How can you take something away from a person who has nothing? 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. In my opinion, thats living dangerously. The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). Let us then consider the primary message in this text. 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. I wonder how many have given serious thought to what might be called the theology of retirement. I would like to challenge every Christian to rethink the subject of retirement. Inductive Bible study of Jesus' parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. 12:7, 11, 29; Eph. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. Sometimes the term is not translated at all. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. Also the description of the last judgment. While there would be sufficient evidence for His followers to discern the general season of His return, neither the day nor the hour would be known (Matthew 24:32-36, 42). 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? I fear that for all too many Christians (not all!) Download our craft directions below, gather your craft supplies, and watch the example video as you prepare to teach. Whether you read the Matthew version or the Luke version, each servant is getting a substantial chunk of cash to invest as they will. Proud member In our parable, money is given to us to use, to work with, not just to give back. How is it that the one who does not have has something taken from him? You have been faithful in a few things. They complain that He requires of them more than they are capable of, and punishes them for what they cannot help. 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. Some were saying, He is a good man, but others, He deceives the common people (John 7:12). If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. third servant hides what was entrusted to him. When the third servants excuses are set aside, it becomes evident that this man is lazy he didnt do any work. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Two Sons? Never, other than in our text (according to most versions), is it employed to begin a new paragraph. (1) Verse 13 does not really seem to fit with verses 1-12, or to contribute to their message. In the Luke version, he gives out 10 minas to 10 servants (Luke 19:16-20 makes it clear that each servant gets one mina). Those who think it impossible to please God, and in vain to serve him, will do nothing to purpose in religion. The Parable of the Talents (Lk 19:11-27) 14 "For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents,f to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. If we loved our Master, we would view our labors for Him as joy. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This servant came to his master with only the talent his master had originally entrusted to him. 28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. God expects a profit, and He holds us accountable for what we have done with what He has entrusted to us. in 1971. 4:11], [Matt. Retirement is like the second stage of a rocket booster. I believe this may be the case in our text. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you. Heaven involves work, but it is profitable work. There is no end to our labors for our God. Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. To be away from home, go into another country, be away, be abroad. He contended that this is why he was afraid to take a risk with any kind of investment. 15 To one he gave five talents,[ b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Luke there are ten servants; in Matthew, there are only three. gained. 2 Samuel 7:1-3 And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies; , 1 Chronicles 13:1-3 And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader, 1 Chronicles 22:1-26:32 Then David said, This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel. (Now the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were in the middle of the orchard.) This whole matter of profit expands the teaching of our Lord in Matthew 6: 19 Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 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! 5 The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard? Enter into the joy of your master!' 24 Finally, the servant who had . Jesus came into a world that was the devils domain (1 John 5:19) and claimed it for himself, despite opposition from demons and sinful people who disliked him calling out their flaws. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Unwrap the Gift. Read: MATTHEW 25:14-30. One must surely conclude that this parable is not just an interesting story, but a message of eternal significance. 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. 24:47; 25:34, 46; Luke 12:44; 22:29, 30; Rev. Most importantly, bringing glory to God is profitable. 3:21; 21:7], Matt. 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. Those who are unfaithful lose not only their reward, but their stewardship. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work270 and gained five more. Luke 19:13,14 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come, Personal / Relative Pronoun - Dative Masculine Singular, Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 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. First, the master stayed away for a long time (Matthew 25:19). Used by permission. Traditionally, the parable of the talents has been seen as an exhortation to Jesus' disciples to use their God-given gifts in the service of God, and to take risks for the sake of the Kingdom of God. John Driver points out in his book Parable Church that at 2018s average household incomes, one talent would be about $1.2 million. In the New Testament, the term "talent" meant something very different than it does today. But Abraham said, Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish (Luke 16:25). 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 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. One man may design a church building, a cathedral. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. Start FREE. Amen (Romans 9:1-5). God expects to see a profit. (a) I receive, get, (b) I take, lay hold of. 15 To one he gave five talents,[ b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. He doubled the money his master entrusted to him. Before he goes, the master brings his servants together (three in the Matthew version, 10 in the Luke version). This is a sobering question. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. He did not increase his masters money at all. 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. 3 And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. God entrusted Israel, and especially its leaders, with the truth, and they did not use it properly. Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. For example, this story is about talents which was a super large amount of money in Bible times. This rest is not the end of all labor, however: Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). This is like one of those reality TV shows where people compete for money to invest in a project, only with a different agenda. 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. In Matthew, this is especially clear in 12:40; 24:27, 37. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats? 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. It is indeed unfortunate that the term talent means something very different today from what our Lord meant when He told this parable. I now see the answer, which appears to be consistent with all of the places where this principle is set forth. ESV Text Edition: 2016. 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. Hank Hanegraaff, Economy of God 3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up (Hebrews 12:1-3, emphasis mine). For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, He gave them work to do. Let them go and collect straw for themselves. 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. Both minas and talents were units of currency in the ancient Roman world. first two servants are commended and go to heaven; the third is condemned and goes to hell. Jesus made it clear that His return would not be immediate, but after much trouble and the passing of a considerable period of time. First of all, let us be clear that we are not talking about salvation by works. 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. The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land). Does verse 13 belong with verses 1-12, or with verses 14-30? The third slave is just the opposite. Verse Concepts. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (including the neuter Hen); a primary numeral; one. Let me see if I can defend my allegation. The master told them to care for his money and the first two servants used the talents to trade and gain profit. In the end though, it doesnt matter whether we think Jesus is a hard or odd master, because we are neither all-knowing nor all-powerful. man allocates his resources to servants, expecting them to make a profit in his absence. Their trading of the talents signifies the faithful use that one should make of gifts and opportunities of service to God. So you knew, did you, that I was a severe man, withdrawing what I didnt deposit and reaping what I didnt sow? 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. Trust in Jesus, for it is His work that will save you. He gives each of them some money. Visit a foreign land. It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. And if our labors are joyful, we will delight in the thought of further labor. 14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. All rights reserved. We need to pursue the element of work a bit further. 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. The term employed in Matthew 25:16 emphasizes work. 14 But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil (Hebrews 5:12-14). 27 But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. The first servant has made the biggest return (10 minas from one mina, or 10 talents from five talents). Dennis Rainey. It is also found in Jude 1:15 to describe the harsh words the unbelieving have said against God. 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. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry (Matthew 11:28-30). He swallowed up death (1 Corinthians 15: 54) in a victory that involved him getting killed. 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. The talent of silver (taking silver as worth a little over 5s. The element of money. Luke, we are told that the reason for the parable was to correct the misconception that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately; no such reason is stated in Matthew. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 21 For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. 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. Matthew 25:14-30. Crucially, Jesus says that both the parable of the 10 virgins and the parable of the talents are about what the kingdom of heaven will be like in the last days (Matthew 25:1,14). 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. 278 Actually, the good slave is both morally good and useful, but his usefulness is emphasized most in the context. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 269 Copyright 2005 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081. If so, then what is the fruitful labor God has given to you? 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. So, in modern terms, the ten servants each got $16,665. 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! The Parable of the Minas or Pounds (see Luke 19:11-15) also makes this clear. In my opinion, nothing in our text compels us to think (or even imply) that this might be the case. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Minas? As I thought of this slaves attitude toward his master, I was reminded of this passage in the Book of Exodus: 1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Release my people so that they may hold a pilgrim feast to me in the desert. 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should obey him by releasing Israel? Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. Second, the faithful servants immediately went to work to increase their master's money ( Matthew 25:16-17 ). 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return283 (Genesis 3:17-19). We should carefully note the outcome of faithful service, and of unfaithful service, in this parable. Verse 15. The talent was the largest measurement of money in those days. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. In this show, one boss brings several employees into a room, gives them each cash, and tells them to invest to grow his corporation. Each (of more than two), every one. 271. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his . average monthly wage for Americans in 2021. I am suggesting that we have come to view retirement as that time in life when we can greatly reduce or terminate our giving, and when we can cease our service. wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. And,. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once . 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. which was given to the third (unfaithful) servant is taken away and given to the faithful servant who gained the most for his master. Specifically, I am speaking of Matthew 25:13: Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). What is the meaning of the Parable of the Fig Tree? Works are the result of faith, not a substitute for faith. 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. 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. See, I have gained two more.' 23 His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! Today a talent might be worth a million dollars! Therefore, the master represents Christ, while the three servants represent those who serve him. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. 20So 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. 21His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you were (E)faithful over a few things, (F)I will make you ruler over many things. He wanted to know how much they had earned by trading. I saw something there that both amazed and troubled me. The fact the master owns the money he gave the servants, and he gets the results of their investments, highlights who is in control. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. Enter into (M)the joy of your master. 22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more. 23His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). (M)There will be weeping and (N)gnashing of teeth.. "Parable of the Talents" Bible Craft Demonstration Use these hands-on learning activities when teaching from Matthew 25:14-30, where Jesus told the Parable of the Talents. 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. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Salt is good, but if salt loses its flavor, how can its flavor be restored? (Luke 14:34). In the Matthew version, he gives one servant 10 talents (or bags of gold), another five talents, and the third one talent. retirement has become a socially acceptable form of burying ones talent. Christians will spend all eternity at work, and this work will include ruling with our Lord and praising Him. Verse Concepts. All three stories are about being given something which must be used well, and the consequences of neglecting or abusing it. However, all creation was made very good (Genesis 1:31), and we must do all things to Gods glory (1 Corinthians 10:31). Well talk about this a bit later, but for the moment, I am inclined to understand this expression in contrast to another in our text, And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:30). The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land).