I Will Give My Talent Series

Five Life Changing Resolutions

Part 5

I Will Give My Talent

Matthew 25:14-15

Scripture Reading

Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

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.

I. The Allegory of the Talents

What is an allegory? It is a work in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or political meaning. “Pilgrims Progress” by John Bunyan is probably the most famous allegorical work of all time. Jesus used this type of literary tool quite often. Here he seeks to teach his disciples truth concerning the kingdom; his ascension, his return and the “reckoning” with his servants at that time.

a. His course – He is going into the “far country,” an allegorical name for heaven. Jesus told his disciple on several occasions that he would be leaving them. This journey is the ascension of Jesus into heaven to assume his rightful place at the Father’s right hand.

b. His call – His servants are those who are peculiarly his. The servant here can be translated slave as it is in many cases in the NT. They belong to him and as they have nothing that they can rightfully call their own, it is an act of sovereign grace when he distributes the talents. He does so at his own prerogative and according to his evaluation of their capacity (ability) to use the gifts that he entrusts them with.

"Nothing we have is attributable to our own strengths and talents. People think so. It’s an attitude that was expressed very effectively by James Stewart’s character in the movie, “Shenandoah”. He was the patriarch of a large Southern family, running a very successful plantation when the Civil War broke out.

Early in the movie the family sat down for dinner, and as they all bowed their heads, this is what he prayed:

’Lord, we cleared this land, we plowed it, sowed it, and harvested it. It wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t be eating it if we hadn’t done it all ourselves. We worked dog-bone hard for every crumb and morsel, but we thank you just the same anyway for this food we are about to eat. Amen’

Spoken or unspoken, I think that may be the attitude of far too many hearts, even Christian ones.

But the truth is that the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the very air we breathe, are a fresh gift from God every day, for every man woman or child, saved or unsaved. Nothing is ours; nothing."

c. His charge – He gives his graces, goods, gifts in trust. He gives offices and opportunities. Notice that they go to work immediately, that they work diligently until the return of their lord.

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

II. The Application of the Talents

Matthew 25:16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

a. Their use – Notice that they all received a minimum of one talent. We all receive talents as well, some more than others but all have some. Two of the men who received talents from their lord produced a return on their investment.

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“God has placed in our trust a measure of time, a unique set of talents, and sufficient resources to carry out His will for each of our lives. Our task as faithful stewards is to manage those blessings in order to bring the maximum glory to His name.”

Bill Bright

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26 year old Kyle MacDonald had a red paper clip and a dream: Could he use the community power of the Internet to barter that paper clip for something better, and trade that thing for something else — and so on and so on until he had a house?

He advertised the paperclip on craigslist.com and two women swapped a fish-shaped pen for it.

Later that same day, MacDonald was able to trade the pen for a small ceramic doorknob with a smiley face on it.

He traded the doorknob for a Coleman camping stove.

Next, a US navy Marine swapped a generator in return for the stove.