The Parable Of The Talents - Part 1

The Parables of Jesus: The Talents - Part 1

In Matthew 25:14-31, Jesus teaches His disciples a parable about trust, faithfulness and stewardship. We refer to it as The Parable Of The Talents and it is intended to teach us about how a faithful follower should serve God. The Parable of the Talents goes something like this:

A man went away on a trip and gave three of his servants large amounts of money to take care of while he was gone. The first servant was given five talents. (A talent is a measure of weight applied to precious metals. If it helps, think of a talent as $100,000). When the master came back from his trip, the first servant returned to him twice what he had been given. The master was very pleased and commended him.

The second servant had been given two talents. Likewise, he doubled his allotment and was rewarded when the master learned this.

The third servant, however, was afraid of the master. He thought of his master as hard and shrewd so his response was guided by fear. He was given only one talent to manage but he buried it in the ground in fear that it might be lost. When the master learned that he hid his talent, rather than using it or investing it, he was so upset that he not only took away the servants’ privileges but he punished him for his non-action.

It seems to be a harsh story but let’s look at what is happening. The first thing we do when looking at any of the parables of Jesus is to ask this question: “Who am I in this story?” The parables of Jesus are designed for that very purpose. They are recorded in the Bible to make you and I stop and think about God, ourselves and our faith. So, who are you in this story?

The master, of course, is God. Therefore, you and I are represented by the servants. So, what is Jesus getting at? What is He telling us here?

Well look at that tomorrow.