Parable Of The Talents Series

Parable of the Talents

Here’s a question for the women in the audience?

• Of the following three options which one would prove to you the most that your husbands truly loved you?

1) He went out and bought you a $1,000 diamond ring?

2) He told you he loved you every day?

3) He helped out with the chores around the house every week?

• Can’t choose all three!

• Why did you choose option three?

• This is the only option where the love was demonstrated by action

• Words are cheap as they say!

Going to continue with our series on the Parables of Judgment – Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

• Don’t have to be Einstein to figure out who the man travelling to a far country is? It’s Jesus!

• His servants are those to whom He has committed his “goods”

• Some other translations use the word “treasure” rather than talents – literal translation is “goods”, or “possessions”

• But I prefer the word “treasure” as this is a better label than “Talent” or “goods”

• The key to understanding this Parable is to know what these “talents” or “treasures” represent

• Most like to regard these “talents” as the spiritual gifts we have each been given

• This may be one interpretation but I think “talents” distracts the reader from the true intent of the parable

• First, we should note that these treasures are not ours, they are the master’s. We did not earn these treasures, and neither can we earn them – they are given to us

• Of all the treasures God has given to us, what is the most precious?

• Is it our spiritual gifts? No, the greatest treasure God has given to us is His Son, specifically his grace and his Mercy through the saving work of Jesus Christ – in other words the Gospel

• And this interpretation changes the whole focus of the Parable. It rightly puts the emphasis on God “works”, not on our “works”

• He has committed the treasure of His gospel to his servants

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

• Not everyone has the same capacity to use these treasures that have been committed to us

• The issue here is not how much the servants make as much as the issue of “use”, using what has been committed to us

• Notice another point that we have mentioned in other Parables, “No one is excluded without first of all being included”

• All the servants had a relationship with the Master – 10 virgins, Those invited to the marriage supper etc

• No one was excluded without first of all being included

16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

• As these two went about their day to day lives, the gospel was reflected in how they conducted their lives

• Through them, God’s love, mercy and grace was extended to others

• People were shown forgiveness, they were helped, they were encouraged, they mixed with those who needed the gospel the most – sinners

• And people responded to the love of God reflected in these individuals lives

18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

• In contrast, this guy went incognito about his Christianity – he kept his Christianity to himself, in fact he didn’t look any different from those he associated with

19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

• The master comes back and wants to know how his servants have used the treasure he has committed to them

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

• Most of us would be pretty proud to receive a 100% return on our investment

• But all this guy gets is an “At a boy!” Faithful in a few things – notice our contribution is only minimal

• The gospel has a power of its own – it is not our fancy packaging, it is not our great arguments, we don’t have to dress it up, the power of the gospel lies with Jesus Christ