Parable Of The Talents

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PARABLE OF THE TALENTS ~ MATTHEW 25:14-30

14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' 21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' 23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' 24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 "'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

Unfortunately, this parable is often mistaken as a parable regarding money. As we know from several verses in the New Testament, including 1 Timothy 6:10... "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows", and Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also

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Verse 17
a. The explanation of this verse is the same as the man with five talents, but on a lesser scale.

Verse 18
a. The man who had received one talent was weak in faith and lazy (vs. 26), hiding what he had from others, neither increasing or decreasing. This servant was neither cold, nor hot... He remained lukewarm. (Revelation 3:15-16)

PART 2: EXPLANATION OF Mathew 25: 14-30 cont.

Verse 19
a. This verse refers to Jesus' return.

Verse 20
a. The Master is Jesus.
b. The man with five represents the faithful servants working in Christ, bearing fruit. (Please see the explanation of verse 16 on the previous page).

Verse 21
a. This verse is self-explanatory.
b. Come and share in your Master's joy - In other words, "come and be with Christ in His Kingdom