¹⁴ “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately ¹⁶ the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. ¹⁷ In the same way the man with two earned two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

²¹ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

²² “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’

²³ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

²⁴ “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, ²⁷ then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.

²⁸ “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.³⁰ And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

1) What is the context of this story?
This is the most critical question to ask when we begin thinking about any portion of Scripture, but especially when it is difficult to understand. Without first considering the original context, audience, and author’s purpose, we can walk away with a very twisted misunderstanding and application of Scripture. This parable is only recorded in Matthew’s gospel, though undoubtedly all of his disciples heard it. Why? Matthew wrote his gospel to reach the Jews, God’s chosen people, the people of Promise. This parable was originally intended for Jewish ears. Jews who believed the law would save them and that lineage was the requirement for the inheritance of salvation. The language of this parable (sower, seeds, gather) also ties back to one of Jesus’ previous parables about the sower and the seed, that Matthew also records in the context of an entire chapter with 7 parables all focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. This parable of “talents” shows up in Matthew’s gospel in the middle of a series of parables about the urgent, pending return of the Lord Jesus Christ and ties back to this crucial parable about the gospel; this is key!

2) Are the “talents” salvation? Does this parable teach that someone can lose their salvation?
Given contextual audience and that the purpose of the story was to teach people about the return of the Lord and the glorious Kingdom to come, it is quite a stretch to say that the “talents” are “salvation”. Additionally, as we studied last week, it’s important to let the clear passages of Scripture help us interpret the unclear ones. In the case of the question of “losing salvation”, the rest of Scripture’s teachings on the permanence of salvation are innumerable and very clear, which necessitates us to dismiss this as a possibility and look for a more “plain” meaning. The text describes the talents as being the Master’s possessions. Historically, just one talent would have exceeded 6 months’ worth of wages. This was priceless, unheard of, and a vast sum of money, something that one of his servants could never have earned on their own. Keeping in mind the context of the parables teaching about the kingdom of Heaven, it’s quite likely that the “talent” refers to the gospel itself. The richness of the gospel is beyond comprehension and in no way is it something humans could ever hope to own of our own accord.

3) What is the overall point of this story?
The thrust of the story centers around the talents, what the servants chose to do with those talents, and then the outcome of that investment. The talents were given “in trust” to the servants and the Master gave them expecting a return on His investment. To the Jewish audience, the “talent” may well have symbolized their Jewish heritage. They had indeed been given great wealth by being the chosen people of Israel. The challenging question in Christ’s teaching was this, “what have you done with what you’ve been given?” Had the Jews used their influence and political and religious status to declare the majesty of God? Were they using their rich heritage as a tool to point others to the fulfilled promise that the Messiah had indeed arrived? How were they stewarding what they had been entrusted with? As it ends, 2 servants wisely took what the Master had given them and stewarded their gifts to the best of their abilities, they were celebrated and welcomed into the promised reward of eternal life with the King. The third servant, however, did nothing with his gift except bury it and ignore that it existed at all. He squandered the time he had been allowed to steward his talent and as a result, no place was given to him in the Master’s paradise.

1) What is the context of this story?
When Jesus finished telling the parable of the sower at the beginning of His earthly ministry, His disciples had questions about why Jesus taught in parables. Jesus response sheds light on the parable of the talents with similar language; “The secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”(Matthew 13:11-12) At the end of the parable of the talents, the servants who had taken the gospel/talent/priceless gift and scattered it, sowing it, and sharing it, were given more. They were given abundance, and “more than enough” as they were welcomed to share in their Master’s happiness. To the servant who had been given the gospel, but chose to ignore it and continue living as if it didn’t even exist, “what he had was taken away from him.” The gospel has been extended to all of us in varying degrees of understanding. Paul teaches that even creation shouts of God’s attributes so much so that no one has an excuse of ignorance. (Romans 1:20) What will you do with your investment, my sweet sister?! Will you scatter and sow and gather? Or dig and hide and ignore, living as if it doesn’t matter?

2) Are the “talents” salvation? Does this parable teach that someone can lose their salvation?
Remembering that this parable was first told to a Jewish audience, keep in mind that, to the Jews, the mere fact that they could trace their lineage back to their patriarch Father Abraham was enough to bring them safely into eternity with a rich reward. When Jesus came, He challenged their thinking to the core; as Paul points out in Ephesians, it is through faith alone, and not by works that salvation is given. Their heritage could not save them, their good works could not save them, only faith. Faith that even Abraham displayed. Being offered the opportunity for the gospel (being handed a “talent/priceless treasure” in the story) is not the same thing as owning it, taking responsibility for it, and allowing the richness of that gift transform us from the inside out. There is nothing we can hold onto that will earn us salvation or give us “good standing” with the Holy One. Only faith alone, through grace alone. How are you stewarding the gift of the gospel you’ve been given? Have you welcomed it, choosing to hold unswervingly to the freeing truth that Jesus Christ is the only One who can rescue us from the death sentence of our sin and bring us safely into an eternal reward?

3) What is the overall point of this story?
The pearl of great price, the farmer’s seed, the wheat, the mustard seed, the yeast, the hidden treasure, the net, and the “talent” all point to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ, perfect and holy God in the flesh, sent to take on Himself the fullness of our sin, choosing to endure our consequence of death and separation from God on Himself that we may have His righteousness instead. This gospel, it’s available to you, it’s held out. The question the Lord asks of each of us is “what will you done with what you’ve been given?”. Will you steward your gift to make much of Jesus? Will you own this gospel as your own? Will you scatter, sow, and gather, investing it richly into the lives of those around you?! Make no mistake, the Master will indeed return, and because He has invited us into stewarding His grace, He expects a return! Not as a harsh taskmaster, but as One delighting as a bridegroom anticipating the consummation of a long-awaited relationship! He’s waiting for the fullness of time, Beloved, what will you do with the time you have left?!

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Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

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Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

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