The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 25 Part 3 The Parable Of The Talents: A Wealthy Man Places His Servants In Charge

 

We studied through the Parable of the Ten Virgins.

Jesus compared Himself to the Bridegroom coming at an unannounced time to take His bride to her new home with Him.

This parable pictures two things for us.

First, is the rapture of Christ's church and the resurrection of life that happens when Jesus returns in the clouds.

He will not physically touch the earth at the rapture and resurrection of life.

Instead the trumpet will sound and Jesus will call forth the bodies of all dead saints from their graves and they will rise to the LORD.

Next, Jesus will "snatch away" all Christians who are alive on earth at this event.

This connects with the five wise virgins who are to be engaged in waiting, watching and working for their Lord until this moment.

Jesus will then return to heaven with every single person who ever trusted Him, and the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place (See Revelation 19:1-10).

Second, seven years of tribulation will start on earth while Christ receives His bride in heaven.

Foolish virgins are excluded from heaven because they have no oil for their lamps, which means they do not have God's Spirit living in them.

The foolish virgins represent Jewish people who did not believe what God said to them in the scriptures.

Unbelief always excludes people from the kingdom of God.

Foolish virgins also picture people in the world who hear the gospel and refuse to believe God.

All people and nations will be judged for their sins when Christ returns at the end of seven years tribulation. 

These truths remind us that we are born sinners who need to hear and respond to the gospel of Christ.

All who trust Jesus with repentance and faith, shall be saved.

God's Spirit will give each one who repents, a brand new heart and spirit from God, such that we can experience a brand new life.

The Parable of the Talents addresses the issue of spiritual sluggards and religious hypocrites.

In this parable, Jesus compares Himself to a wealthy man who embarks on a long journey.

He places His servants over His possessions with authority to buy, sell or trade their masters assets, in order to multiply them.

The servants can be the Jewish people, to whom God gave His word.

The servants can also refer to pastors, preachers and teachers of the gospel. 

Servants can also refer to individual Christians and the key element for each of these groups is whether we have faithfully served Christ in His absence.

The wealthy man who goes on a long journey pictures when Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after giving final instructions to His disciples.

Christ is currently in the midst of His long journey, and is seated at the Father's right hand and will remain until His Father gives the command for Christ to return for His church (See 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

It is a long journey, and Jesus told us that no one knows the day or the hour of His return.

Therefore, Christians must actively wait, watch and work for our Lord each day, filled with the joy and hope of His return.

In the Parable of the Talents we will learn that Jesus will judge us for our faithfulness and dedication to the Great Commission.

Some will hear Jesus say "Well done" while others will hear Him say "Thou wicked and slothful servant" because they did not faithfully serve Him.

Matthew 25:14-30  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. 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. 16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 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. 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. 23  His lord said unto him, Well done, 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. 24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25  And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26  His 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: 27  Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 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. 30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Generally, this parable is directed at the Jewish people.  

It shows us that some will believe God's Word and faithfully serve Him until Christ's return.

Other Jews will reject God's Word and suffer condemnation when Christ returns.

This parable also has an application to the church age.

Jesus expects each pastor, teacher and evangelist to faithfully preach His gospel and faithfully live according to His precepts.

In addition, Jesus expects each born again Christian to faithfully serve Him and live a life that conforms to His Word.

We will be judged according to our faithfulness (See 1 Corinthians 3:9-16).

Jesus' parable is divided into three sections.

Matthew 25:14-15  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. 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. 

The first section focuses on a wealthy man going on a long journey of an unspecified duration.

Jesus said the wealthy man represents Him in the parable.

He "called his own servants" is a unique phrase that reminds us Jesus is speaking to those who made genuine professions of faith.

It may help us to understand that this word "called" is most often used in connection with sinners who responded by faith to the gospel of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:9  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Paul uses that word 55 times in that manner in his letters to the churches.

Each Christian is called by the power of God and His gospel.

There are also those who make false professions of faith. 

Some may like Christian morality, or enjoy hearing sermons preached, and receive refreshment from being with God's people.

Yet, even decent people must be convicted of the guilt of their sins, so that they call upon Jesus to save them with repentant faith, or they remain dead in trespasses and sins (See Ephesians 2:1-10).

They are like the foolish virgins who had no oil.

They are like the corrupt tree that cannot bring forth good fruit.

They are like religious moral people who did wonderful things in the name of God, without truly knowing Him.

He gave two things to his servants. 

He gave them his goods to take care of and properly manage.

Next, he gave them various amounts of talents, which can be equivalent to 100 pounds of gold or 200 pounds of silver. 

The idea is that the wealthy man's servants were to properly and prudently invest his financial assets in order to multiply his wealth.

This parable is spiritual in nature and we must ask "what do the talents represent in the context of Jesus' teaching?"

Remember, Jesus is likened to a wealthy man who called his own servants to him for instruction. 

"Calling his own" reminds us that each Christian is called by God to live a new life in Christ.

The Bible is our guidebook for new life in Christ and we set our directions based upon what the scripture says, not what the culture tries to impose.

Notice also that Jesus gave different amounts of talents to different servants "According to his several ability."

This seems to directly correlate with the ministry of God's Spirit and how He gives gifts to each believer in Christ.

Below are two classic texts of scripture that describe spiritual gifts and connect with Jesus' teaching about the talents.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. 7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.  

Just as there is a wide variety in the body of Christ, so there is a wide variety of gifts distributed to each individual Christian as He deems best.

Some gifts were specifically needed for the early church and faded away as the New Testament was completed (See 1 Corinthians 13:8-10).

Some were gifted to prophesy, some to speak the gospel in foreign languages, some to interpret tongues, and some to heal or work miracles.

Gifts that continue today are pastors, teachers, evangelists, in addition to promising to guide and order our steps as we individually study His Word.

Romans 12:3-8  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Paul tells us that God gives to every believer a measure of faith which includes all spiritual blessings in Christ (See Ephesians 1:3).

This seems to connect with Jesus entrusting His estate to His servants to faithfully manage in His absence.

In the parable, the wealthy man gave talents to his servants to invest for financial gain according to their ability.

In like manner, the Spirit of God gives spiritual gifts to each Christian, according to the proportion of their faith in Christ.

The goal for the talents and the gifts is exactly the same. 

The wealthy man's servants are to take his talents and increase his wealth.

The parable pictures the kingdom of heaven. 

Thus, each Christian is given gifts by the Holy Spirit that we are to use rightly to gain converts to Christ and to edify His body, the church.

We are to use whatever gifts God gave us for His glory and with simple faith and humility, because serving God and others is all about Him, not about us.

The wealthy man pictures Christ presently waiting in heaven waiting for His Father to send Him to bring His bride, the Church, home to heaven.

He called his own servants and gave each beleiver one or more gifts to share the gospel to lost people, and to live a life in accord with the gospel as a witness to a lost and dying world.

We must be like wholesome salt that slows down cultural decay by telling others what God's Word says.

We must be like pure light that shines the beauty of God's holiness to expose wickedness and error.

Our Lord has provided what we need for loving and serving Him and equipping us to love and serve others.

Let us follow hard after Jesus today.

Bob