April 6, 2010
LIFE ON LOAN
Matthew 25:14-30
Kevin McConaghy
Central Truth
God has entrusted each of us with gifts that we can use—or squander—for His kingdom.
Key Verse | Matthew 25:23
"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'" (Matthew 25:23)
Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants 1 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19 and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, 2 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. 3 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30 You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 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.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Dive Deeper | Matthew 25:14-30
There is, or at least was, and I believe might now be again, a band named Sixpence None the Richer. They are plagued with the typical rock band tendency to break up and reunite and with a typically odd band name. The name does have a point, though.
As the lead singer once explained, "Sixpence None the Richer" references a story about a father (apparently, a British one), who gave his young son a half-shilling coin, or sixpence. The son used the coin to buy a gift, which he then gave to his father. Though pleased that his son would want to give him a gift, the father realized that he was only getting back the sixpence that had belonged to him anyway; he was "none the richer." Similarly, everything—everything—we have comes from God. Every moment of our lives, every resource, and every ability (or talent) exist only because of God's creation.
In a way, that is what Jesus' parable in this passage is about. I've often heard it referred to as "the parable of the talents," but my Bible has a different heading for the section: "the parable of the loaned money." See, the talents, which are literally large sums of money, were not the servants' salaries or personal 401(k) plans. They belonged to the master and remained his possessions, even though they were entrusted to the servants until the master's return (verse 14). The servants were given only what they could handle, "each according to his own ability" (verse 15), but they were expected to use those talents to produce a return—and not just sit on the talent, unused.
Likewise, each of us has been given talents that we can use—or leave unused—for the Master's kingdom. They might be something that we traditionally think of as talents, such as artistic ability; or it might literally be sums of money and the ability to give. But it also includes such seemingly ordinary miracles as talking, listening, or some other God-given ability. And remember, every ability is a God-given ability. We are all "talent"-ed.
Discussion Questions
1. Considering that we can never give more back to God than what He has already given us, what does that say about any efforts to earn our way into God's favor?
2. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) states that ". . . we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." What abilities, experiences, and interests has God crafted in you? Based on those things, what do you think God has prepared you to do?
3. Where are you currently investing your talents? Are you investing them at all?
4. What should you be doing to earn the title of "good and faithful servant"?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Just like the man who gave his servants money, God has given us talents and abilities. What talents and abilities has God given you?
2. How are you using them to serve Him?