3. Matthew 25:14-30
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Parable of the Talents
14 “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. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each
according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five
talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two
gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord‟s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, „Lord, you delivered to me
five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.‟ 21 His lord said to him, „Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of
your lord.‟ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, „Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look,
I have gained two more talents besides them.‟ 23 His lord said to him, „Well done, good and faithful servant;
you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.‟
24 “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. 25 And I was afraid, and went
and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.‟
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, „You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not
sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the
bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him,
and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 „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. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.‟
4.
5. INTRODUCTION:
• The parables of Jesus teach eternal truths
• But they also offer surprising practical
lessons for worldly affairs
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
Practical Lesson
Eternal Truth
Its essence relates As regards the material world,
to how we are to it is a story about capital,
use God‟s gift of investment, entrepreneurship,
grace and the proper use of scarce
economic resources
It is a direct rebuttal to those who see a contradiction
between business success and living the Christian life.
6. What is Talent?
The word “talent” in this parable has two meanings:
1. It is a monetary unit: it was the largest denomination
of the time
one talent = 10 years salary of average employee
during that time
2. More broadly interpreted, the talents refer to all of the
various gifts God has given us for our use. This
definition embraces all gifts natural, spiritual, and
material. It includes our natural abilities and
resources—our health, education—as well as our
possessions, money, and opportunities.
7. Key Learning?
It is not immoral to profit from our resources, wit, and labor
The alternative to profit is loss, and surely the loss of
wealth, especially when due to a lack of initiative, does not
constitute good stewardship
According to rabbinical law, burying was regarded as the best security
against theft. If a person entrusted with money buried it as soon as he had
it in his possession, he would be free from liability if anything should
happen to it
> In this parable, the master considered burying the talent—
and thus breaking even—to be a loss, because he thought that
capital ought to earn a reasonable rate of return. In this
understanding, time is money (or interest).
8. The master was angered at the timidity of the servant
who had received the one talent.
God commands us to use our talents towards
productive ends.
The parable emphasizes the need for work and
creativity as opposed to idleness.
9. FAILED SERVANT
Throughout history, people have tried to construct
institutions to provide perfect security, as the failed
servant did
It would have been safer for the servant to have
invested the money in the bank to receive interest
If he had made an effort to trade with his master‟s
money and came back with less than a talent, he would
not have been treated so harshly, for he would have
labored on behalf of his master
His excuse for not investing the money is that he
viewed the master as a hard man, though he had been
given generous resources
10. SUCCESSFUL SERVANT
Yet in the Parable of the Talents, courage in the face of an
unknown future is rewarded in the first servant
Moral obligation to confront uncertainty in an enterprising
way. No one does this better than the entrepreneur.
Long before he knows if there will be a return on his
investments or ideas, he risks his time and property
He looks to the future with courage and a sense of
opportunity
11. This parable also tells us something about
macroeconomics. The master went on his journey leaving
behind a total of eight talents; upon his return it has
become fifteen.
The parable is not the story of a zero-sum gain. One
person‟s gain is not another‟s expense. The successful
trading of the first servant does not hinder the prospects
for the third servant.
So it is true in the economy of today. Unlike what is so
often preached from the pulpit, the success of the rich
does not come at the expense of the poor.
12. If by becoming rich the most successful servant had hurt
others, the master would not have praised him.
A wise use of resources in investment and saving at
interest is not only right from the individual point of view; it
helps others in the economy as well.
A rising tide lifts all boats, as John Kennedy used to
say. Similarly, the wealth of the developed world is not on
the backs of developing nations. The Parable of the
Talents implies a free and open economy.
13. Entrepreneurship and Greed
The ability to succeed in business, stock trading, or
investment banking is a talent
Like other gifts, it should not be squandered, but used
to its fullest for the glory of God.
Greed is a spiritual hazard that threatens us all,
regardless of our wealth or vocation. The term has a
proportional element, meaning there is an excessive or
insatiable desire for material gain, regardless of financial
status. The desire is excessive when, in the depths of a
person‟s being, it outweighs moral and spiritual concerns.
14. Which do we prefer?
„Well done, good and But from him who does not
faithful servant; you were have, even what he has will
faithful over a few things, I be taken away. 30 And cast
will make you ruler over the unprofitable servant into
many things. Enter into the the outer darkness. There
joy of your lord.‟ will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.‟
Matthew 25:22
Matthew 25:29-30
How are we you using our talent?
15. Conclusion:
Since everything belongs to Christ, we need to have the attitude
and view that:
our things are His things,
our stuff is His stuff,
that all we could have now, all we have lost, all we will have, is
His, including our very bodies and spiritual gifts.
We are mere lessees of the
property, money, relationships, talents, time, and even our lives.
That means all that we are and all that we have are not really ours
to begin with. They belong to God.
So, the duty of the Christian is to learn how to become
responsible stewards of our Lord’s resources entrusted into
our care. It means to manage everything to the best of our
abilities for His glory (1 Cor. 4:2).
16.
17. Servant Entrusted Servant Response / Return Reward / Punishment
With Action
1st Servant 5 talents Use the talent for Double the ‘Well done, good and
enterprise and entrusted faithful servant; you
investment amount were faithful over a few
things, I will make you
2nd Servant 2 talents ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of
your lord.’
3rd Servant 1 talent Hid the talent in the No return a) The master ordered
ground on entrusted that the talent be
amount taken away from the
lazy servant and
given to the one with
the ten talents
b) “Cast that useless
slave into the outer
darkness; there shall
be weeping and the
grinding of teeth!”
18. FAILED SERVANT SUCCESSFUL SERVANT
Throughout history, people Yet in the Parable of the Talents,
have tried to construct courage in the face of an unknown
institutions to provide perfect future is rewarded in the first
security, as the failed servant servant
did
This implies a moral obligation to
It would have been safer confront uncertainty in an
for the servant to have enterprising way. No one does
invested the money in the this better than the entrepreneur.
bank to receive interest
Long before he knows if there
If he had made an effort to trade will be a return on his
with his master‟s money and investments or ideas, he risks
came back with less than a his time and property
talent, he would not have been
treated so harshly, for he would He looks to the future with
have labored on behalf of his courage and a sense of
master. opportunity
