The Gospel of Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus said, “It is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Let us Pray: Creative, Powerful God Generous Author of Life You make, You bless, You give You entrust us to care and tend your gifts You call us to be fruitful and multiply You empower us with abilities and opportunities Your goodness is in our hands We will use it and risk it We will be trustworthy May our efforts bring you joy Amen
In many ways this is a deeply puzzling parable. The central question of course, is: What do the talents represent? There is a common, but quite shallow, understanding of this parable. The parable does not justify a gospel of economic prosperity, it teaches the need for us to put our natural gifts to work for God, it challenges believers to emulate their Master by using all that God has given them for the sake of the kingdom. God’s kingdom is not a material kingdom, it is not measured in terms of money or the size of your bank account. God’s kingdom is bigger when more people are in it, your friends, your relatives, your children, and strangers. His kingdom is better when the people in it are more respectful of each other, which includes us. Thus, simply put, we build His kingdom when we share the Good News of the Lord.
Like the preceding two parables (The parable of the two slaves and the parable of the 10 bridesmaids) the return of the master is certain, but the timing is unknown. After a long absence, he discovers what each servant has done with his property. The first two slaves do business with the master’s talents and double his money. Although the first slave earned more than the second, each has done remarkably well with what he has been given. They have performed according to their potential, and they have been faithful to do what the master has required of them. The master’s response to each is the same. He commends the slaves for being good and faithful, entrusts them with more authority, and invites them to enter his “joy.” The lazy servant who is supposed to use the resources to trade and increase profit for his master. But instead of working he buries the money. He is lazy and does zero work for the master while he is gone. The master expected that the resources would be used to increase his business, but they were wasted instead. Time is money and his money had been sitting there doing nothing for a long time. Rather than be apologetic and confess his laziness, the servant blames the master for his own laziness. He accuses the master of being unfair and harsh and thus excuses his own behavior by rationalizing that he was afraid of the master. The two good servants were not rewarded in a financial way. Rather they were allowed to share their master’s joy. He would give them even more opportunities to serve because they had done such a good job. In chapter 24 we learn of Jesus’ second coming. This would mark the end of the current age and the beginning of Jesus’ physical one thousand year reign on earth. The servants who were faithful would be allowed to enter into Jesus’ kingdom, which is the greatest reward possible. And if the talents (representing a huge amount of money) is a “few things” think what the heavenly kingdom will be like! The lazy servant is supposed to use the resources to trade (to buy and sell and exchange) and increase profit for his master. But instead of working he buries the money. He is lazy and does zero work for the master while he is gone. The master expected that the resources would be used to increase his business, but they were wasted instead. Time is money and his money had been sitting there doing nothing for a long time. Rather than be apologetic and confess his laziness, the servant blames the master for his own laziness. He accuses the master of being unfair and harsh and thus excuses his own behavior by rationalizing that he was afraid of the master.
Some of the top takeaways from the parable of the talents, can be high-lighted by making us think about our own lives by looking at these questions.
1. What Has God Given You?
2. What Are You Doing with It?
3. Are You Ready for His Return?
4. What Will Jesus Say to You on That Day?
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. – Matthew 25:13 (NKJV)
Let us Pray: God, our kind and loving Father, you no longer call us servants but friends. There is so much you have entrusted to us, even the future of your kingdom of justice and love. Give us the grace to work out with you the growth of mercy and goodness in this world, to be united with all Christians and with all who seek you with a sincere heart in bringing reconciliation and joy to everyone. Let us go together the way to you, our living and loving God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reflections by Bob 