The Parable of the Talents
Dr. Marty Baker / Matthew 25:14-30/ March 9, 2003
www.stevenscreek.net
America is fascinated with talented people. This is evident by the fact that 25 million people watched the 45th Annual Grammy Awards two weeks ago, and an estimated 40 million viewers will tune-in to the 75th Annual Oscars Ceremony on Sunday March 23rd.
Of course, you do not have to wait for an awards show to see the new talent emerging on the scene. You can just tune into American Idol and see the hopefuls week after week risk their egos to see what Simon says. If you’re not an Idol watcher, you may be looking forward to "The Search for the Most Talented Kid in America," NBCs edition run in the talent show race.
So many people think that this concept is new, but those of us who can remember all the way back to the 1980s realize that Ed McMahon was doing Star Search back in the Dark Ages. Now Star Search is back and if you can believe it, there is even a Pet Star Search. Actually, it’s a new show on the Animal Planet Network called Pet Star. It seems that we are desperate for talent.
A little over ten years ago, Rush Limbaugh burst on the national landscape with his daily three hour radio show. One of the trademark lines that you often hear him say is, "Talent on loan from God." Regardless of what you think about Rush’s philosophy and politics, he has one thing right: our talent is a gift from God.
Today, we continue in our series called A Jesus Story. This is a series built on some of the parables that Jesus taught. Parables are fictional stories that use real-life characters to reveal the heart of the people listening. Today, our focus is on the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25.
Matthew 25:14-15
14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
In this story, Jesus describes a man who owned a great household or in today’s vernacular, a corporation. He often traveled great distances for extended periods of time. During this particular trip, he placed the management responsibility of the company on three individuals who worked for him.
The owner knew exactly what each man could handle so he proportioned the management responsibility according each person’s ability. One was given five talents, one was given three talents, and the third one was given a single talent.
A talent was actually a measurement of weight. Talents would vary greatly depending upon just what was being weighed out — gold, silver, copper. A single talent of either gold, silver or copper would have been a significant sum of money.
For instance, a talent of silver was worth 6000 denarii. A denarii was the amount of money that a laborer would earn in a single day, so one talent of silver would be equal to sixteen years of salary. Five talents would be enough money to live a long and prosperous life. If you were to translate that into modern terminology using the figure that a good laborer today makes between seventy and one hundred dollars a day, a talent would be worth over four hundred thousand dollars.
The owner entrusted these guys with a lot of resources. It is interesting, however, that he did not provide instructions for them to follow. How they handled the money and how they behaved while he was away was left entirely to the discretion of each individual worker. What did they do?
Matthew 25:16-18
16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more.
17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.
18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Two of the managers were diligent. The one with five talents and the manager with two talents went to work investing, trading, wheeling and dealing, and through their skills were able to double the respective amounts they had each been given. The third servant, given the single talent, simply buried the money in the ground. In those days that was a common practice to insure the safekeeping of valuables. Let’s read the next verse.
Matthew 25:19
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
In our business world, we settle accounts at the end of the month, the quarter and the physical year. Whether this is a quarterly report or annual report, the parable does not say, but what it does say is that the owner returned to settle the accounts. God does not always settle his accounts in the time frame that we feel is appropriate, but one day, He will settle his accounts. That’s the message that Jesus is teaching here.
Each of the three servants is called to account for the funds to which he had been entrusted at the time of the owner’s departure. The first two workers doubled their investment and received the owners praise.
Matthew 25:20-23
20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ’Master,’ he said, ’you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21 "His master replied, ’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 "The man with the two talents also came. ’Master,’ he said, ’you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’
23 "His master replied, ’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
They were given bonuses because of their diligent work. The owner shared his wealth with them and invited them to celebrate his good fortune.
The third worker is called to give an account of his management. He adopted a the strategy that the best defense is a strong offense. Instead of discussing the talent entrusted to him, the third servant confronted his master with a character assessment. He knew that the master would be harsh, so out of respect the he simply hid the talent in the ground so he could return it intact when he came back for it. Listen to his story.
Matthew 25:24-27
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. ’Master,’ he said, ’I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 "His master replied, ’You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
The owner saw through the logic of the third worker and said if you knew I was going to be harsh, why didn’t you at least put it in a passbook savings account and made some interest. The workers disregard for his talent prompts the owner to take the talent away and give it to the first servant. The message is clear: those who have talent and refuse to use it will lose it. To those who use their talents, and stretch them to the limits, more gifts will flow their way.
Jesus used this parable to teach people importance of using what they have been given and to remind them that one day they would stand before God and give an account of their one and only life. Those who squander their opportunities will be separated from God for eternity.
This parable was told days before Jesus was arrested and ultimately crucified. He used this parable to encourage the people to remain faithful and to teach them that unfaithfulness would result in the God’s judgment.
I think the parable of the talents not only speaks of future judgment, but it also provides practical insight concerning our stewardship. Whether you realize it or not, you are a manager. Each one of us have been entrusted with resources from God’s storehouse. This passage of scripture encourages us to be good stewards of what we have been given. What can we learn?
Lessons from the Parable
1. What we have is not ours.
So many of us think that we own a large portfolio consisting of land, houses, stocks, and bonds, but in reality we are only managers. One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, or what kind of house I lived in, or what my clothes looked like or how much I had in my accounts. All of my stuff will be in the hands of someone else or in the landfill somewhere.
Ecclesiastes 5:15
Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.
We are stewards ... managing resources.
2. We’re given what we can handle
In today’s parable, each man was given what he could handle. The Bible clearly tells us that God will not put on us more than we can handle. There is a danger in accumulating possessions; if we are not careful our possessions will eventually possess us.
3. We must invest what we’ve been given.
We cannot bury our resources in the ground and expect God’s blessing. We must use what we have for good. God has given us abundant resources in order to make a difference in our world. You are making a difference. Every week resources from this congregation go to ensure that:
Unchurched People of this community will have a safe place to hear the life-changing message of Christ.
Promise Land children are being trained up with those funds;
Power Surge Students are being saved and discipled with those funds.
Small groups are being formed.
People are being counseled.
Missionaries are being touched with those funds. Those funds touch denominational ministries in 128 countries.
Money that comes into this church helps maintain orphanages, rehabilitation centers, colleges and seminaries, medical clinics and church planting efforts around the world.
Many of you have invest thousands of dollars over the last several years. The money that you put in the market produced only a marginal return at best and at worst you lost significant portions of your portfolio, but the money that you invested in God’s work has produced great dividends. As a result of your faithful investment, you are storing treasures in heaven.
4. We will give an account of how we used what we were given.
One day every one of us will stand before God and have to answer to questions:
What did you do with Jesus?
What did you do with what I gave you?
5. How we use our resources reveals our view of God.
The New Testament teaches us:
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Go through your monthly bank statements and you will see what you really treasure. Those things you love, you invest in. If a person does not invest in God’s work, then it is apparent that He does not really love God. The Bible is clear:
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave ...
When we really love God and his church, our giving will reflect it. I want to speak to the believers for a moment. If you are investigating Christianity and have not trusted Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, this is not for you.
When a believer fails to invest His resources in God’s work, it is as if he is casting a vote against the gospel. I do not want to stand before God and have to admit that I weekly voted against His gospel by withholding my tithe. How we use our resources reveal our view of God. This not only refers to our financial resources, but it speaks of our spiritual gifts and talents.
If you are not actively pursuing ways to use your spiritual gifts and talents to advance God’s work, then your are casting a vote against the gospel.
God has given you resources and you will one day give an account of how you have used those resources to advance His work.
6. We must use what we have or we will lose it.
When the owners returned, he said, "’Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents." When we fail to use or talents, we are in danger of losing what we have been given.
When Jesus concluded this story, it was evident that the moral of the story was more than financial management, but he connected it to soul management.
Matthew 25:30
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
This verse reminds us that the decisions that we make determine our future. This is serious business. It’s not a game nor is it something to take lightly. If you attend Stevens Creek because you think that it’s a cool church, you are here for the wrong reason.
If you are here because you want to connect with Jesus Christ and discover His will for your life, then you are at the right place.
Let’s stand for closing prayer.
