29(S)For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 78 in the Studies in the Gospel of Matthew series prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on April 24, 2005. Matthew 25:14-30 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. This is the reason I was critical of the translation of verse 16 (see footnote 1 above). What is the meaning of the Parable of the Leaven. If this is the case, and we are to be at work until He comes, then why do we think that reaching a certain age entitles us to cease our labors for Him? Matthew 25:14-30 NRSV - "For it is as if a man, | Biblia However, Jesus claimed kingship in a way that confused many people, and the way his kingdom operates often offends our sense of propriety. The first two servants quickly272 set to work with their masters money. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once . Let me call your attention to the most important elements of the parable, as I now understand it. 26But his lord answered and said to him, You (J)wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. We would probably do well to compare this text with a couple of passages in the Gospel of Luke: 16 So the first one came before him and said, Sir, your mina has made ten minas more. 17 And the king said to him, Well done, good slave! I believe this may be the case in our text. [c] (K)You have been faithful over a little; (L)I will set you over much. Verse 15. 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. You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? and Christians should not be molded by worldly standards (Romans 12:2). We should first consider the masters assessment of all three slaves: The first two slaves were commended as being both good and faithful. The term good is sometimes employed in a moral sense. Used by permission. It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. The element of work. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 'Parable of the Talents' Childrens Lesson (Matthew 25:14-30) And,. (17) Because thou hast been faithful in a very little.--More literally, because thou didst become faithful. 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. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sower? When the master returned, the first two eagerly met their master, apparently delighted in the opportunity to multiply their masters money.273 Both were commended as good and faithful servants; both were rewarded with increased responsibilities in their masters service; both were invited to share in their masters joy. To work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor. Faithful service led to increased responsibilities in the kingdom of heaven, and eternal joy in the presence of the Master, Jesus Christ. an ounce) was nearly equivalent to 400 of our money. 47 I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions (Matthew 24:45-47). Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Wrap a gift a number of times to create a few layers. I saw something there that both amazed and troubled me. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed? God entrusted Israel, and especially its leaders, with the truth, and they did not use it properly. 20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Is this not fruit? He demanded that they make something out of nothing, so to speak. His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:1-4). What Does the Bible Say About Parable Of Talents? - OpenBible.info The original text is quite clear here it is the first servant (and we assume the second, as well) who immediately sets to work with his masters money. Knowing that Jesus was describing servants being given huge amounts of cash to invest helps us to understand just how generous the master was being, the opportunity each servant was given. 19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. These gifts have been seen to include personal abilities ("talents" in the everyday sense), as well as personal wealth. What the Bible says about Parable of the Minas or Pounds The day of account comes at last. Handed down. 16Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved unto good works: 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. Since help was available to him in the Church, the man had no excuse. Bible Stories Explained: The Parable of the Talents (King James Version) There is also a message to all mankind. The slaves excuse was that his master was a harsh man, and this caused him to be afraid of his master, thus doing nothing with the money entrusted to him. Those who are unfaithful lose not only their reward, but their stewardship. The third servant did not invest his masters money at all; he dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. First of all, let us be clear that we are not talking about salvation by works. if they get a '6' then they can pop the gloves on and try and unwrap the gift. We find this same principle stated in connection with the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18). [15]And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every . 13 And he summoned ten of his slaves, gave them ten minas, and said to them, Do business with these until I come back. 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, We do not want this man to be king over us! 15 When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned these slaves to whom he had given the money. To be away from home, go into another country, be away, be abroad. Matthew 25:16 - The Parable of the Talents - Bible Hub Have you trusted in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in His death at Calvary for your sins, rather than in your works (Romans 3:21-26)? For you were bought at a price. Renny and Marina McLean, The Lord Teaches Us to Profit NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. Is the salvation of lost sinners not profit in the eternal sense? I contend that verse 14 does not begin the new paragraph, but that verse 13 does. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made. God expects a profit, and He holds us accountable for what we have done with what He has entrusted to us. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Talents? Dont bury what God has entrusted to you; go to work with it, for the glory of God, and for your eternal rewards. The third servant has no profit, no gain, to give his master, so his talent is taken away and given to the one who went to work with his masters money and made great gains for him. Is retirement a denial, in effect, of the curse? As we conclude, we should focus on what this parable is really about. third servant does not make a profit for his master. These rebels are slaughtered. man allocates his resources to servants, expecting them to make a profit in his absence. The master goes on his journey, which Luke notes has some opposition (Luke 19:14-15). 278 Actually, the good slave is both morally good and useful, but his usefulness is emphasized most in the context. 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. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:19-21). Works are fruits that are evidence of true faith (see James 2). This is his excuse for doing nothing. 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. He gives each slave an amount of money, referred to as talents and possibly talents of gold, based upon that man's ability to steward and care for the money. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. See, I have gained two more.' 23 His master replied, 'Well . Lets begin with the end result profit. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Minas? What is the meaning of the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13)? I will put you in charge of many things. Let us go a three-day journey into the desert so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword. 4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? This is a sobering question. It seems safe to deal with the first two servants together, since they are so similar. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. Here, as in what was said to the faithful servants, our Saviour goes out of the parable into the thing intended by it, and this serves as a key to the whole. Then 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. From apodemos; to go abroad, i.e. 25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. But the master did provide the means for his slave to make a profit. ~ Excerpt from Matthew Henry Commentary. Time has been a significant factor in our Lords teaching concerning His coming and the end of the age, beginning in chapter 24. 270 I hate to have to disagree with the NET Bible translation here, but it seems to me that this translation does not adequately emphasize the force of our Lords carefully chosen words, especially in context. 12:6; 1 Cor. If we seek to shun the work our Lord has given us, it betrays a wrong attitude and relationship with our Master. Verse Concepts. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and, Take therefore the talent from him, and give. 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. The bankers in verse 27 represent other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him use his talents wisely. (M)There will be weeping and (N)gnashing of teeth.. It may be that you are not like the first two slaves, but like the third. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24)? in 1971. The only difference seems to be in their abilities, and thus in the talents that were entrusted to them. I have often been puzzled over these words, repeated several times in the New Testament: For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. 18But he who had received the one talent went and (G)dug in the ground and hid his master's money. And what should I say? Today a talent might be worth a million dollars! For less than $5/mo. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! The parable of the talents is told in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. The whole parable is found in Matthew 25:14-30. He has granted the time and the resources for men to make a profit for the kingdom of heaven, until He returns. A primary word; 'else, ' i.e. Our Lords emphasis here is not on putting the money to work, but on the servant going to work with his masters money. Sharon Jaynes, Make the Most of Your Talents 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. 19Now (H)after a long time the master of those servants came and (I)settled accounts with them. For this story about a master and his servants, understanding the culture of Jesus' original audience is necessary to comprehend His message. 14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. The one who has been faithful on earth with a little thing like money will be given greater work to do in heaven. He doubled the money his master entrusted to him. To offer, give; I put, place. Bible Verses about Parable of the Talents. wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. If so, then what is the fruitful labor God has given to you? What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. I wonder how many of us are simply giving back money that we have not put to use. And if our labors are joyful, we will delight in the thought of further labor. In my opinion, thats living dangerously. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. It is the end of the curse, and thus the end of futile labor. You have been faithful in a few things. See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. 33 Bible Verses about Parable Of Talents Matthew 25:14-30 ESV / 15 helpful votes Not Helpful "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. It is a usual way of expressing the miseries of the damned in hell. First, they receive their masters commendation, Well done, good and faithful slave (verses 21, 23). The master told them to care for his money and the first two servants used the talents to trade and gain profit. It is not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. Enter into the joy of your master. 24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. master tells his unfaithful servant that he should have put the money in the bank. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and 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! Rick Warren, Be Faithful in Small Things The story in Matthew 25:14-30 unfolds as such: A man goes away on a trip. The joy of the master must, in some way, equate to enjoying the bliss of heaven, with our Lord. Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their perishing possessions. Entering into the joy of our Master is, in the context of our text, entering into profitable labor for all eternity. Read the full Bible passage of this story below and find related articles, videos, and audio sermons to help your understanding of this biblical lesson. Look, But his lord answered and said to him, You. How does not knowing the day or the hour affect either the five wise virgins or the five foolish virgins? Kathy Sweeny, Choices Determine Destinies The second and third soils represent those who initially show some interest in the gospel, but then reject it when the meaning of the gospel becomes clear. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Good Samaritan? We should be careful to recognize that in this parable the mere possession of a talent is not evidence of salvation. Burying the talent in the ground is an illustration of using one's God-given gifts for earthly pursuits. Dont blame it on God. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. He does not require us to make bricks without providing both the clay and the straw. He provides the money and the ability, but we are expected to work hard with what He has given us, for the profit of the kingdom. 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. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. In that place (V)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.. Second, the faithful servants immediately went to work to increase their masters money (Matthew 25:16-17). Faithful saints are given even greater responsibilities, and even more work. a certain weight or 'talent'. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. The talent was the largest measurement of money in those days. The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land). From dunamai; force; specially, miraculous power. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Virgins? 10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them (Ephesians 2:8-10). 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. The third servant was fearful and hid the one talent he was trusted with, returning just one talent to his master. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. I was talking about this text with a friend, and he said, God expects the principle, plus interest. I think thats right. But this term is also used of that which is useful or beneficial: 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. In short, the talents represent what God has given usour monetary resources, our callings to positions within the church (Ephesians 4:11-16), our natural giftings. So you knew that I harvest where I didnt sow and gather where I didnt scatter? Jesus was also the stone rejected by builders, yet he became the capstone (Matthew 21:42). 29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. See, I have gained two more. 23 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! But none of them adequately explain it. If Adams sin brought about painful labor for mankind, the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ (the last Adam 1 Corinthians 15:45) brought rest: 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 4 But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy. And so he simply hid the money, and now he returned it, without any gain. 23 Why then didnt you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest? 24 And he said to his attendants, Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten. 25 But they said to him, Sir, he has ten minas already! 26 I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 23 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. The first servant has made the biggest return (10 minas from one mina, or 10 talents from five talents). Before he leaves, he entrusts money to his slaves. Heaven involves work, but it is profitable work. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. Our Lords teaching in the parable of the talents is that God expects profit that is the product of our labors. However, as planned, he becomes king of the distant land and returns home to see how his servants have done. He does not go to work with his masters money, over a lengthy period of time, and thus make a profit. The difference is that one group brought oil for their lamps, and the others did not. (2) Many of the commentaries acknowledge the abruptness of verse 14 as the first verse of a new paragraph.