Investing For The Future

Matthew 25:14-30

I. Context

This story is told in the middle of pages of Jesus talking about His second coming. From Ch. 24 v.1, to the end of Ch. 25, it’s all about the “End of the Age”, and His return to rule this planet, and look at our “accounts”.

II. What’s a Talent?

NIV notes it’s worth more than a thousand dollars (in their day). A talent was a unit of weight, equal to 3000 shekels, or 75 lbs. It was then used as a measure of wealth. It’s thought that a talent was worth 20 yrs. wages of a laborer. The average household income in the US is about $35,000. x 20= $700,000 for 1 talent.

The word talent we use today to talk about our gifts and abilities comes from this parable!! Go look this word- talent- up in the dictionary. It comes directly from this scripture. (Talent refers to a special aptitude, faculty or gift of a person. The word comes from the Greek word "ÔÜëáíôï" meaning balance or weight, and acquired its meaning of a gift or aptitude by way of Jesus’ parable of the talents. From Wikipedia.org)

III. Moral of the Parable

Gave according to their ability, 5 ,2, 1.

God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. We talk about SHAPE in our Wednesday nite class (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experience). Jesus said the talents were given according to each one’s ability!

He returned to settle accounts. “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Now the part here where the guy with 1 talent starts talking about his master as if he was mean or evil used to trouble me. But look closely. The servant with one talent tells a whopper of a story. Imagine standing before Christ, and as He asks you what you’ve done for His kingdom, you say, “Well, er, um, Jesus, you, ah, never put me in the right circumstance. You were, ah, so busy with Billy over there you never gave me a chance” or…

Jesus is saying here” Don’t worry about what you think I’ve been doing. You didn’t even put it in the bank because you wanted no record of it so you could keep it for yourself! “ “So, you think I’m a mean guy, and you STILL didn’t invest the talent? That’s even worse!” Jesus hangs him with his own words.

When I was a new Christian, I heard my Pastor teach on this parable, and I thought, “Hey! Don’t be so rough on this guy with one talent. At least he didn’t lose it on a bad investment, or steal it! But Jesus is making the point, that we are to go out on a limb, and use or invest our talents, all for His kingdom. And if we do that with a real servant’s heart, we will always be storing treasures in Heaven.

Now if you gave three friends a hundred dollars each to invest for you, and 1 didn’t do anything with it, but the other 2 friends made you interest on your money, what would you do? You’d take that money from the one who didn’t make you anything, and give it to the one who made you the most! Duh!

So are you using your talents? If not, why not? And if you are…

What purpose are you using them for?

I have the gift of speaking- schmoozing . If I used it to sell used cars without Christ as the focus, I would be misusing my gift. But my gift is “invested” and earning a return, when I use it to proclaim Jesus and His kingdom.

IV. What’s in it for me?

“You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge with many things”

If you don’t – weeping and gnashing of teeth.

You say that’s not fair?

Christian writer and commentator Warren Wiersbe, tells about a town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon. The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea: "Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged." One day Jesus Christ will say to rebellious sinners, "During that long day of grace, I was the Savior, and I would have forgiven you. But today I am your Judge."