In the New Testament, the term "talent" meant something very different than it does today. Working hard for the profit of the kingdom and the King is entering into the joy of our Master. The master scolded him saying that he should have invested the money and received interest. God expects a profit, and He holds us accountable for what we have done with what He has entrusted to us. Wells The Invisible Man where a foolish theologian suggests a strangers problem is he only has one talent. 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). We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have enjoyed. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Remember, this is a parable, and all ofJesus parables are about a bit more than they seem. Come and share your masters happiness! (Matthew 25:21). You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. We find our true joy and place in life when we serve God with our gifts. For you were bought at a price. This story is called the Parable of the Talents. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24)? The talent of silver (taking silver as worth a little over 5s. Then he went on his journey. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. Jesus was also the stone rejected by builders, yet he became the capstone (Matthew 21:42). Please consider their relationship to our text, and to money, time, labor, and profit: 1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. 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. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. How can you take something away from a person who has nothing? I am not arguing against retirement in the economic sense. 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. Copyright 2023, Bible Study Tools. Renny and Marina McLean, The Lord Teaches Us to Profit 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. The fact the master owns the money he gave the servants, and he gets the results of their investments, highlights who is in control. 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. God expects to see a profit. The soil which produces no grain (in other instances, no fruit, or no profit) is bad soil. This parable is paired with the parable of the 10 virgins, who made the mistake of not having enough oil when the bridegroom arrives. From kerdos; to gain. What is the meaning of the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price? 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. Im not saying that one should never cease their employment nor end their career. The difference is that one group brought oil for their lamps, and the others did not. Retirement is thought of more in terms of the golf course than finishing our course in the Pauline sense (2 Timothy 4:7). In my opinion, thats living dangerously. 27 Now my soul is greatly distressed. The Bible makes it clear there is no sacred versus secular work in the way we often think. His entertainment was to torment one of the tigers. Jesus' stories had more than one meaning. 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. Then he went away. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. Second, the faithful servants immediately went to work to increase their masters money (Matthew 25:16-17). 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! We would probably do well to compare this text with a couple of passages in the Gospel of Luke: 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! 273 William Hendriksen, in his commentary on Matthew, finds enthusiasm and joy in the accounting the first two servants gave to their master. See, you have what is yours. 26 But his master answered, Evil and lazy slave! In Matthew, this is especially clear in 12:40; 24:27, 37. Heaven is described in terms of work, not play, of activity, not passivity. The element of money. Neuter of a presumed derivative of the original form of tlao; a balance, i.e. To the first he entrusted five talents, to the second two talents, and to the third one talent. Jumble. But this work is joyful. Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities (Luke 19:16-17). In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. However, since we all want to be little gods of our own lives, serving ourselves misses our true place in life. Verse Concepts. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! 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. 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. In the Matthew version, he gives one servant 10 talents (or bags of gold), another five talents, and the third one talent. It is as though he had said, I knew you were unreasonable, and that there was no way to please you, and so I decided not even to try.. The third slave is an entirely different matter. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Talents. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursedcut off from Christfor the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, 4 who are Israelites. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. I wonder how many have given serious thought to what might be called the theology of retirement. I would like to challenge every Christian to rethink the subject of retirement. The slothful servant is sentenced to be deprived of his talent. Its been referenced in many placeseven odd places like H.G. 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? He said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? 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)? 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)? - Unto one he gave five talents. He demanded that they make something out of nothing, so to speak. 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. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. If we grew up in cultures where the individual is primary, we also tend to think we can live as we please. This is probably a sermon in itself perhaps even a book. The Parable of the Talents. For this story about a master and his servants, understanding the culture of Jesus' original audience is necessary to comprehend His message. Start FREE. Download our craft directions below, gather your craft supplies, and watch the example video as you prepare to teach. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he . 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. The parable of the talents is told in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. They returned to their master with double the talents! What is the meaning of the Parable of the Rich Fool? Inductive Bible study of Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. 5 Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. Then he went away. Matthew 25:14-30. We naturally want to believe we can use our gifts as we please. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. The talents Jesus Christ spoke of in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant ( Matthew 18:21-35) and the Parable of the Talents ( Matthew 25:14-30) referred to the largest unit of currency at the time. And,. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. There is a great reward waiting for those who steward well with what the Lord has given them. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. These verses are the opening to what is known as the parable of the talents. 14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. This is a sobering question. Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular, Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular. English Standard Version The Parable of the Talents 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[ a] and entrusted to them his property. (1) Verse 13 does not really seem to fit with verses 1-12, or to contribute to their message. This gift is for us to share with others through our words and actions. The master goes on his journey, which Luke notes has some opposition (Luke 19:14-15). 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. He distributes his wealth among three servants, apportioned to them on the basis of their abilities. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Yes, there are official positions for certain church tasks (preaching, evangelizing, teaching, etc.) What is the meaning of the Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin? Wrap a gift a number of times to create a few layers. ESV Text Edition: 2016. However, Jesus claimed kingship in a way that confused many people, and the way his kingdom operates often offends our sense of propriety. So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). And the longer the master was gone, the more interest was lost by the slaves inactivity. 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. Jesus uses the Parable of the Talents to help us understand our calling as Christians and our responsibility to use what God has given us to bring Him glory and honor!