parable of the talents verse parable of the talents verse

I think we could all agree that the salvation of lost souls is a profit for the kingdom. It seems safe to deal with the first two servants together, since they are so similar. (3) In my opinion, the main reason for assuming that verse 13 belongs with verses 1-12 is that the term (Greek, ou=n) is most often inferential, with the meaning therefore or then.274 It is not always an indication of a logical conclusion, however. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. Yet is this not what our Lord is teaching us in this parable? This was paradise, my friend, and thus their work was not drudgery; it was a delight: 8 The Lord God planted an orchard in the east, in Eden; and there he placed the man he had formed. 30And (T)cast (U)the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In other words, Luke informs us that Jesus told this parable specifically to correct some misconceptions about the time of His return. 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Here, (P)you have what is yours. 26But his master answered him, You (Q)wicked and (R)slothful servant! But a married woman is concerned about the things of the world, how to please her husband. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. Jesus' stories had more than one meaning. 20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more. 21His master said to him, Well done, good and (J)faithful servant. He does no work for a lengthy period of time and thus is useless. It is clear that our Lord Jesus intended for us to be found at work when He returns: 45 Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? It is as though he had said, I knew you were unreasonable, and that there was no way to please you, and so I decided not even to try.. Just as a businessman expects to make a profit, and rejoices when his employees increase his wealth, so God expects a profit and rejoices in it. The third servant did not invest his masters money at all; he dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. Enter into (I)the joy of your lord., 24Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. First of all, let us be clear that we are not talking about salvation by works. Wells The Invisible Man where a foolish theologian suggests a strangers problem is he only has one talent. If we were to make an equation of this parable, it would probably go like this: Resources (talents) + Labor (work) + Time = Profit. (17) Because thou hast been faithful in a very little.--More literally, because thou didst become faithful. Thus, time seems to be a more important factor in verses 14-31 than in 1-13. Theres afamous scene in the movie Chariots of Fire where future Olympian Eric Liddell feels a tension between his chance to be an Olympic runner and his calling to be a missionary in China. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him (Matthew 25:29; see also 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26). The similarities between the parable in Matthew 25 and this parable in Lukes Gospel are easily seen: While the parable in Luke is similar to our parable in Matthew 25, there are some significant differences: The temptation is for us to carry details from the parable in Lukes Gospel over to Matthews account, but we should be careful about this, recognizing that these parables, while similar, were told on different occasions and contain significant differences. Heaven is not a hammock; it is not a glorified vacation. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. The term employed in Matthew 25:16 emphasizes work. Pertaining to self, i.e. Speed and thrust increase. The master rebukes the third servant for not even putting the money in the bank, where he could have gotten interest on it. 272 I am assuming that the second servant acted just as quickly as the first, because our Lord tells us that he acted in a similar manner. Only the soil that produces a crop is good soil. Therefore, the master represents Christ, while the three servants represent those who serve him. The talent of silver (taking silver as worth a little over 5s. 276 Needless to say, bankers and banking were not the same in those days. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! He then tells the servants to put this money to work (Luke 19:13), invest it to make more money for him, and he would see their results when hes back. The only difference seems to be in their abilities, and thus in the talents that were entrusted to them. The parable of the talents is one of those Bible stories most of us know, yet its hard to understand. I fear that for all too many Christians (not all!) 20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 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. The first question one would ask is, How much profit did it make? We are so used to thinking in non-profit terms that we are almost shocked to hear such a question raised. The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land). Burying the talent in the ground is an illustration of using one's God-given gifts for earthly pursuits. third servant hides what was entrusted to him. 12 And if you havent been trustworthy with someone elses property, who will give you your own? (Luke 16:10-12). 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. Multiply Your Talents So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). 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 werefaithful over a few things,I will make you ruler over many things. This servant offered a feeble excuse for his conduct. This way the slave would not have to attend to the money on a day-by-day basis. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. In our text, the good slave is the useful or beneficial slave, for he has gained a profit for his master.278 He is also faithful because he has been at work with his masters money from the time he left until the time he returned. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. It was his hope that in doing something spectacular he might receive a gift or donation. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. Enter into the joy of your master. 24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be (N)a hard man, reaping (O)where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. The element of money. Bible Memory Verse. ), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. First, the master stayed away for a long time ( Matthew 25:19 ). Faithful saints are given even greater responsibilities, and even more work. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursedcut off from Christfor the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen, 4 who are Israelites. Handed down. They returned to their master with double the talents! The first steward is given 5 talents, the second is given two talents and the third is given one. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 46 Bible Verses about Talents. 271 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. The second servant has made (five minas from one mina, or four talents from two talents). He admits he buried it in the ground because he was afraid to use it (Matthew 25:24-25, Luke 19:20-21). In a similar way, in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23) the mere germination of the seed does not seem to represent salvation. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his . The Parable of the Bags of Gold(A) 14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,(B)who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a]each according to his ability. These things are good and beneficial for all people (Titus 3:4-8). Enter into (G)the joy of your lord. 22He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them. 23His lord said to him, (H)Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. And if our labors are joyful, we will delight in the thought of further labor. How Daniels Prophecy of 70 Weeks Connects to the End Times. This servant came to his master with only the talent his master had originally entrusted to him. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Please consider their relationship to our text, and to money, time, labor, and profit: 1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. What distinguished him from the first two slaves? As a businessman takes pleasure in making a profit, so our Lord takes pleasure in the profit gained by His faithful servants in His absence. Let us listen carefully then, looking to Gods Spirit to enlighten our hearts and minds, and to empower our service, to the glory of God and our eternal good. In short, Jesus is a master who uses methods we dont always understand, which might even seem unfair. I believe it is his view of his master, and thus the work his master has assigned. However, as planned, he becomes king of the distant land and returns home to see how his servants have done. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden - Bible Story, The Ten Commandments - Bible Verses and Importance Today, Parable of the Prodigal Son - Bible Story, The Resurrection of Jesus - Bible Story and Prophecy. (4) The expression which begins verse 14 (Greek, w[sper ga.r) is employed 11 times elsewhere in the New Testament (Matthew 12:40; 24:27, 37; 25:14; Luke 17:24; John 5:21, 26; Romans 5:19; 6:19; 11:30; 1 Corinthians 11:12; 15:22; James 2:26). 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 5 15To one he gave five (D)talents,[b] to another two, to another one, (E)to each according to his ability. What is the meaning of the parables of fasting at the wedding feast, the old cloth, and the wineskins? The apocalyptic context is underscored in Lukes version, where people try to keep the master from becoming king and are killed for their rebellion. The true believer is represented by the seed that grows, that endures, and that bears fruit. Third, they are invited to enter into the joy of your master. Just what does this mean, to enter into the masters joy? 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry (Matthew 11:28-30). In the parable of the talent, there are two clear references to time. Is retirement a denial, in effect, of the curse? One must surely conclude that this parable is not just an interesting story, but a message of eternal significance. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Two Sons? The, the definite article. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Specifically, I am speaking of Matthew 25:13: Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). This slave does absolutely nothing with the talent that has been entrusted to him, nothing but bury it, that is.277 We need to distinguish between his excuses and the masters assessment, both of which are conveyed in our text. Pressing this matter just a little further, if the church were to be considered a business and every member were to be viewed as an employee, how many of us should reasonably expect to keep our jobs? You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. 22 The king said to him, I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! As if a superlative of hekas; each or every. The first presents his master with ten talents. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. Granted, the interest one gets from a savings account is not the kind of increase one might get from investing in the stock market, but it would at least be a small increase.