After a long absence, he discovers what each servant has done with his property. Although the first slave earned more than the second, each has done remarkably well with what he has been given. They have performed according to their potential, and they have been faithful to do what the master has required of them.
The third servant is not so fortunate. In the response of this slave, however, the audience learns even more about the master. He is a man who reaps where he does not sow and gathers where he has not scattered seed. He aggressively seeks to expand his estate and takes whatever he can wherever he can to make a profit.
He even reprimands the servant for failing to invest the money with the bankers so that he might have gained interest — a practice forbidden in scripture Exodus ; Leviticus That a wealthy landowner would behave in this manner, however, makes the story all the more compelling. To protect himself, he buried the talent in the ground. Business, education, law, service industries, medicine, government--wherever you work, in whatever capacity, the Scriptures have something to say about it.
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The price for failing to be ready is too high. 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. A man traveling to a far country, who called his servants and delivered his goods to them : This was not a strange idea in the ancient world, where servants slaves were often given great responsibility. This was often the safest and smartest thing a man could do with his money.
In the application of this parable it is appropriate to see these talents as life resources — such as time, money, abilities, and authority. To each according to his own ability : The servants were given different amounts of money according to their ability. One servant only received one talent, yet we should see that this was not an insignificant amount.
Some received more; but everyone received something and everyone received a large amount. Five talents would be too much for some men: one talent would be too little. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. He who had received the five talents went and traded with them : Each of those who had received talents from their master did with them as they saw fit.
Two of them traded with their talents and earned more talents made another five talents… gained two more also. Went and traded implies direct action. Perhaps they loaned the money at interest, perhaps they used the money and bought things and sold them for more money.
The point is that they used what they had and gained more by using. We can say many good things about the work of the first two servants:. Enter into the joy of your lord. After a long time the lord of those servants came : The long delay would tempt the servants to think that they would never give an account for their management, yet they most certainly would. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things : The reward was the same for both servants, even though one was given five talents and the other was given two talents.
Each performed the same according to the resources they had received. Well done, good and faithful servant : This shows that the master looked for goodness and faithfulness in His servants. Whatever financial success these servants enjoyed came because they were good and faithful. The master looked first for these character qualities, not for a specific amount of money.
Better to be faithful in a hamlet over two or three score of people, than to be unfaithful in a great-city parish, with thousands perishing in consequence. Better to be faithful in a cottage meeting, speaking of Christ crucified to half-a hundred villagers, than to be unfaithful in a great building where thousands congregate.
Enter into the joy of your lord : This has the echo of heaven in it. The idea is that there is a place of joy belonging to the master of these servants, and they are invited to join the master in that place.
There is a sense of heaven about this destiny for the two faithful servants. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.
Then he who had received the one talent came : The master judged each of the servants individually. If they were taken as a group, they did very well: 8 talents given and 15 talents returned. Yet each one was judged on their individual faithfulness and effort.
In fact, he believed his master to be in some sense omnipotent: reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Look, there you have what is yours : The third servant seemed proud of himself. He exhibited no self-depreciation, no humbling, no contrition. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness.
There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown : The condemnation of this third servant — here called a wicked and lazy servant — was strong. The sovereignty of the master never excused the laziness of the servant. It condemned that laziness all the more. In response to their request Matthew , Jesus has been describing future events to His disciples. Some of it must have been difficult to understand as they sat together on the Mount of Olives.
The temple stood before them whole and sound Matthew —2. Jesus was alive and well and still there to teach and direct them. None of the terrible things He described had happened, yet. Still, Jesus has emphasized one point above all the others: When He is away from them, they must live in a state of readiness for His return.
They must prepare for Him to come back by making right choices while He is gone Matthew — In this chapter, Jesus shares more parables to emphasize that point. This passage is one of the few chapters in the Bible composed entirely of Jesus' own spoken words. Christ describes the kingdom of heaven using the example of ten virgins who took lamps to meet a bridegroom.
The word "virgin" was used at this time to describe an unmarried, young woman. It's possible Jesus meant for these young women to be understood as bridal attendants. They have all gone together to wait, perhaps at the bride's house, for the groom to come.
Then they would all go together to the wedding feast, likely at the groom's house Matthew —2. The ten young women have all brought lamps since the procession through the streets will take place long after dark.
The Greek word used for "lamp" here more generally refers to a light, so these might have been what modern people might think of as "torches.
Half of the young women, however, either brought no oil or only enough to last a very short time. The groom is delayed. They all sleep until hearing the announcement that the groom is approaching Matthew —7.
Without oil, the five foolish young women are in trouble. They ask to use some of the oil brought by the wiser women, but there will not be enough for all of them. They are forced to run into the night in an attempt to buy oil, causing them to miss the procession. When they arrive late to the wedding feast, they are not welcomed in. Those who were supposed to have been there have entered, and no one is left to vouch for these foolish ones Matthew — Jesus emphasizes again that nobody knows the day or hour when He, the bridegroom, will return.
His disciples must be prepared Matthew Next, Jesus uses a parable which explains part of how the word "talent" is used in modern English. In this story, a wealthy man going on a journey leaves three servants staggering sums of money. Each is intended to steward these funds, ideally returning a profit for the master.
In Jesus' era, a "talent" was a weigh measure of precious metals. Scholars estimate that a single talent could have been the equivalent of nearly twenty years common labor. The trust invested in these men, and the value of their assets, is enormous Matthew —
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