The Parable of the Talents – Matthew 25:14-30
What a glorious section of the Bible to study! Let’s make a few observations. The three servants in this account are not mere servants, but bondservants. These were people who chose to remain with their master after their seven year period of service was over, obviously because at some level they understood that to be under this master’s care, working for him and living closely with him was good for them. These were not servants who were forced to remain with their master.
Note the amount of money entrusted to each of them. A talent was an amount of money equivalent to twenty year’s wages for a laborer, in today’s terms, around $600,000 dollars. The first servant was therefore entrusted with about $3 million dollars, the second, 1.2 million, and the third a “mere” $600,000. This is important because at first glance you might think that they were not responsible for much. Five talents does not sound like a big deal, but it is.
The first two fellows take their master’s money and in the time that he is absent, use that money in ways that bring a great return. They were obviously not lazy but diligent to use the money as best they knew how. Upon returning, both men have doubled their master’s original amount, and the master is very pleased. “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”(v.21) Note that in verse 15 the text reads that he gave “to each according to his ability,” which helps explain why he is just as pleased with the man who returned two talents with the original two he was given, as he was with the servant who earned five talents with the five he was given. This is important for us to come to grips with; God wants us to use what he has entrusted us with, and not to be comparing ourselves with other Christians who have been entrusted with differing abilities. God has not made me to lead a radio ministry, but he has made me to lead several small groups in Lincoln. Billy Graham was led to lead a worldwide ministry but not to lead several small groups in Lincoln.
Note that although we do not know how long the master was gone, it is still an impressive thing that the first two guys doubled their money, in other words worked very hard with what they were entrusted with as opposed to working fifteen hour weeks.
This is a most excellent parable for a number of reasons, but especially because of verse 21. “His master said to him, ‘Well done good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Imagine one day standing before Almighty God, having Him look you straight in the eye, and saying to you, “Well done, good and faithful servant . . . Enter into the joy of your master.” There cannot be a more glorious sound. Remember when your dad praised you for something you did, and just how good that felt? Multiply that satisfaction by infinity and you get the picture. And to be welcomed into that world where the greatest earthly joys will be multiplied into an infinite “joy of your master!?” It’s almost inconceivable.
As a significant aside, note that the master calls $3 million and $1.2 million respectively, “little.” This is because as the person of God in this parable, he owns literally everything in the universe. It puts into the realm of the incomprehensible the next line, “I will set you over much.” If God calls $3 million dollars “little,” what in the world qualifies as “much” by His defining?!
So a big lesson here is to be faithful and work hard, a lesson lost on the third servant. This fellow does not buy and sell and trade but instead buries his master’s money and does nothing with it. He does nothing to advance his master’s kingdom, and at his master’s return is called, “wicked and slothful” in verse 26, is forced to give up the talent he was given, and is forcibly ejected from the master’s presence, in fact condemned to hell, showing that his bondservant status was not real. His allegiance to his master was all pretense. This observation is further reinforced by the fact that he did not know his master and was not in relationship with him as the other two were. He says in verse 24, ”I knew you to be a hard man . . . , though as a “hard man” the master gave him the equivalent of $600,000 to manage. The accusation of “hard man” is further discredited by his words to the other two servants; “Well done, good and faithful servant . . . I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” That’s massive generosity, not “hardness.”
In conclusion, let us press on to know God and be happy and willing servants who utilize whatever He chooses to entrust us with to further advance His kingdom in every way we know how.