The Parable of the Faithful Talent Bearers

 Matthew 25:14-30 

14 "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. 15 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. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

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 were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' 22 He 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.' 23 His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

24 "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. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'

26 "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 '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. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The  Parable of the Talents was told to us that we might understand and not resent what is fair in God’s eyes.  What God entrusts us with is according to His provision to each individually and not all the same as if God was a socialist in our minds.  The parable tells instead that the man going away for a long while entrusts differing amounts of talents of gold or silver representing the valued holdings of the owner for them to invest or use to add to the man’s holdings.  We can view these as figurative of the gifts, skills, and actual wealth entrusted to us as stewards of all God gives us in Christ, along with the gospel and the souls of disciples we make according to Matthew 28:19-20.  These three men of the parable each prospered differently according to how they used all that they were given to do business with in the man’s name.  One was given five, another two, and the remaining man one talent.  As a wise and faithful servant, the first multiplied the five into ten, doubling the master’s wealth.  The second man also doubled the two into four.  Ah, but the last man was unfaithful and lazily wicked.  He buried the talent, unused and never multiplied as that of the first two.  The first two had been commended and rewarded with the entrusting of much more while this last one had what little he had taken away and given to the most fruitful man.  This evil man accused the master of being unfair and harsh to expect the profit earned by his servants to actually be his own (as it was).  This would be like a man paid to be investing someone’s money but refusing to do so lest the man with the money actually gain a profit from the work a man was given specifically for that purpose!  This wicked and lazy servant did not even try to work for his master but buried all out of spite and reaped nothing of value in return.  He was thrown into the eternal punishment of darkness and endless suffering for not valuing the what is the master’s.  We see a lesson for we the people of Christ who are entrusted with the gospel and the ministry of the souls of men who together are the church, God’s valued possessions.  Those who hear the gospel and despise it earn only eternal punishment, while those who are His use the varying amounts of talents (whether actual wealth or gifts and skills) to prosper His kingdom in the lives of others (1 Corinthians 3:12-14, Romans 12:3, 6).  We will suffer loss if we do not use them to the best of our ability but will not suffer eternal loss as those who refuse to touch the greatest gift which is the grace of God in Jesus Christ, our salvation by faith through repentance in humility and the obedience of submission to the sovereign rule of God contained there.  The rewards are for God’s glory, not our own (Colossians 3:24, Hebrews 11:26, 1 Thessalonians 2:19) and we ought to be mindful of our stewardship of all we are given in light of eternity.  May we always strive to be faithful (2 Timothy 2:2) with the gospel and the service among God’s people therefore as good and faithful stewards who are looking to the reward to honor and glorify the Giver of all good things and not imitating the evil who draw back from Him as Hebrews 10:39 reminds us.  This is the lesson of the parable of the faithful talent bearers.