What is the meaning of the Parable of the Dragnet? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. The master rebuked this slave for being evil and lazy. I was talking about this text with a friend, and he said, God expects the principle, plus interest. I think thats right. I do not know the Lord, and I will not release Israel. 3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us. This may be applied to the blessings of this life; but rather to the means of grace. 16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. third servant hides what was entrusted to him. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. (4) The expression which begins verse 14 (Greek, w[sper ga.r) is employed 11 times elsewhere in the New Testament (Matthew 12:40; 24:27, 37; 25:14; Luke 17:24; John 5:21, 26; Romans 5:19; 6:19; 11:30; 1 Corinthians 11:12; 15:22; James 2:26). He then gives several messages and illustrations: - The wise and faithful servant (Matthew 24:45-51), - The parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). Different. 30And cast the unprofitable servant (L)into the outer darkness. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! 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). 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. Luke, the man who went away is a nobleman who leaves to obtain a kingdom; in Matthew, no such information is given. 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). Matthew 25:14. He does not require us to make bricks without providing both the clay and the straw. What is the meaning of the Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin? Return to your labor! 5 Pharaoh was thinking, The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor. 6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people: 7 You must no longer give straw to the people for making bricks as before. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. He is not harsh, nor does He require that we do the impossible (make a profit where He has not provided the means). I wonder how many of us are simply giving back money that we have not put to use. 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. In one of my early trips to India, I went to the zoo. 1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 276 Needless to say, bankers and banking were not the same in those days. I believe this may be the case in our text. If we loved our Master, we would view our labors for Him as joy. 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. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. The third slave is lazy, and thus useless, as opposed to being hard-working, and therefore useful. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Wedding Feast? 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. He didnt even hand the money over to bankers,276 to let them go to work with it. Time has been a significant factor in our Lords teaching concerning His coming and the end of the age, beginning in chapter 24. in Luke is there another group, in addition to the masters servants those who dont want this man to become their king, and who send a message asking him not to return. 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. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made. Then he went away. The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land). Both of these faithful slaves are rewarded well for their faithful service. It is the word Moses uses in Genesis 42:7,280 to describe Josephs disguise of harshness before his brothers. 12 And if you havent been trustworthy with someone elses property, who will give you your own? (Luke 16:10-12). There is only one who is good. In our parable, money is given to us to use, to work with, not just to give back. The term employed in Matthew 25:16 emphasizes work. Thus, we can safely conclude that edification or spiritual growth is also profitable for the kingdom of heaven. 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). Whether you read the Matthew version or the Luke version, each servant is getting a substantial chunk of cash to invest as they will. What, then, is the root of this third slaves problem? However, Jesus claimed kingship in a way that confused many people, and the way his kingdom operates often offends our sense of propriety. We take a little money and put it in the plate, and by doing so we are laying up treasure in heaven. I dont deny that this is true, in part, but it is not the whole of it. 14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[ a] and entrusted to them his property. A footnote in the NIV translation says that a mina was about three months wages. 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. Jesus uses the Parable of the Talents to help us understand our calling as Christians and our responsibility to use what God has given us to bring Him glory and honor! John Driver points out in his book Parable Church that at 2018s average household incomes, one talent would be about $1.2 million. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats? If we were to make an equation of this parable, it would probably go like this: Resources (talents) + Labor (work) + Time = Profit. 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). An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. We should be careful to recognize that in this parable the mere possession of a talent is not evidence of salvation. The Bible makes it clear there is no sacred versus secular work in the way we often think. Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular, Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector? Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! Why, then, did the third slave do nothing? 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. The Parable of the Minas or Pounds (see Luke 19:11-15) also makes this clear. 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). 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. Mat Mt). The element of money. 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. 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. He gives each of them some money. I will put you in charge of many things. See, I have gained two more. 23 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! Seeking the Gospel in Malachi, the Last Book of the Old Testament. For less than $5/mo. 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? Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Community Bible Chapel. 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. It has taken a while for the thrust of this parable to come into focus for me. 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). Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents (or the Talents' parable) to his disciples. Does verse 13 belong with verses 1-12, or with verses 14-30? The, the definite article. 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. Parable of the Talents which was given to the third (unfaithful) servant is taken away and given to the faithful servant who gained the most for his master. 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. From apodemos; to go abroad, i.e. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, but you will eat the grain of the field. In the Matthew version, he gives one servant 10 talents (or bags of gold), another five talents, and the third one talent. What is the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares? Is this not cause for rejoicing (see Acts 11:19-24)? Heavens work will be joyful labor. Im not saying that one should never cease their employment nor end their career. Works are the result of faith, not a substitute for faith. and Christians should not be molded by worldly standards (Romans 12:2). Noelle Kirchner, The Generosity Of God 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. We should carefully note the outcome of faithful service, and of unfaithful service, in this parable. 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. Burying the talent in the ground is an illustration of using one's God-given gifts for earthly pursuits. The parable of the talents is one of those Bible stories most of us know, yet its hard to understand. This parable is paired with the parable of the 10 virgins, who made the mistake of not having enough oil when the bridegroom arrives. ), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. What Does It Really Mean That Your Body Is a Temple? He gives each of them some money. How different was the outlook of the first two slaves. First, the master stayed away for a long time (Matthew 25:19). 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. We would probably do well to compare this text with a couple of passages in the Gospel of Luke: 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! 14(B)For the kingdom of heaven is (C)like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. Enter into, He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides 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. After being gone a long time, the master returns to settle up with his slaves (verse 19). 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. Before he goes, the master brings his servants together (three in the Matthew version, 10 in the Luke version). God entrusted Israel, and especially its leaders, with the truth, and they did not use it properly. Such labor is, to a large degree, entering into the joy of our Master. We need to pursue the element of work a bit further. I contend that verse 14 does not begin the new paragraph, but that verse 13 does. Yet is this not what our Lord is teaching us in this parable? What Does It Mean That There Is No One Holy Like God?