Matthew 25:14-30 Plenty of Talents
We are continuing on with Jesus and His disciples on the Mount of Olives. He is teaching His disciples about the end times and His returning. In our reading today, Jesus is using another parable. This one deals with the concept of final judgement at Jesus’ coming.
At the beginning of Jesus’ parable he introduces us to three servants and their master. The master is a very shrewd man. He easily judges the character of all his servants. He was savvy in business, and was very wealthy. I looked up a talent in my bible helps and it says that ONE talent is worth 20 years’ worth of wages. In the day when my bible helps were written, one talent would equal about $600,000. Between the three servants, this man entrusted his servants with 160 years’ worth of wages. That is $4,800,000!
So the first thing we learn about the servants is that they were each given talents “according to his ability” (verse 15). So the master knew what they were capable of, or not, before even giving them anything. After learning the value of a talent, it is hard to imagine trusting one person with that much wealth, even the man who only received one talent. The one who received the five talents must have been an amazing money manager! In the story, Jesus said that this man went right away and made five more talents. We are not told how he did it but he just made a wealthy man much wealthier. The man who got the two talents did the same.
This master chose his servants well. Two of the three servants he chose to entrust his wealth to him have doubled his investment. But there is one fly in his ointment. The servant who got one talent. He is too terrified of the master to risk even having the money around. What if he lost some of it, or if a robber came in and stole it. No. The best place to keep the master’s money safe was a hole in the ground.
Why did the master choose him in the first place? Did he know what he would do with his money? Was he hoping that by displaying so much confidence in this servant that he would rise to the occasion? The servant let him down in that area too.
I want to know what all three of the servants were doing after they dealt with the master’s money. Were they relaxing while the money flowed in or were they finding other opportunities to increase the master’s wealth? I wonder how long the master was gone. Did they have time to make even more or did it take the full time that he was gone to make the extra money in the first place?
When the master returns, he settles his accounts with all three of his servants. He is very pleased with the first two servants business savvy. He promised them both great rewards and future assignments. But the one servant came before him trembling. The servant knew he was going to be a disappointment to the master. His behavior said he didn’t even want the job in the first place. “Here, you have what is yours” (verse 25). He put no effort or thought what so ever into how to increase the master’s money. Did he even think about investing it with the bankers (opening a savings account)?
As you know, things didn’t bode well for our third servant. Which brings up a question for me. Were all the servants supposed to represent believers? If so, why did the non-producing servant wind up in hell? Is this part of what James talks about: “Without works, faith is dead?” Was this servant truly a believer or was he another Judas Iscariot?
What did the talents really represent? Were they “talents” as in abilities that God gives us to use for His Kingdom or were they His understanding for His word? Was it the man’s nonuse of the talents that got him into trouble or his overall attitude? He was afraid of the master and wanted nothing to do with what the master was offering him. Was this his underlying issue? Is this rejection what sent him to hell? Personally I would much rather believe that he was dammed for rejecting the master rather than that he got sent to hell for not employing his God given talent.
Jesus’ overall message here appears to be that, when He returns there will be a reckoning (judgement) we are to all attend. Jesus will go deeper into this issue in tomorrow’s reading. For now, let us end with this thought. Either way, what God gives us is to be used, not hidden away. Weather it is a God given ability to be employed in building His Kingdom or understanding of His word and person. Don’t refuse or reject God’s gifts, from His saving grace all the way to leading a coliseum in prayer. If He gives it to you then He knows you have the character appropriate to use it.
Father God, today’s parable sparked questions in me. I trust You to show me what You want me to learn from Your word. I believe You placed those questions in my heart along with the answer in the end. I’m sure this is not the only answer for this passage but it is the one You showed me tonight. I pray that You are using it to help someone else who is bothered by the same questions You put in my heart. Thank You for answering for both of us.
Also God, am I doing what You want me to do with the talent You placed in me? I believe You opened this door to me and led me to walk through it. No more holes to hide the talent in. Show me clearly if You want me to stop or go a different direction. I pray You are speaking to others through the questions and answers You have me share this way. Thank You for trusting me with Your talent. I always try to make You proud of me. And on that note, please remind me Who the talent really belongs to and not become puffed up or proud.
July 4, 2016 @ 1:56 PM
If we were to consider Jesus’ earlier lessons in the Sermon on the Mount to be the “Entrance Exam” and the events of Last Supper to be the “Graduation Ceremony,” then I believe the examples He gave in Matthew 25 to be the “Answers to the Final Exam.” If we have been given the “Answer Sheet” we have no excuse for failing the exam.
July 4, 2016 @ 3:03 PM
Can you give me a little more detail in this thought? I like what you are saying but am not sure I’m understanding exactly what you are meaning.
July 5, 2016 @ 2:18 PM
Sure.
If we look at the sum-total of Jesus’ three-year earthly ministry as a hands-on educational experience for the Disciples and others who followed Him, we could (and going forward, I will) call it “The Master’s Seminary.”
In that context, the Sermon on the Mount was the “placement” or “Entry Exam: it offered an outline of what they would learn throughout their time in Seminary, and provided a measure of what they ‘were’ VS what they would become. (Remember how Jesus expounded on the differences were between “what you have heard” and “but I tell you…” and later provided the list of Beatitudes – or Be Attitudes, that described the Attitudes that would usher in the blessings of God in their lives.)
Ultimately, at the Last Supper, Jesus wound everything down: He instituted new rituals (Sacraments) that would mark Christianity just as the old rituals were the hallmarks of Judaism. The New Covenant in His Blood would be (by Grace) the fulfillment of the Old Covenant (of the Law.) It was graduation time. One of them (Judas) would fail. While another (Peter) would finish at the bottom of the class, but he would still graduate with an overall grade of D+. (“D” because of his denial, but upped by the “+” because of being so quick to latch onto the idea of purification by the washing of his feet. (If you need to wash my feet for me to be part of you, don’t stop there! Wash my hands, wash my head…I can imagine Jesus smiling lovingly at Peter as he said, “your feet will do.”) Thus the Master’s Seminary concluded with an impassioned prayer by Jesus, group participation in a hymn, and departure to the last battle Jesus would face before the crucifixion.
Between those bookends, we have examples of private tutelage as Jesus ‘splained his veiled teachings, and pop quizzes that Jesus used to ‘test’ the disciples progress–one being, “Whom do YOU say that I am?) This kind of instruction continues until we arrive at Matthew chapters 24 & 25.
Chapter 24 presents the final Q&A – the disciples ask Jesus for clarification of what is to come, and Jesus answers them. Then, in Chapter 25, Jesus spells out the terms of the final exam: to make it into the Kingdom of God, here is what you must do:
The lesson of the ten Virgins: you must ‘Manage your Resources’ so as not to run out of fuel and be found banging on the door of the Kingdom that has already been closed.
The lesson of the Talents: you must ‘Invest what the Master gave you’ so the wealth of the kingdom will grow in His (physical) absence. (The wealth of the kingdom is souls that are brought into it.)
The lesson of the Sheep vs the Goats: the definitive ways in which they (we) are to ‘Love the World as Jesus did.’ The Goats not caring about the state of those around them; the Sheep doing what they can to help those whom Jesus called, ‘the least of these.’
As you said, James would later write, “Faith without works is dead. Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith BY my works.”
In these three examples, Jesus spells out the terms of the Final Exam which is yet to come, at the ‘End of Days.’ He clearly defines the ‘works’ that must grow out of our faith.
So, in terms of the Master’s Seminar, Matthew 25 is the ‘Answer Sheet.’ Since Jesus GAVE it to them (and by extension us) there is no excuse for SHEEP to stand before the Judgement Seat at the End of Days ignorant of the requirements of our Final Exam. If we fail it, it’s on us.
Does that make sense?
July 5, 2016 @ 2:31 PM
That’s still kind of a view from 30,000 feet. If we get into the weeds, there is so much more that could be developed. For example: Peter finishing last in his class.
One of the private tutoring sessions had included a declaration that “To be great in the kingdom, one must become the servant of all,” and that, “The first would be last and the last would be first.” Despite Peter’s denial of Jesus, after his repentance, he became the first to preach under the Power of the Anointing of the Holy Ghost (at the Day of Pentecost)and went on to lead the Church that was born that day.
I won’t flesh out everything that could be…but that’s the gist of what I was saying.
July 6, 2016 @ 6:27 AM
Thank you for sharing that! I appreciate hearing it from your perspective. I like having the “answer sheet” before the test or class even begins. I agree that it makes failing totally on our heads.
Jesus makes failing even harder for us when He gave us the Holy Spirit. If we are willing to listen, success in Him is guaranteed. Even when we try to cover our ears and not listen, He still gets through to those who truly belong to Him.
Thank You Lord for never giving up on us, no matter how close we come to the cutoff line. Your love pulls me back every time I walk away from Your plan. Keep me walking by faith and working in Your fields.
July 8, 2016 @ 2:07 PM
Amen!