30And (T)cast (U)the worthless servant into the outer darkness. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Unforgiving / Unmerciful Servant? John Driver points out in his book Parable Church that at 2018s average household incomes, one talent would be about $1.2 million. Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. average monthly wage for Americans in 2021. Talents. First, the master stayed away for a long time (Matthew 25:19). It would probably be unwise to study the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 without also considering a similar parable in Luke 19:11-27: 11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 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. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. 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. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, every tree that was pleasing to look at and good for food. 15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, (D)to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 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). an ounce) was nearly equivalent to 400 of our money. His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:1-4). The word hard, which this slave used to characterize his master, is far from flattering. Salem Media Group. He gives each of them some money. 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. He does not go to work with his masters money, over a lengthy period of time, and thus make a profit. In the New Testament, the term "talent" meant something very different than it does today. For less than $5/mo. What is the meaning of the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price? 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. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Let me call your attention to the most important elements of the parable, as I now understand it. The third servant was fearful and hid the one talent he was trusted with, returning just one talent to his master. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. 277 There are those who would suggest that this slave buried the talent in hopes that the master might never return. There is no end to our labors for our God. The master scolded him saying that he should have invested the money and received interest. 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). To give that up would be to hold him in contempt., This quote highlights that in the end, all talents are given by God to glorify him. NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. He did not increase his masters money at all. 33 But a married man is concerned about the things of the world, how to please his wife, 34 and he is divided. You withdraw what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow. 22 The king said to him, I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. 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. 16Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. The one who does not have but yet does have (because what he has is taken away) is the one who has his masters money, but has made no profit from it. The master rebukes the third servant for not even putting the money in the bank, where he could have gotten interest on it. However, as planned, he becomes king of the distant land and returns home to see how his servants have done. 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. Neuter of a presumed derivative of the original form of tlao; a balance, i.e. Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. 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). 2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Heaven is not a hammock; it is not a glorified vacation. His entertainment was to torment one of the tigers. 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. The bankers in verse 27 represent other faithful people to whom the man could have turned to help him use his talents wisely. Let us not envy sinners, or covet any of their perishing possessions. Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! I am not arguing against retirement in the economic sense. 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. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. 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). A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give. 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. In the Luke version, he gives out 10 minas to 10 servants (Luke 19:16-20 makes it clear that each servant gets one mina). All rights reserved. I am saying that our labors for the kingdom have no point of termination except for our Lords return, and even then fruitful labor will continue in heaven. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. I was talking about this text with a friend, and he said, God expects the principle, plus interest. I think thats right. Since Jesus was the son of God and therefore had a right to the kingship he claimed, we cant accuse him of stealing what he didnt deserve. He admits he buried it in the ground because he was afraid to use it (Matthew 25:24-25, Luke 19:20-21). Matthew 25:14. This way the slave would not have to attend to the money on a day-by-day basis. Father, deliver me from this hour? There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. The talent was the largest measurement of money in those days. What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Minas? 19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. One must surely conclude that this parable is not just an interesting story, but a message of eternal significance. 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. In one of my early trips to India, I went to the zoo. 14(A)For (B)it will be like a man (C)going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. These things are good and beneficial for all people (Titus 3:4-8). The difference is not that one group knew the hour, and the other didnt. In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. The Topic of Teenagers Open Heavens for Saturday 4th March 2023 Is "Parable of The Talents I". 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. What distinguished him from the first two slaves? What is the meaning of the parable of the friend in need (persistent neighbor)? What is the meaning of the Parable of the Good Samaritan? But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Here, (P)you have what is yours. 26But his master answered him, You (Q)wicked and (R)slothful servant! The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land). I contend that verse 14 does not begin the new paragraph, but that verse 13 does. While commentators differ somewhat over the approximate value of a talent in todays economy, all would agree that it was a large amount of money. It is a simple story that our Lord tells here. Too often we think of our Lords words in Matthew 6 in terms of the offering plate. 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. Whether you read the Matthew version or the Luke version, each servant is getting a substantial chunk of cash to invest as they will. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! 271 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. Heavens work will be joyful labor. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. I will put you in charge of many things. All rights reserved. After centuries of Israelites seeing themselves as Gods only favored people, he opened things up for Gentiles to become co-heirs (Ephesians 3:6). For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. He then tells the servants to put this money to work (Luke 19:13), invest it to make more money for him, and he would see their results when hes back. 30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 25:13-30). (3) In my opinion, the main reason for assuming that verse 13 belongs with verses 1-12 is that the term (Greek, ou=n) is most often inferential, with the meaning therefore or then.274 It is not always an indication of a logical conclusion, however. I wonder how many of us are simply giving back money that we have not put to use. 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; [John 15:2], NKJV, Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, 2nd Edition, Comfort Print: Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God Through His Word, NKJV, Chronological Study Bible, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version, NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word. And so he simply hid the money, and now he returned it, without any gain. He has richly provided all that you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-4). The question for us to consider is this: Just how do we measure spiritual profit? You have been faithful with a few things. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit (Matthew 7:17-18). Before he goes, the master brings his servants together (three in the Matthew version, 10 in the Luke version). The element of money. 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. Dont blame it on God. The third servant is lazy, because he does not go to work with the money. 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. 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. Enter into the joy of your master!' 24 Finally, the servant who had . 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. READ the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. Look, there you have what is yours.. Is this not the way that our Lords adversaries looked at Him? Matthew 25:14-30 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 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. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. 1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. The one who has been faithful on earth with a little thing like money will be given greater work to do in heaven. Matthew 25:15. Such labor is, to a large degree, entering into the joy of our Master. If this is the case, and we are to be at work until He comes, then why do we think that reaching a certain age entitles us to cease our labors for Him? The masters dealings with the third servant is a very different matter. 15To one he gave five (D)talents,[b] to another two, to another one, (E)to each according to his ability. 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. Our Lords emphasis here is not on putting the money to work, but on the servant going to work with his masters money. man allocates his resources to servants, expecting them to make a profit in his absence. 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. 10 The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. Jesus came into a world that was the devils domain (1 John 5:19) and claimed it for himself, despite opposition from demons and sinful people who disliked him calling out their flaws. Retirement is like the second stage of a rocket booster. 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.

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