Subscription Lists

Let’s start with a shameless plug. Available at http://samisaacson.co.cc for a competitive price is a book I wrote on the parable of the talents so if you like this overview click here and buy it! But because our authority is the Bible rather than me, let’s dive into this, Jesus’ final parable in Matthew’s gospel, and my favourite.

‘For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, “Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”’ (Matthew 25:14-30)

The call

Let’s begin at the beginning. Jesus’ opening idea for this parable is that the man ‘called his servants’. It’s important to note that the servants did not do a Pop Idol-style audition process to get to this point, the master simply called them. We have no background, we don’t know anything about these servants, all that we know is that the man called them. The man represents Jesus in this parable, and the implications are clear – Jesus called us. He initiated. We do not earn our way into the Kingdom of God, we can only respond to the call of God.

The gift

What’s perhaps even more mind-blowing than that is what the servants are called to. They are entrusted with a certain number of ‘talents’, and this in itself is incredible. The approximate modern-day value of one talent is about £500,000! Just imagine being a servant, being summoned by not only your boss but your owner, and being given some figure between £500,000 and £2,500,000 – would it not shock you? Of course, the truth is that we actually have experienced that! The values of our salvation, spiritual gifts, and abilities that God has blessed us with are so far beyond our imagination we can’t comprehend it, yet sometimes we treat them all as if we somehow deserve them. There is literally nothing we could ever do to earn salvation, or a spiritual gift, because it all comes from God. It’s all of grace. If we are not eternally grateful for the many ways God has blessed us, we are simply acting illogically.

Equal reward

The most often-asked questions when it comes to this parable are about the different amounts of talents. Why does one get five when another only gets one? The answer is in the text: the talents were given ‘each according to his ability’. Quite simply, the first servant has the capacity to cope with five talents all at once, whereas the final servant doesn’t have that ability. Now, in human terms this is such a shame – the one with five talents clearly has more potential to get a larger return on his investment, and indeed does – he earns another five, while the servant who started with two can only make two talents. Have you ever looked at others who are simply more gifted than you, and been envious of what God has given them? Have you felt worthless in comparison? Well, here’s Jesus’ encouragement – have a look at the master’s words that are addressed to the first and second servants…they are exactly the same, to the last detail. God is not that bothered about us being fruitful, he wants us to be faithful.

If you think you have fewer gifts than another, then that may be an accurate observation, but God does not expect you to be as ‘amazing’ (in human terms) as them – he’s looking for you to take responsibility for what you have…is it not encouraging that, even though you may see less worldly success, Jesus will give you exactly the same reward as them? And if you identify more with the servant with five talents, never underestimate your responsibility. You have your gifts for a reason: use them.

The closing thought

Here’s the shocking bit. Jesus closes this parable, and Matthew’s last record of Jesus’ parables, is a horrifying description of hell: the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This parable was intended for those who considered themselves believers. Churchgoers. Which servant are you? Do you have gifts that you are burying? Do you find an excuse not to serve God? Are you too busy to simply read your Bible, or pray? The message here seems to be that if you are not serving God, you are not saved at all. The irony of hell is given here – the servant did not want to work, so he’s thrown into darkness, where he would not be able to work. As C.S.Lewis said, ‘There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.”’

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

True Success Is A Team Effort