomes, one talent would be about $1.2 million. The master rebukes the third servant for not even putting the money in the bank, where he could have gotten interest on it. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:13-14), according to plans he laid out before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5), to glorify him forever. I was talking about this text with a friend, and he said, God expects the principle, plus interest. I think thats right. We naturally want to believe we can use our gifts as we please. Download our craft directions below, gather your craft supplies, and watch the example video as you prepare to teach. His entertainment was to torment one of the tigers. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. The element of money. In other words, Luke informs us that Jesus told this parable specifically to correct some misconceptions about the time of His return. 2 Samuel 7:1-3 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; , 1 Chronicles 13:1-3 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader, 1 Chronicles 22:1-26:32 Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. 14(A)For (B)it will be like a man (C)going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. Second, because they have proven themselves to be faithful with the few things entrusted to them, they are now given even greater responsibilities by their master. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. And,. The Parable of the Talents should encourage us and challenge us to take what God has given us and invest in the kingdom of God. 269 Copyright 2005 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081. Beyond this, His return would come at a time when it was not expected (Matthew 24:44). Thus, time seems to be a more important factor in verses 14-31 than in 1-13. What is the meaning of the parable of the friend in need (persistent neighbor)? You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed? God expects a profit, and He holds us accountable for what we have done with what He has entrusted to us. We have the most valuable gift of all, the Word of God and the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Enter into (M)the joy of your master. 22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more. 23His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. (5) In the similar parable in Luke 19 (while told at a different time and with numerous variations), it begins with a time indication: 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 (Luke 19:11). 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry (Matthew 11:28-30). Start FREE. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. The master goes on his journey, which Luke notes has some opposition (Luke 19:14-15). He told his master that he was a harsh and cruel man, a man who was demanding, and who expected gain where he had not labored. Enter into the joy of your master. 22 The one with the two talents also came and said, Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. Have you come to see that so far as your salvation is concerned, all of your works are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-20)? For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Rich Fool? The second and third soils represent those who initially show some interest in the gospel, but then reject it when the meaning of the gospel becomes clear. Let me see if I can defend my allegation. Jesus' stories had more than one meaning. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Virgins? Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. In this show, one boss brings several employees into a room, gives them each cash, and tells them to invest to grow his corporation. Read the full Bible passage of this story below and find related articles, videos, and audio sermons to help your understanding of this biblical lesson. Also the description of the last judgment. 17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. In our parable, money is given to us to use, to work with, not just to give back. All rights reserved. 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. a certain weight or 'talent'. Jesus was also the stone rejected by builders, yet he became the capstone (Matthew 21:42). Knowing that Jesus was describing servants being given huge amounts of cash to invest helps us to understand just how generous the master was being, the opportunity each servant was given. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Let me explain my reasons for reaching this conclusion, in spite of the fact that it differs with the generally accepted divisions (verses 1-13, verses 14-30, verses 31-46). And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his . You have been faithful in a few things. Revelation makes it clear that in the last days, Jesus will subvert his opponents, punish them and be named king over the world. The question for us to consider is this: Just how do we measure spiritual profit? Each (of more than two), every one. What is the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares? Also the description of the last judgment. 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! The joy of the master must, in some way, equate to enjoying the bliss of heaven, with our Lord. Matthew 25:14. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. Playlist: Go to the Parable of the Talents (topic) playlist . Then he went away. From the parable of the talents we seem to be informed that unbelievers are entrusted with certain things, and that they will also give account for their stewardship. Thus, we can safely conclude that edification or spiritual growth is also profitable for the kingdom of heaven. See, you have what is yours. 26 But his master answered, Evil and lazy slave! And what should I say? He did not increase his masters money at all. He gives each of them some money. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. (17) Because thou hast been faithful in a very little.--More literally, because thou didst become faithful. 23 Why then didnt you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest? 24 And he said to his attendants, Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten. 25 But they said to him, Sir, he has ten minas already! 26 I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. I thus take verse 13 as the first verse of this new paragraph. The soil which produces no grain (in other instances, no fruit, or no profit) is bad soil. Jaye Martin, How to Know Your Life Purpose 12:7, 11, 29; Eph. 30And cast the unprofitable servant (L)into the outer darkness. Heaven can hardly be described in terms of retirement. If so, then what is the fruitful labor God has given to you? Matthew 25:15. Sometimes it is merely a connective, a virtual conjunction. wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. He didnt even hand the money over to bankers,276 to let them go to work with it. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. This story is called the Parable of the Talents. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24)? This way the slave would not have to attend to the money on a day-by-day basis. He gives each slave an amount of money, referred to as talents and possibly talents of gold, based upon that man's ability to steward and care for the money. NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. 25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. How can you take something away from a person who has nothing? And so I will conclude by asking you this, my friend: Do you know and love the Master, Jesus Christ? 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). Eventually, he tells his sister he will go to the Olympics and then to the mission field, because both honor God. Amen (Romans 9:1-5). Entering into the joy of our Master is, in the context of our text, entering into profitable labor for all eternity. Retirement is thought of more in terms of the golf course than finishing our course in the Pauline sense (2 Timothy 4:7). There is no end to our labors for our God. 28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. And they were right because he praised them and invited them to join him as participants in his joy. Traditionally, the parable of the talents has been seen as an exhortation to Jesus' disciples to use their God-given gifts in the service of God, and to take risks for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Im not saying that one should never cease their employment nor end their career. Kathy Sweeny, Choices Determine Destinies But this term is also used of that which is useful or beneficial: 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 27So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 271. Hank Hanegraaff, Economy of God Works are fruits that are evidence of true faith (see James 2). After all of Jesus' teaching, the disciples, although still limited in their knowledge and understanding, knew for sure that Jesus was to restore His Kingdom to Israel ( Acts 1:6 ). God entrusted Israel, and especially its leaders, with the truth, and they did not use it properly. The element of time. and Christians should not be molded by worldly standards (Romans 12:2). 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! Dennis Rainey. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. As if a superlative of hekas; each or every. The master scolded him saying that he should have invested the money and received interest. third servant claims that he was afraid of his master. READ the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. First, they receive their masters commendation, Well done, good and faithful slave (verses 21, 23). (M)There will be weeping and (N)gnashing of teeth.. God is both, and his plans will not necessarily make sense to our limited perspectives. Two of the slaves seem eager to show their master what they have accomplished in his absence. 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). Granted, the interest one gets from a savings account is not the kind of increase one might get from investing in the stock market, but it would at least be a small increase. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again (John 12:27-28). 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once . His doom is, to be cast into outer darkness. 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life. 8 This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. Heaven is not a hammock; it is not a glorified vacation. He then tells the servants to put this money to work (Luke 19:13), invest it to make more money for him, and he would see their results when hes back. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Bible Story, The Ten Commandments - Bible Verses and Importance Today, Parable of the Prodigal Son - Bible Story, The Resurrection of Jesus - Bible Story and Prophecy. It is clear that our Lord Jesus intended for us to be found at work when He returns: 45 Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? First, the master stayed away for a long time ( Matthew 25:19 ). 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. For you were bought at a price. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. 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. See, I have gained two more.' 23 His master replied, 'Well . Theparable of the talents is told in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. The parable of the talents is told in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. Read: MATTHEW 25:14-30. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. This is the reason I was critical of the translation of verse 16 (see footnote 1 above). 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, but you will eat the grain of the field. This parable is not primarily about faith, nor is it about being willing to take a risk (this was merely the wicked slaves excuse). In the Book of Revelation, heaven is described as a return to paradise lost: 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of lifewater as clear as crystalpouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 flowing down the middle of the citys main street. To the first he entrusted five talents, to the second two talents, and to the third one talent. Jesus tells the story of a rich man who has three slaves. Enter into the joy of your master. 24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be (N)a hard man, reaping (O)where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. There is a great reward waiting for those who steward well with what the Lord has given them. 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. Those who know not the day of their visitation shall have the things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. For less than $5/mo. He wanted to know how much they had earned by trading. I will put you in charge of many things. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). 27 Now my soul is greatly distressed. The third slave is lazy, and thus useless, as opposed to being hard-working, and therefore useful. The Parable of the Talents (Lk 19:11-27) 14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents,f to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. In the Luke version, he gives out 10 minas to 10 servants (Luke 19:16-20 makes it clear that each servant gets one mina). Lets call this aspect of profit exaltation. Thus, evangelism is one form of spiritual profit. 14(B)For the kingdom of heaven is (C)like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. Let us then consider the primary message in this text. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? This is only speculation. We need to pursue the element of work a bit further. In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. Lets begin with the end result profit. 282 I am trying to be careful here, because some works are not profitable for the kingdom, and these will not be rewarded, but will be destroyed. The slaves excuse was that his master was a harsh man, and this caused him to be afraid of his master, thus doing nothing with the money entrusted to him. 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? Our Lords emphasis here is not on putting the money to work, but on the servant going to work with his masters money. Second, the faithful servants immediately went to work to increase their masters money (Matthew 25:16-17). I realize that I am going to pull some whiskers by what I am about to say, but I think that I am being true to our text, and to the Bible as a whole. 24:47; 25:34, 46; Luke 12:44; 22:29, 30; Rev. Crucially, Jesus says that both the parable of the 10 virgins and the parable of the talents are about what the kingdom of heaven will be like in the last days (Matthew 25:1,14). Jumble. A footnote in the NIV translation says that a mina was about three months wages. Luke, the man who went away is a nobleman who leaves to obtain a kingdom; in Matthew, no such information is given. We know that God expects us to grow over time, and that He is displeased when we fail to grow: 11 It was he who gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, that is, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of Goda mature person, attaining to the measure of Christs full stature (Ephesians 4:11-13). Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. It is also found in Jude 1:15 to describe the harsh words the unbelieving have said against God.

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