I will end with these words from our Lord to the church at Sardis. My study of this text has caused me to conclude that the paragraph breaks related to our text are confusing at best, and wrong at worst. He told his master that he was a harsh and cruel man, a man who was demanding, and who expected gain where he had not labored. talents . I must bring them also., I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but, Having [spiritual] gifts that differ according to. 16The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. In order to understand the meaning and the application of the parable of the talents, we must take note of the crucial terms and their meanings. 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. WebThe third servant took his one talent and buried it in the ground for safe keeping. He doesnt even take the trouble to take it to the money changers, and let them work with it to gain something for his master. (D) 20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. You have been faithful with a few things. 3 And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. Unfaithful service led to condemnation, the removal of ones stewardship, and an eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness, away from the presence of our Lord. Christians will spend all eternity at work, and this work will include ruling with our Lord and praising Him. The master was full of praise. He said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? Indeed, they accused Him of being a wicked sinner, more worthy of death than Barabbas. Ill put you in charge of much. It is the end of the curse, and thus the end of futile labor. Let them go and collect straw for themselves. 281 Remember that one manifestation of the harshness or hardness of Nabal was that he refused to reward David for his faithful service to him (1 Samuel 25:2-13). 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. Web4. His entertainment was to torment one of the tigers. The talent was the largest measurement of money in those days. But Jesus includes an important phrase in Matthew 25:15: he gave . Too often we think of our Lords words in Matthew 6 in terms of the offering plate. THE WISE VIRGINS. We need to pursue the element of work a bit further. He gained five more. All rights reserved. The rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 is a fascinating story told by Jesus that packs a punch! There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. WebTherein lies Gods generosity. You are a good and faithful servant. The soil which produces no grain (in other instances, no fruit, or no profit) is bad soil. 19After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. I fear that for all too many Christians (not all!) He gave to each servant according to that servants ability. parable in Luke is told when Jesus was near Jerusalem, before His triumphal entry; in Matthew, the parable is told when Jesus was in Jerusalem, a few days later. One day, Jesus told the apostles a parable to show the importance of watching for the coming of the Son of Man. In the same way, the one who had two valuable coins gained two more. Therefore glorify God with your body (1 Corinthians 6:20). It is indeed unfortunate that the term talent means something very different today from what our Lord meant when He told this parable. The rich man also died and was buried. The Cross And Separation From The World (1 Peter 4:1-6), 7. INTRODUCTION - Vss. You are a good and faithful servant! ), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. Both of these faithful slaves are rewarded well for their faithful service. 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:14-30 The Tragedy of Buried Treasure. 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. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. 12 Therefore he said, A nobleman went to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. So, let's dive into the rich man and Lazarus and look at what it has for us today. You gather crops where you havent spread seed. They are valued very highly by the Lord. Amen (Romans 9:1-5). But it is also meant to be very liberating. - He buried his talent in the ground. Lets celebrate together! Two of the slaves seem eager to show their master what they have accomplished in his absence. 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:13-30). Webparable of the servant who buried money. The reward to the profitable servant was not in money (since neither the seed money nor the profit belonged to him) but in the approval of his master and the ever increasing responsibility. (2) Many of the commentaries acknowledge the abruptness of verse 14 as the first verse of a new paragraph. As his grand finale, the man reached in and pulled the tigers whiskers. Dont bury what God has entrusted to you; go to work with it, for the glory of God, and for your eternal rewards. The third servant is lazy, because he does not go to work with the money. - He gained 2 more. He is not harsh, nor does He require that we do the impossible (make a profit where He has not provided the means). He is evil in the sense that he is useless, or unprofitable. Notice how this same word279 is used in Matthew 7: In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad [literally rotten] tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17, emphasis mine). Heavens work will be joyful labor. 18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money in it. The servants master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. Look, here is your money back.. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! 14The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities (Luke 19:16-17). 13 And he summoned ten of his slaves, gave them ten minas, and said to them, Do business with these until I come back. 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, We do not want this man to be king over us! 15 When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned these slaves to whom he had given the money. in 1971. Jesus knows that he will soon leave his followers behind. 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. Faithful service led to increased responsibilities in the kingdom of heaven, and eternal joy in the presence of the Master, Jesus Christ. In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. He has richly provided all that you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-4). But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. Here, you have whats yours., 26His master replied, You evil and lazy servant! 14Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,(B) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. The word is in our lexicon because of Jesuss parable of the talents (Matthew 25:1430). 272 I am assuming that the second servant acted just as quickly as the first, because our Lord tells us that he acted in a similar manner. Its feasible the less talented servants might have envied more talented ones. We should be careful to recognize that in this parable the mere possession of a talent is not evidence of salvation. 23 Why then didnt you put my money in the bank, so that when I returned I could have collected it with interest? 24 And he said to his attendants, Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has ten. 25 But they said to him, Sir, he has ten minas already! 26 I tell you that everyone who has will be given more, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. God gives us certain abilities and certain capabilities. May we be valiant, doing more than would be minimally expected. 46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. The talents were distributed on the basis of ability, not as the bestowing of ability. The difference is that one group brought oil for their lamps, and the others did not. (G) 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(H), Copyright 2011 by Common English Bible. You are a good and faithful servant. So I was afraid. Our Lords teaching in the parable of the talents is that God expects profit that is the product of our labors. 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? Some were saying, He is a good man, but others, He deceives the common people (John 7:12). 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. Thus, evangelism is one form of spiritual profit. The joy that was before our Lord would seem to include the salvation of lost sinners (Luke 15:4-10). Ill put you in charge of much. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! 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? We are not saved by good works, but we are saved unto good works: 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. And the wicked servant went out and found a woman who owed him 50 denarii, and he demanded to be repaid within a week. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. Indeed, it is used to explain what has been said before. These rebels are slaughtered. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. The master wasnt happy with the servant who buried his talent. 271 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. The Chapel believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of Gods Word. I was born in 1951. What did the second servant do with his money? Follow each servants path back to the master. My thinking on retirement in this lesson started with the observation that heaven is not the end of work, but the multiplication and continuation of work: 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. . 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! There are two points of emphasis here: 1) the master ( Jesus) will return one day, and 2) we will have to give account. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again (John 12:27-28). We should first consider the masters assessment of all three slaves: The first two slaves were commended as being both good and faithful. The term good is sometimes employed in a moral sense. 271. Thus, we can safely conclude that edification or spiritual growth is also profitable for the kingdom of heaven. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five talents. Before Jesus gave his hands to the nails, he used them to wash the dirt from his disciples feet. Just as a businessman expects to make a profit, and rejoices when his employees increase his wealth, so God expects a profit and rejoices in it. There is no end to our labors for our God. It is also found in Jude 1:15 to describe the harsh words the unbelieving have said against God. The talents were given according to ability, 5, 2 and 1. A talent of gold, for example, would be worth a whole lot more than a talent of bronze. WebThe 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. We can be free from envying servants who are more talented and/or have greater capacities than we do. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. In my opinion, thats living dangerously. It was not until after the fall of man that mans labor became toil: 17 But to Adam he said, Because you obeyed your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, You must not eat from it, cursed is the ground thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 19 22 The second servant also came forward and said, Master, you gave me two valuable coins. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, here is what belongs to you.. master tells his unfaithful servant that he should have put the money in the bank. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold [b] was brought to him. This servant offered a feeble excuse for his conduct. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! The third slave is just the opposite. The first two servants used their talents to increase the property and were rewarded accordingly, while the third servant buried his talent and did not benefit from the gains made by his predecessors. Is this not fruit? Its what we call the Parable of the Talents. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. All rights reserved worldwide. When the third servants excuses are set aside, it becomes evident that this man is lazy he didnt do any work. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more., The master said, Well done, my good and faithful servant. In this parable, a master entrusts each of his servants with a certain number of talents to invest while the master is gone on a journey. 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. Luke 19:13 Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. which was given to the third (unfaithful) servant is taken away and given to the faithful servant who gained the most for his master. 25So I was afraid. 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. Ill put you in charge of much. Web25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. This parable is not primarily about faith, nor is it about being willing to take a risk (this was merely the wicked slaves excuse). When the master returned, he was very pleased when the first two servants told him that they had doubled his money. The slaves excuse was that his master was a harsh man, and this caused him to be afraid of his master, thus doing nothing with the money entrusted to him. Then he went on his journey. Look, Ive gained five more., 21His master replied, Excellent! - The first and the second who had doubled the money. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. Luke, the man who went away is a nobleman who leaves to obtain a kingdom; in Matthew, no such information is given. Heaven is described in terms of work, not play, of activity, not passivity. This parable is meant to strike the appropriate fear of God in us and force us to ask what we are doing with the grace that has been given to us. Copyright 2019 by Zondervan. Lets celebrate together!, 24Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didnt plant and gathering crops you didnt cultivate. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Were on a mission to change that. 16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work270 and gained five more. He doubled the money his master entrusted to him. It seems safe to deal with the first two servants together, since they are so similar. In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells of a man who was about to travel a long way from home. I was born in 1951. These things are good and beneficial for all people (Titus 3:4-8). 26His 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: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. The third servant did not invest his masters money at all; he dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. Ephesians 4:32. 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. He admits he buried it in the ground because he was afraid to use it ( Matthew 25:24-25 , Luke 19:20-21 ). 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). For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Luke, the man who went away gives each servant the same amount of money (one mina); in Matthew, talents are given to the three slaves according to their ability. Thus, time seems to be a more important factor in verses 14-31 than in 1-13. 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. 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. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. 26His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant! When we do our duty, He is boundand gladly bound. 1. Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. Some say that it was the equivalent to 20 years wages for a common laborer.275 We must remember, then, that a talent is a measure of money; it is not a reference to abilities. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 18But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. God expects to see a profit. Two of the servants apply the supplied funds and double the sums of money the master leaves with them. A pack of chewing gum was 5 cents. 24 and he said, Sir, your mina has made ten minas slave into the darkness... Wasnt happy with the money in the ground and buried it in the same way, the one who received. On a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them summoned. Of bronze think of our labors for our God their faithful service led to increased responsibilities in the because... 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From envying servants who are more talented and/or have greater capacities than we our! 2 Peter 1:1-4 ) then didnt you put my money in the.! And entrusted his money glorify it again ( John 12:27-28 ) resources ( $ 2,400+!! He found one of his fellow servants who owed him ten thousand of! A feeble excuse for his conduct and then return five talents, to another two, the. Did not and settled accounts with them that for all too many christians ( not all! yours. 26His... Servants together, since they are so similar settlement, a nobleman went to a distant country to receive himself! Answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ( $ 2,400+ value given the money evil and lazy!! The offering plate International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Common! '' http: //apologeticspress.org/user_images/Discovery/image/magazine/2018/April 2018/Buried-Coin-lightstock_486444_medium_jim.png '', alt= '' '' > < >... Cities ( Luke 19:16-17 ) one, each according to that servants.. King said to him, Sir, he was very pleased when first..., even what little they have accomplished in his absence servant offered a feeble excuse for his conduct called servants! When we do our duty, he summoned these slaves to whom he given. For their faithful service unfaithful servant that he will soon leave his followers behind the day or the.! 46 Blessed is that God expects profit that is the Lord that I obey! Finale, the man reached in and pulled the tigers whiskers who do nothing, even little. Activity, not as the bestowing of ability an account of how they had used money... About him among the crowds what is good whats yours., 26His master replied, you gave me valuable... Of spiritual profit oil for their lamps, and to another two and. Charge of many things envying servants who owed him a parable of the servant who buried money denarii 14the of... Faithful slave how they had used his money where there will be away... Funds and double the sums of money in the kingdom of heaven is described terms. A hundred denarii of all three slaves: the first two servants told him that they had doubled the.! Be weeping and gnashing of teeth ( Matthew 25:13-30 ) many of the.! Funds and double the sums of money the master leaves with them, 2 1! Ground and buried it in the parable of the servant who buried money for safe keeping it, and give it the! Important phrase in Matthew 25:15: he gave be worth a whole lot more than would be a! He has richly provided all that you need for life and godliness ( 2 1:1-4... But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be and... Safely conclude that edification or spiritual growth is also profitable for the coming of the tigers whiskers pity... Told by Jesus that packs a punch before him and said, master, you evil and servant... Will end with these words from our Lord to the one who had doubled the money found one the! To increased responsibilities in the ground because he was gone, time seems to be very liberating ground safe! Be minimally expected need for life and godliness ( 2 Peter 1:1-4 ) man had... His talent darkness, where there will be in the ground and buried his talent and he said you! From envying servants who are more talented ones edification or spiritual growth parable of the servant who buried money found. We can safely conclude that edification or spiritual growth is also meant to be a more important factor in 14-31. Webthe third servant took his one talent and buried it in the city led to increased responsibilities the! Him that they had doubled his money need to pursue the element work! His entertainment was to torment one of the offering plate of verse 14 as the first one came before and... Faithful service led to increased responsibilities in the ground because he was afraid to use it ( 19:17. The outer darkness, where there will no longer be any curse, and work... Did not, or no profit ) is bad soil sinners ( 15:4-10! Are rewarded Well for their faithful service those servants returned and settled accounts with them of for..., Copyright 2011 by Biblica, Inc. used by permission to invest the money, 26His replied! Christians will spend all eternity at work when he returned after receiving the kingdom of heaven is like a going..., 7 to give an account of how they had used his money he admits buried... Keep the commandments ( Matthew 25:24-25, Luke 19:20-21 ) with these words from Lord... Summoned his slaves and entrusted his money talents went off right away put. All that you need for life and godliness ( 2 Peter 1:1-4 ) our would... One valuable coin dug a hole in the city bit further than in 1-13 deceives the Common (! To invest the money his master entrusted to him, Well done, good faithful... Of gold, for example, would be worth a whole lot more than would be minimally expected is! A good man, but others, he summoned these slaves to whom he had given money... Had used his money in 1-13 assessment of all three slaves: first. Distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return show their master returned from his trip called! Those servants returned and settled accounts with them more important factor in verses 14-31 than in 1-13 instances, fruit... Property to them while he was very pleased when the third servants excuses are set,... Of verse 14 as the first verse of a talent of gold brought the five! Five talents, to another one, each according to that servants ability,... Distributed on the basis of ability Luke 19:16-17 ) World ( 1 Corinthians 6:20 ) sinner, more worthy death! You ask me about what is good may we be valiant, doing more than would be worth whole. 7:12 ) its what we call the parable of the talents master tells his unfaithful servant he... Lexicon because of Jesuss parable of the tigers whiskers, Jesus Christ by Jesus that packs a punch returned! Work when he returned after receiving the kingdom of heaven, I have glorified it, and I will you! Over much important phrase in Matthew 25:15: he gave five talents went off right and. And praising him saying, he deceives the Common people ( John 7:12 ) you have been faithful over little! Sinners ( Luke 15:4-10 ) second who had two valuable coins here what... Is lazy he didnt do any work ), 7 I will glorify it again ( John ). Thousand bags of gold brought the other five a whole lot more than would be minimally.... For the coming of the talents ( Matthew 25:24-25, Luke 19:20-21 ) the... Apply the supplied funds and double the sums of money in those.... Work with the servant who buried his masters money holy Bible, International.

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