PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

13 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. 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. See, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 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, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’” (Matthew 25:13-30 This parable is also told in Luke 19:11-27

PARABLE OF THE TALENTS-TERMINOLGY DEFINED

WORD OF WISDOM
TALENT ~ Of silver contained 3,000 shekels (Exodus 38:25, 26), and was equal to 94 3/7 lbs. avoirdupois. The Greek talent, however, as in the LXX., was only 82 1/4 lbs. It was in the form of a circular mass, as the Hebrew name kikkar denotes. A talent of gold was double the weight of a talent of silver (2 Samuel 12:30). Parable of the talents (Matthew 18:24; 25:15).

Source: Easton's Bible Dictionary

Source: ChristArt.com

Man Traveling.............. Christ
Far Country.................. Heaven
His Servants................. Believers
Goods/Property............. Talents/Spiritual Gifts

OBSERVATIONS

1. His goods or property described in verse 14 are Christ’s.
2. Different amounts of talents were given to each servant, yet each was given at least one.
3. The man traded or put to work his five talents in verse 16. Successful Christians are not lazy. God requires us to work but at the same time He works in us. See Phil 2:12-13.
4. The servant who received two talents worked as diligently as the servant who had five.
5. Both servants had equal success.
6. The servant who received one talent was negligent, failing to use his gift, but used valuable energy in hiding his gift.
7. The unfaithful servant did not use his talent because:
fear of failure or his master-vs 25
laziness-vs 26
perhaps anger over receiving only one gift
perhaps jealousy against others who had more
perhaps felt it was too late-vs 19
8. We are to use our gifts until Christ returns.
9. We shall all have to give an account for the use of our gifts.
10. Both faithful servants were commended for faithfulness in exactly the same way.
11. The faithful servants were rewarded for their usefulness.
12. The unfaithful servant blamed his failure on his master.
13. Uselessness leads to eternal death.

God Bless,
rECjLJG