But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 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. In the Matthew version, he gives one servant 10 talents (or bags of gold), another five talents, and the third one talent. Indeed, they accused Him of being a wicked sinner, more worthy of death than Barabbas. If so, then what is the fruitful labor God has given to you? It appears in Matthew 25:14-30, and another version of the parable can be found in Luke 19:11-27. Mat Mt). Heavens work will be joyful labor. Jesus made it clear that His return would not be immediate, but after much trouble and the passing of a considerable period of time. Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their perishing possessions. Re-read the passage, preferably in a different translation to get a clearer perspective on what the passage is communicating. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, He gave them work to do. 3:21; 21:7], Matt. The third servant did not invest his masters money at all; he dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. He, too, doubled the money his master left in his care. The fact the master owns the money he gave the servants, and he gets the results of their investments, highlights who is in control. In a similar way, in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23) the mere germination of the seed does not seem to represent salvation. Second, the faithful servants immediately went to work to increase their master's money ( Matthew 25:16-17 ). See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Sharon Jaynes, Make the Most of Your Talents All rights reserved. This servant offered a feeble excuse for his conduct. There is no end to our labors for our God. The master told them to care for his money and the first two servants used the talents to trade and gain profit. His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:1-4). He entrusted him with money, money suited to his abilities. (17) Because thou hast been faithful in a very little.--More literally, because thou didst become faithful. Yes, there are official positions for certain church tasks (preaching, evangelizing, teaching, etc.) We find this same principle stated in connection with the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18). And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. When the master returned, the first two eagerly met their master, apparently delighted in the opportunity to multiply their masters money.273 Both were commended as good and faithful servants; both were rewarded with increased responsibilities in their masters service; both were invited to share in their masters joy. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Whether you read the Matthew version or the Luke version, each servant is getting a substantial chunk of cash to invest as they will. 15 And unto 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. to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. First, the master stayed away for a long time ( Matthew 25:19 ). The one who does not have but yet does have (because what he has is taken away) is the one who has his masters money, but has made no profit from it. What, then, is the root of this third slaves problem? third servant hides what was entrusted to him. Then he went on his journey. Enter into (G)the joy of your lord. 22He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them. 23His lord said to him, (H)Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. However, as planned, he becomes king of the distant land and returns home to see how his servants have done. First of all, let us be clear that we are not talking about salvation by works. In my opinion, nothing in our text compels us to think (or even imply) that this might be the case. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return283 (Genesis 3:17-19). The true believer is represented by the seed that grows, that endures, and that bears fruit. I believe it is his view of his master, and thus the work his master has assigned. We naturally want to believe we can use our gifts as we please. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Dragnet? 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. Each of these things (and many others) are given by God, to use in ways that glorify him and draws others toward him. He doubled the money his master entrusted to him. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)? See, you have what is yours. 26 But his master answered, Evil and lazy slave! While commentators differ somewhat over the approximate value of a talent in todays economy, all would agree that it was a large amount of money. The Topic of Teenagers Open Heavens for Saturday 4th March 2023 Is "Parable of The Talents I". From kerdos; to gain. Pressing this matter just a little further, if the church were to be considered a business and every member were to be viewed as an employee, how many of us should reasonably expect to keep our jobs? The third servant was fearful and hid the one talent he was trusted with, returning just one talent to his master. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Theparable of the talents is told in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. 12:11; Eph. The joy that was before our Lord would seem to include the salvation of lost sinners (Luke 15:4-10). In the natural world, talents differ. The story of Jesustelling this parable really begins in Matthew 24 when he mentions the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The second slave presents his master with four talents. Each (of more than two), every one. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). If Adams sin brought about painful labor for mankind, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ (the last Adam 1 Corinthians 15:45) brought rest: 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. It may be that you are not like the first two slaves, but like the third. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. third servant seeks to excuse himself by accusing his master of being harsh. 270 I hate to have to disagree with the NET Bible translation here, but it seems to me that this translation does not adequately emphasize the force of our Lords carefully chosen words, especially in context. The similarities between the parable in Matthew 25 and this parable in Lukes Gospel are easily seen: While the parable in Luke is similar to our parable in Matthew 25, there are some significant differences: The temptation is for us to carry details from the parable in Lukes Gospel over to Matthews account, but we should be careful about this, recognizing that these parables, while similar, were told on different occasions and contain significant differences. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. 20 For the creation was subjected to futilitynot willingly but because of God who subjected itin hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of Gods children. Enter into, He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.. Wrap a gift a number of times to create a few layers. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed? READ the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. 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! As Dorothy Sayers put it in her essay Why Work? if we follow God properly, all the work will be Christian work, whether it is Church embroidery or sewage-farming.. 10 The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. I will put you in charge of many things. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again (John 12:27-28). By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 280 Old Testament references here are to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. 15 To one he gave five talents,[ b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. This parable is paired with the parable of the 10 virgins, who made the mistake of not having enough oil when the bridegroom arrives. In the parable, the gifts are given according to natural ability, but all who increase equally are rewarded equally. He is not harsh, nor does He require that we do the impossible (make a profit where He has not provided the means). You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. The element of time. Faith Talk Ministries, Faithful to the End For this story about a master and his servants, understanding the culture of Jesus' original audience is necessary to comprehend His message. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. Working hard for the profit of the kingdom and the King is entering into the joy of our Master. The first presents his master with ten talents. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money in it. Eventually, he tells his sister he will go to the Olympics and then to the mission field, because both honor God. And so it is that those who over time work with what they are entrusted, in order to make a profit for their master, are rewarded for their faithfulness. 46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. At this point we would probably do well to look at work from a broader perspective; we should consider work from the beginning of time to eternity future. Is retirement a denial, in effect, of the curse? Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. in Luke is there another group, in addition to the masters servants those who dont want this man to become their king, and who send a message asking him not to return. Why, then, did the third slave do nothing? The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). In fact, if this were to take place today, that money would likely be worth less, due to inflation. Rick Warren, Be Faithful in Small Things Parable of the Talents. Matthew 25:15. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! There is only one who is good. He gives each slave an amount of money, referred to as talents and possibly talents of gold, based upon that man's ability to steward and care for the money. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. Granted, the interest one gets from a savings account is not the kind of increase one might get from investing in the stock market, but it would at least be a small increase. It is the continuation of fruitful, profitable labor. You have been faithful in a few things. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. In the New Testament, the term "talent" meant something very different than it does today. Lets begin with the end result profit. Verse Concepts. And unto 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. By faith, have you entered into His labor, His saving work on your behalf on the cross of Calvary? 15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for and maintain it (Genesis 2:8-9, 15). What is the meaning of the Parable of the Leaven. But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband. William Hendriksen, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973), p. 881. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The talent was the largest measurement of money in those days. This is probably a sermon in itself perhaps even a book. Yet is this not what our Lord is teaching us in this parable? ESV Text Edition: 2016. Luke 19:13,14 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come, Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular, Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. Retirement is thought of more in terms of the golf course than finishing our course in the Pauline sense (2 Timothy 4:7).