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. As I was teaching the parable of the virgins, I could not see how verse 13 served as any kind of conclusion to the first 12 verses. 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. In our parable, money is given to us to use, to work with, not just to give back. 16 Then he that had received the five . 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. Re-read the passage, preferably in a different translation to get a clearer perspective on what the passage is communicating. 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. In Acts 1:9-11, their understanding is greatly enhanced: 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. You have been faithful in a few things. This servant came to his master with only the talent his master had originally entrusted to him. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou 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. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:15-24)? What can we learn from the parable of the persistent widow and unjust judge? From that point on work was different; there was a certain futility to work: 18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. These verses are the opening to what is known as the parable of the talents. I believe that this parable focuses on four major themes: resources, work, time and profit. Never, other than in our text (according to most versions), is it employed to begin a new paragraph. Have you come to see that so far as your salvation is concerned, all of your works are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-20)? It is the continuation of fruitful, profitable labor. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. Indeed, they accused Him of being a wicked sinner, more worthy of death than Barabbas. In the Book of Revelation, heaven is described as a return to paradise lost: 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of lifewater as clear as crystalpouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 flowing down the middle of the citys main street. (M)There will be weeping and (N)gnashing of teeth.. We have the most valuable gift of all, the Word of God and the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and 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! 280 Old Testament references here are to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. - Unto one he gave five talents. 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. Works that produce a profit for the kingdom282 are the basis for our rewards. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. For this story about a master and his servants, understanding the culture of Jesus' original audience is necessary to comprehend His message. Works are fruits that are evidence of true faith (see James 2). This slave does absolutely nothing with the talent that has been entrusted to him, nothing but bury it, that is.277 We need to distinguish between his excuses and the masters assessment, both of which are conveyed in our text. 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. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. Faith Talk Ministries, Faithful to the End But the master did provide the means for his slave to make a profit. 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. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)? 12:11; Eph. 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. What is it that you want Him to find you doing when He returns? 17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him (Matthew 25:29; see also 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; 19:26). 12:6; 1 Cor. He has richly provided all that you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-4). He made his way up to the bars, and then proceeded to harass this awesome beast. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. 271. 29(S)For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. The talent of silver (taking silver as worth a little over 5s. However, Jesus claimed kingship in a way that confused many people, and the way his kingdom operates often offends our sense of propriety. Sometimes the term is not translated at all. We find our true joy and place in life when we serve God with our gifts. In a similar way, in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23) the mere germination of the seed does not seem to represent salvation. English Standard Version The Parable of the Talents 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[ a] and entrusted to them his property. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Mustard Seed? ), [Rom. After being gone a long time, the master returns to settle up with his slaves (verse 19). They returned to their master with double the talents! The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30, impresses on them the weight of that responsibility and the serious consequences of neglecting to understand and apply His instructions. To work, trade, perform, do, practice, commit, acquire by labor. That is why they are crying, Let us go sacrifice to our God. 9 Let the work be harder for the men so they will keep at it and pay no attention to lying words! (Exodus 5:1-9). By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. English Standard Version (ESV). Each of these things (and many others) are given by God, to use in ways that glorify him and draws others toward him. In the Matthew version, he gives one servant 10 talents (or bags of gold), another five talents, and the third one talent. See, I have gained two more. 23 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! The one who gets the biggest return on investment gets the big promotion. This slave actually thinks of his master as though he were a Pharaoh in character. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Minas? 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. 277 There are those who would suggest that this slave buried the talent in hopes that the master might never return. Tounderstand this parable, we need to look at the parable in the context of Jesus surrounding teachings and the Bibles other teachings about giftings. How does not knowing the day or the hour affect either the five wise virgins or the five foolish virgins? We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:13-14), according to plans he laid out before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5), to glorify him forever. 5 It is the real Christian's liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer's servant, in promoting his glory, and the good of his people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him, that died for him and rose again. The parable of the talents is one of those Bible stories most of us know, yet its hard to understand. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made. The lazy, wicked slave in our parable is that person who refuses to go to work with the resources God has provided, to produce profit for the kingdom of heaven. Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Entering into the joy of our Master is, in the context of our text, entering into profitable labor for all eternity. He did not increase his masters money at all. 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. Wrap a gift a number of times to create a few layers. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once . And if our labors are joyful, we will delight in the thought of further labor. NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. The Bible makes it clear there is no sacred versus secular work in the way we often think. If we were to make an equation of this parable, it would probably go like this: Resources (talents) + Labor (work) + Time = Profit. Sometimes it is merely a connective, a virtual conjunction. Neuter of a presumed derivative of the original form of tlao; a balance, i.e. I was talking about this text with a friend, and he said, God expects the principle, plus interest. I think thats right. It is clear that our Lord Jesus intended for us to be found at work when He returns: 45 Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? Start FREE. A parable is a type of story Jesus would tell so we would learn something from it. 29 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. Only the soil that produces a crop is good soil. Im not saying that one should never cease their employment nor end their career. The talents were distributed on the basis of ability, not as the bestowing of ability. Is retirement a denial, in effect, of the curse? Faithful saints are given even greater responsibilities, and even more work. This is his excuse for doing nothing. In the natural world, talents differ. His doom is, to be cast into outer darkness. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. Heavens work will be joyful labor. New American Bible the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. For less than $5/mo. Heaven is not to be thought of as me laying beside the pool, sipping a tall, cool one, as one of my fellow elders commented this past week. Parable Of The Sower Further Parables Parables Parable Of The Pharisee And Publican Parable Of The Hidden Treasure Parable Of The Net Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant Parable Of The Workers In The Vineyard Parable Of The Tenants Parable Of The Good Samaritan Parable Of The Lost Sheep/Lost Coin Parable Of The Prodigal Son Parable Of The Wedding Banquet Parable Of The Fig Tree Rich Man And Lazarus Parable Parable Of The Pharisee And The Tax Collector Parable Of The Ten Virgins Parable Of The Talents Parable Of The Sower Parable Of The Tares Parable Of The Marriage Feast Parable Of The Great Supper Parable Of The Vineyard Talents Jotham By A Parable Rebukes Them, And Foretells Their Ruin Nathan's Parable Of The Ewe Lamb Causes David To Be His Own Judge Prophet, Under The Parable Of A Prisoner, Under The Parable Of A Vineyard, God Excuses His Severe Judgment His Incomparableness Idols Are Not Comparable To God For Power By The Parable Of Bottles Filled With Wine He Foretells Their Drunkenness In Misery Under The Parable Of A Wretched Infant Is Shown The Natural State Of Jerusalem Under The Parable Of Two Eagles And A Vine Lamentation For The Princes Of Israel, By The Parable Of A Lion Whelping In A Pit For Jerusalem, Under The Parable Of A Wasted Vine Under The Parable Of A Boiling Pot Parable Of The Sower And The Seed Parable Of The Weeds Explanation Of The Parable Of The Weeds Parable Of The Hidden Treasure Which He Sets Forth By A Parable Of The King Who Took Account Of His Servants, Jesus, By The Parable Of The Laborers In The Vineyard, Shows That God Is Debtor Unto No Man Rebukes Them By The Parable Of The Two Sons, Parable Of The Marriage Of The King's Son Parable Of The Ten Virgins, Of The Talents Parable Of The Sower, Parable Of The Seed Growing Secretly Jesus Tells The Parable Of The Tenants Illustrates The Matter By The Parable Of Patches. Before he goes, the master brings his servants together (three in the Matthew version, 10 in the Luke version). The first steward is given 5 talents, the second is given two talents and the third is given one. 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. Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The one who has been faithful on earth with a little thing like money will be given greater work to do in heaven. I believe it is his view of his master, and thus the work his master has assigned. Its also interesting that when the third servant returns his money, he accuses the master of being a hard man who reaps where he did not sow (Matthew 25:24). 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. Look, there you have what is yours.. Noelle Kirchner, The Generosity Of God Is this not cause for rejoicing (see Acts 11:19-24)? 13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. Enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:20-21). 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. Assuming, for the moment, that the slave was correct in his assessment, why would he not be motivated by his fear to seek a profit for his master? In the New Testament, the term "talent" meant something very different than it does today. It appears in Matthew 25:14-30, and another version of the parable can be found in Luke 19:11-27. This gift is for us to share with others through our words and actions. I fear that for all too many Christians (not all!) It is available on the Internet at: www.netbible.org. Then he went away. All three stories are about being given something which must be used well, and the consequences of neglecting or abusing it.