“THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS”

(Matthew 25:14-30)

The story is told of a man crossing through a desert in Nevada in the early 1900’s, and he found himself
without water. As his situation grew desperate, in the distance he spotted a pump near an abandoned
shack. With a burst of energy, he ran up to the pump, and noticed a jug of water sitting by the pump with
a note attached to it. The note said, “There is just enough water in this jug to prime the pump, but not if
you drink some first. This well has never gone dry, even in the worst of times. Pour the water in the top
of the pump and then pump the handle quickly, and you will get all the water you want. After you are
finished getting the water you need, refill this jug for the next person who comes along.” The letter was
signed “Desert Pete.”
What would you do if you were this man? You’re dying of thirst. Do you take what precious water you
have and trust that what “Desert Pete” says is true? If you do, you risk pouring out all the water and
getting none back at all if the pump fails. Or do you play it safe and drink what little water there is,
foregoing what could be and endless supply of water?
Today we come to a passage that has had a big influence on my life personally. It’s a portion of scripture
that challenges us to choose how we will live our lives on earth. Compare to eternity, the number of days
we are given in this life are few, and yet God has so designed it that the actions and choices we make
during this life will determine both where and how we spend eternity. Some people choose to play this
life safe. They pour out their entire jug of water on what is temporary and limited – they cling to what is
known and what they can see. They stay where life is comfortable and predictable.
Jesus knew our human tendency to play it safe and often stressed in His teaching the importance of
maximizing the limited time He’s given us. The Lord is rooting for us – He’s rooting that we will enjoy
abundant life both now and in eternity. He wants us to have a clear understanding that what we do with
our jug of water – our time, our energy, our money, our gifts, and our opportunities – in this life will
determine the blessings and opportunities we will receive in the next life. God asks us to pour out all the
water into the pump and trust Him to provide an endless supply of water.
In Matthew 25 Jesus gives three parables, and all of them emphasize the need to be ready and prepared
for His Second Coming. We need to be living in such a way that we are not surprised when He appears
in the sky. Today we come to the second parable – called the parable of the talents – and in this parable
we learn six truths that can have a powerful impact on how we live our lives.
Verses 14-18… “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted
his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each
according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went
at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold
gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his
master’s money.”

Like all the parables in this chapter, this one emphasizes the idea of waiting on the Lord to return. Before
Jesus ascended back to heaven, He promised that He would return. He pictures His ascension as a man
– a wealthy man – who goes on a journey to a far county, and he plans to be gone for a long time. It was
customary for a wealthy landowner in Jesus’ day to leave his servants in charge of His money and
property while he was gone. Joseph is a good example – he was given the responsibility to oversee and
manage Potiphar’s affairs.
The first truth that emerges from this parable is that everything we possess belongs to God. The servants
own nothing, and anything they do have is given to them by their master. What he gives them is not to
be used for themselves – they are to invest it for the master. The servants only managed the master’s
property, but it all belonged to Him. In the same way, we are to live with the mindset that everything we
have belongs to God. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father.” John the Baptist said, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven” (John 3:27).
Everything I have – my family, my home, my cars, my clothes, my possessions, my money, my gifts,
my abilities, my time – all these are gifts God has loaned to me. I might call them “mine,” but they really
belong to God.

It’s tempting to think that some of the things I have are because I worked hard or invested wisely. That
may be true, but who gives you the ability to work? Who gives you the intelligence to manage your
money wisely, and the health to do what you do? Who gives you the breath in your body? All that we
have, all that we do, all that we are, is a gift of God’s grace. It all belongs to Him. Because it belongs to
Him, He has the right to do with it whatever He wants.

The second truth we see in this parable is God expects us to put to use what He has given us. Before
leaving on his journey, the master gives each of his servants a bag of gold. The Greek word used is
talanton, from which we get the word “talent.” A talent was a unit of money – it could be gold or silver
– and one talent was worth about twenty years of wages – a very large amount of money. The master
puts the gold in a bag, hands it to His servants, and says, “Put this to use while I’m gone.” The expectation
is that they will invest his money and increase what He already has. There’s obviously a lot of trust. He’s
rooting for them. Go to work and use what I’ve entrusted to you.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the
dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” John 9:4
says, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can
work.” These verses stress the limited window of opportunity we have to serve God. Since He could
return at any time, or we could die at any time, now is the time to use what He’s given us – to leave it all
on the field. You have all eternity to rest, now is the time to work.

While the natural application in the parable is using our money wisely for the Lord, it really applies to
everything that the Lord gives us = whether its money, or its spiritual gifts and abilities, or its time,
health, or opportunities. The talanton He entrusts us with refers to anything we are, anything we possess,
or anything we do. Our entire life is to be dedicated to serving God and increasing what He’s given us.

This leads us to the third truth: The Lord has different expectations for each of His servants. This is
very important. He doesn’t give each servant the same amount of gold – He gives one servant five bags
of gold, to another servant two bags of gold, and to another He gives one bag. This doesn’t seem fair.
Why doesn’t He give every servant the same amount? It’s because He knows His servants – He knows
how much responsibility each can handle, and what skills each possess. God knows us intimately and
has a different plan and purpose for each us.

In sports, every team is made up of players with very different abilities – some can run fast, some can
jump high, some are big and strong, some are small and agile. No one expects a 300 lb. lineman in
football to catch passes, and the coach doesn’t put his smallest, fastest guy on the line. Some players
have more talent than others, and get paid more for their talent. That’s just the way life is – you’ll always
find someone more talented, more wealthy, and better looking than you.
But before you get envious of others who have more than you, remember what Jesus said… “To whom
much has been given, much will be required.” The servant given five bags of gold was expected to earn
more than the other servants who are given less.

This principle applies to the different spiritual gifts God gives us. Romans 12:6 says, “We have different
gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever
gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” God
gives each of us a gift, and ability, a skill that He expects us to use in order to grow His kingdom. When
Christ returns, you don’t want Him to find you sleeping on the job, but actively using your gift.

You might say, “I don’t even know what my spiritual gift is.” One thing’s for sure – you’ll never know
unless you start serving the Lord. As the old saying goes, “God cannot steer a parked car.” Step one is to
say to God, “Here I am – I want my life to count – I’m available.” Once you surrender yourself to God,
then start doing something – if you see a need, respond. Come to me and say, “I need a job – where can
I serve?” As you become active in church and willing to respond to needs, you will learn where your
strengths and weaknesses lie. When we talk about serving in the church at our New Member’s Class, I
start with a basic question: If you could do anything to serve God, what would you do? What’s your
passion – what gets you excited? When you combine your passion with the spiritual gifts and abilities
God gives you, then you’re on your way to finding your sweet spot. But the important thing is that you
get to work and help grow the kingdom.

Not only do we have different spiritual gifts, but we have different family backgrounds and life
experiences. We don’t get to pick our families and we don’t get to decide how we are raised. Some of
you, like myself, were blessed to grow up in a Christian home and be taught right and wrong, to learn
good work habits, and have good role models to follow. If that describes you, then God will require more
from you. You have an advantage that many others don’t.

Some of you grew up in a broken or abusive home, and have emotional scars from you background. God
understands that and gives to you what you can handle. At the same time, your life experiences – as hard
as they might have been – gives you a unique understanding and compassion for others in similar
circumstances. We’re not in control of what life hands us, but we take whatever assignment God gives
us and use it for His glory.

God not only gives each of us a different spiritual gifts and life experiences, but He gives us different
amounts of money and possessions. Some are rich, some are poor, and some are in between. It’s like the
guy who said, “I’ve been rich, and I’ve been poor, and I like rich a whole lot better.” It’s not how much
we have that matters, but what we do with what we have. God expects those who have more to give
more. Pastor Rick Warren is a good example. When his Purpose Driven Life book became a best-seller,
he suddenly became wealthy. He and his wife decided that they would practice “reverse tithing” and give
90% of their income to God, and keep 10% to live on. He felt that because He had been given much,
more would be required of him.

The fact that God entrusts different things to us, and has different expectations for each of us, is very
freeing. I don’t have be somebody else, I only have to be who God made me to be. I don’t have to look
over the fence and be jealous of what He’s given someone else, I just have to be a good steward of what
He’s given me.
This brings us to the fourth truth of this parable: We get to choose what we will do with what we’ve
been given. In verse 16 we read that the first servant with the five talents went out and put his money to
work. Some translations say he “traded money.” “Traded” means that he invested them in such a way as
to earn more money. In fact, he made another five talents on his investment. That’s pretty good – a 100%
return! Over time he traded and re-traded as long as his master was away. By the time he returned this
faithful servant had doubled the master’s investment.

The second servant received only two talents, less than half of the first. Yet he was just as faithful and
just as shrewd in his business dealings. Like the first he received a 100% return or “two more also,”
doubling his master’s investment.

The third servant, the one who was given one talent, made no attempt to invest it. Instead, he went and
dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Instead of investing his master’s money, he hoarded it, he
clung to it for fear that he might lose it. He worried and fretted over it, wasting a very valuable resource.
In Matthew 6:19-20 Jesus says, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and
vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

In this verse Jesus gives us the ultimate insider trading tip: All our money and possessions will become
worthless the moment Christ comes or when we die. Therefore, it makes sense to invest our money, our
time, and our gifts into what pays the greatest eternal dividends. Suppose I offered you one thousand
dollars today to spend however you want. You’d probably say, “I’ll take it.” But suppose I give you a
choice – you can either have that one thousand dollars today or you can have ten million dollars in five
years from now. Only a fool would take the thousand dollars today. Yet that’s exactly what we do when
we grab onto earthly things that last for only a moment, in exchange for something far more valuable
that we could enjoy later for much longer. What God entrusts to us here on earth is eternal investment
capital, and every day is an opportunity to buy up more shares in His kingdom. We can’t take it with us,
but we can send it on ahead.

As we get back to our parable, we find a fifth truth and that is that we will face a divine audit when
Jesus returns. Verse 19 says, “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled
accounts with them.” Jesus has been gone for 2000 years – a long time – but one day, a day known only
to the Lord – He will suddenly return and “settle accounts.” All is quiet as the servants wait to enter the
master’s office.
Verse 20, “The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you
entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’” You can imagine the delight in the
master’s eyes as the ten talents are place on his desk. Verse 21, “His master replied, ‘Well done, good
and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share your master’s happiness!’” The first servant walks out on cloud nine – not only did he
bring His master joy, but he received a promotion.

In verses 22-23 the second servant walks in… “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he
said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well
done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” He had less than half as much as the first
servant, but did just as much with what he had and receives the same reward.
Finally, the third servant enters the master’s office. He’s nervous. He’d had just enough time, perhaps,
to go dig up the one talent he’d buried in the ground, and he lays the one coin – stained with dirt – on his
master’s desk. Verses 24-25, “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said,
‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not
scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs
to you.” This servant was not given much – just one talent – but he did nothing with it. He sat on it. He
was lazy. He played it safe. Instead of owning up to his irresponsibility, he has the gall to blame the
master. “It’s your fault! You’re a hard man, and you made me afraid. If I invested it and lost it, I knew
you’d punish me, so I just buried my talent.”

This shows, as we will see in a minute, that this servant had no relationship with the Lord. He was not a
true believer. The first two servants viewed their master as generous and trusting – someone who had
their best interests in mind and was rooting for them. Love for their master motivated them to take risks
and work as hard as they could to please him. But the third servant viewed the master as harsh and
demanding and punishing – he didn’t love the master, but feared him. Without love, without relationship,
there was no motivation or motivation or passion to work for him.

Verses 26-27, “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have
not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on
deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.’” At least
put it in the bank and get a half-percent of interest – but you buried it.

This brings us to the final truth we learn in the parable: We will receive just compensation for what
we have done with what we’ve been given. Verses 28-30, “So take the bag of gold from him and give
it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance.
Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant
outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

This third servant was never a believer to begin with. He was never truly saved, and when Jesus returns
his true spiritual condition is revealed. He’s done nothing for the Lord. He played it safe and poured his
time, talent, and treasure into this life, and in doing so he tragically forfeits eternal life.

We also know from passages like 1 Corinthians 3 that genuine Christians can also be lazy servants. Paul
says, “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work
will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the
fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a
reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one
escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15).

When Christ returns, you don’t want your life to have consisted of wood, hay, and stubble – that are
quickly burned and have no eternal value – you want to have gold, silver, and costly stones – you want
to serve God in a way that endures for eternity. You want to go all out for God and leave it all on the
field. You want to work while it’s day, because nighttime is coming when your opportunity to serve will
be over.
You want to be like the first two servants that doubled their investment and hear the words, “Well done,
thou good and faithful servant. You’ve been faithful with the few things I’ve given you here on earth to
do, now I will put you in charge of many things.” What does that mean? Jesus is talking about the
kingdom He will bring to earth at His Second Coming, and He’s promised believers that we will sit on
thrones and rule and reign with Him. In this glorious kingdom to come, God will reward us by giving us
different responsibilities. He says in Luke 19 Jesus says that some will rule over ten cities, and some over
five cities. That’s why what we do in the few short years we have on earth will determine how we will
spend eternity. I don’t know about you, but that gets me excited!

You might say, “I’m happy in heaven to just sit on a cloud and relax. Why would I want to be in charge
of ten cities? That doesn’t sound enjoyable.” But this misses the meaning of what ruling and serving in
heaven is all about. Bruce Wilkinson puts it like this, “The words and example of Jesus convince me that
in heaven we will desperately crave to serve. When we see our Savior, we will be swept up in a
consuming, eternity-long desire to respond in love to Jesus. Words won’t be enough. Worship and praise
won’t be enough. We will want to do something for Him. In heaven, more opportunity to serve God will
be our highest reward.” Imagine ruling the entire universe with Christ. Think of the joy of ruling with a
greater capacity. And remember – it is for all eternity!

Our life on earth is short. It is to be enjoyed, but it is also to be invested. God wants us to pour all of our
water into the pump so that we get an endless supply of water both now and in eternity. As C.S. Lewis
said, “Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” By serving God
and investing in His kingdom, you get the best of both worlds – you get meaning and purpose in life in
this world, and you get eternal rewards in the world to come. This gives us motivation to live each day
in such a way that we will one day stand before the Lord and hear Him say, “Well done, thou good and
faithful servant.”