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Matthew 25:14-30 - I dont like this one.


Sight

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Parable of the Talents

14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’21 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 [c]master.’

22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 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.’

24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money [d]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This parable confuses me. Of course the guys with five and two talents will double them. The one who got one talent got jipped. The richer get richer, and the poorer get poorer, and this scripture confirms God is the author of that paradigm.

 

What does this parable mean? All this parable does is trigger and upset me.

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17 hours ago, Sight said:

This parable confuses me. Of course the guys with five and two talents will double them. The one who got one talent got jipped. The richer get richer, and the poorer get poorer, and this scripture confirms God is the author of that paradigm.

What does this parable mean? All this parable does is trigger and upset me.

:emot-heartbeat:

Welcome~!

:mgdetective:

Beloved, It Seems There Are Some Believing Folk

Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2 (New International Version)

Who Stick Their Heads In The Sand

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (English Standard Version)

IMO

"Then the one who received two thousand dollars came and said, 'Sir, I knew that you are a hard person to please. You harvest where you haven't planted and gather where you haven't scattered any seeds. I was afraid. So I hid your two thousand dollars in the ground. Here's your money!'

"His master responded, 'You evil and lazy servant! If you knew that I harvest where I haven't planted and gather where I haven't scattered, then you should have invested my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest. Take the two thousand dollars away from him! Give it to the one who has the ten thousand!

To all who have, more will be given, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken away from those who don't have much. Throw this useless servant outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.' Matthew 25:24-30 (GOD'S WORD® Translation)

~

Be Blessed

He that believes on the Son has everlasting life: and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God stays on him. John 3:36 (American King James Version)

Beloved Of The KING

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them. Numbers 6:24-27 (King James Bible)

Love, Your Brother Joe

~

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalms 119:160 (King James Bible)

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.

It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed.

Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully.  It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure.

It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

From The Inside Of My Gideon New Testament

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It just means you should work hard with what you have, not worrying about how much more other people may have. If the third servant had doubled his one talent to get two talents, the master would have been kind and rewarded him, though he would then have just two talents compared to the first servant's ten talents.

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On ‎5‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 9:38 PM, Sight said:

This parable confuses me. Of course the guys with five and two talents will double them. The one who got one talent got jipped. The richer get richer, and the poorer get poorer, and this scripture confirms God is the author of that paradigm.

 

What does this parable mean? All this parable does is trigger and upset me.

Jesus was using Money in the parable for example of earning.

The Parable teaches level of responsibility and tasks of the responsibility and rewards of them.

example: God says I want you to believe in me, work in my gifts, treat others good, bring good news to the poor, lift others up and share my word with them, Pray for people, pray over people, declare my words spoken to others, Stand on my word and stand up for what is right.

The man with ten talents went forth and brought the good news to others and enriched others lives as much as he could and was a willing participant in the labor for the kingdom of God, seeking God more and more and learning and earning the fullness of God.

The man with 2 talents did the above and worked hard at it but wasn't asked to do as much, but did what he could with what he had.

The man with 1 talent became fearful of God and his word, fearing messing up or being rejected. Feared his fellow man and what they might think of the gifts God had given him. So he buried his Christianity, the truth of God and his moral objection was withheld from others ears that needed to hear it. So he kept his Christianity to himself and minimized his risk or rejection, and saying the wrong thing. He never grew the kingdom, or his faith in God, he stayed on the umbilical cord, never growing to further the kingdom of God.

So God said, you know it would be tough and it wasn't going to be easy, there was risk involved in what you did, and what you said. You know I ask much of my children and have laws that are hard to follow, but instead of going out and showing my love and drawing others to me, you chose to bury that light as to protect your worldly gifts and standing. Depart from me you evil doer I never knew you. Give the gifts and responsibility to the one that has shown much practice and trust in my service. For with much given come much responsibility.

I don't know if you're aware, but I am going to assume you are well aware that the more you seek Christ, and step out in your belief, the more God asks of you and the more the world comes against you and rejects you and your beliefs. God will have you talk to more people, pray for more people, help more people, stand in the gap for more people, have more and more opportunities and boldness to preach God's word.  For those that much is given much is expected. the parable of the 10 talents, not money, but Works for and in the kingdom of God. As you grow in Christ so does your responsibility or talents you are expected to work with.

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While the parable's main thrust is a negative one for the lazy , The parable also contains many positive points for the encouragement of the new believer in Christ .

One of those being that we are evaluated according to our own individual capabilities :

                                                                                                                                           " each according to his own ability "

So even though  I am not , nor will I ever be ,   a Billy Graham or a Dwight L. Moody I need not fret over being evaluated according to what they have done , or what anyone else has done .

We just need to do what we can  , because that is all that God expects is to give him is our individual best .

Take comfort in knowing that this quandary has happened to the best of them and our Father delights in bringing all of  us to the place of new spiritual discoveries .

God has every bit the challenging future in store for you that He had for Moses when He set a burning bush before Moses .

Imagine that ,  God esteems your soul and future in  exactly the same way as He did the soul of  Moses when he got his attention with a burning bush .

How awesome is that , you are equal with Moses in the eyes of God , and what God expects from you .

And Moses also felt that he was not up to the task :

                                          " And Moses said unto the Lord O my Lord I am not eloquent , neither heretofore , nor since

                                             thou hast spoken unto thy servant  but I am slow of speech , and of a slow tongue ."   ( Exodus 4:10 )

Don't dwell on the negatives , rather relish the joy of forgiveness and the power of love that awaits the listening soul .

When God calls us from our ease & idleness it is to undergird us with the power of He who set the stars in place to perform the service He has in store for us to perform .

 

                                                    "  I will now turn aside and see this great sight ."   ( Exodus 3: 3 )

Edited by Unfailing Presence
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These parables all have to to with Jesus, the Gospel and His return.  He has given each of His followers gifts and opportunities to further His Kingdom and spread His Gospel.  The two servants that were praised had done what they could with what they had.  They were faithful to witness to others in his own way, by deeds of mercy or by the work of an evangelist, each with a different calling and having different gifts.  They loved, trusted and respected  their master and were faithful to do what he expected them to do.  They were good and faithful servants and were rewarded at the return of Christ.  

But the servant with one talent had a warped view of God.  He claimed to know a master that he should have feared; he wasn't seeing God as righteous and just but instead he saw a hard master who "reaped where he hadn't sown".  Had he truly even believed that the fear of God would have caused him to share with others what he did understand, but I doubt if he even really feared God .  He didn't  know God's character or respect and love Him so he didn't labor for Him but buried what he had and proceeded with life as usual.  Perhaps he didn't even believe that Jesus would return and judge his works.  Mat 25:30  And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'   Since his lack of works proved his lack of genuine faith, he was judged as an unbeliever.  

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  1. THE PARABLES AND METAPHORS OF OUR LORD – G. CAMPBELL MORGAN

The Talents Matthew xxv : 14-30

THIS parable of the talents is the third of the triptych of related parables concerning the responsibility of His. own through the age between the fall of Jerusalem and His second advent. We have already considered the parable of the household and that of the virgins. One fact, however, is in view in all. .All those constituting the Kingdom of God are under His supreme control. The first parable had to do with the household, the Church within itself. It was communal, and revealed the responsibilities of individual members towards each other, of care and love, with an absence of all differences and quarrelling, and biting one another. The next parable, that of the virgins, revealed personal responsibility, of having not merely an outward form, but of having life. It teaches not mereIy a genera1 expectation of the coming of the Lord, but of having oil, so that the light is burning.

We come now to the parable dealing with responsibilities of the widest nature, the imperial responsibilities of the Church. That at once reveals the subject which our Lord was intending to illustrate when He used the parable of the talents. The word imperial is used resolutely, though in some ways I do not like it, because in history it has bad connotations. The word has come to us from that act in the history of Rome when one man seized absolute authority by military power, and became imperator of the whole of the Roman empire. Things imperial meant the mastery of a people by autocratic and military power. Yet because of its true use it has its own and rightful place in this connection. Jesus is the only Imperator ; not Caesar, nor the kings of time, but Jesus alone. The word connotes a King and a Kingdom ; and the idea contained in the parable, which our Lord was illustrating, the truth He was enforcing was that of the prosecution of the interests of the King by the subjects of the Kingdom, during the period of His absence, as to bodily presence.

He is not absent in the sense of spiritual power. We know what it is to walk and talk with Him, and to hear Him talk to us. We know the real presence of the living Lord. Yet in historic sequence this is the period of His absence. He was in the world for one brief generation of a little more than three and thirty years, the great period in human history to which everything else led up, and from which everything else of value had proceeded, and is proceeding, and will proceed. But He is coming again. No one who believes in the New Testament can deny that. The statement is clear that He Who came is coming again to the world. All through this Olivet prophecy our Lord was looking at the world, and His Church from that standpoint of their being in the world, when He, as to bodiIy presence, was absent, going into a far country, and after a long time, coming again.

This parable must not be confused with that of the Pounds in Luke’s Gospel. The emphasis in the two parables is entirely different. What then was the figure used here ? One characterized by the uttermost simplicity. The fourteenth verse opens, “ For it is as when a man, going into another country.” In the Revised Version the words “ it is ” and “ when ” are italicized, which means they are not in the Greek, but have been put in by translators to give smoothness to the statement. Leave them out for a moment, “ For as a man, going into another country, called his own servants.” That links the parable closely with what had preceded it. Our Lord did not tarry between the parables. We look back then at the parable of the virgins, and the whole impact and value is found in the final charge of Jesus in verse thirteen. “ Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. For as a man, going into another country, calleth his own servants, and delivereth unto them his goods.” He now illustrated the necessity for watchfulness, but in another regard. So He takes this simple figure ; “ a man,” He says. With all justness we may say, a king. It is the picture of a man who has a country of his own, under his own control. He is the lord, the master, the king. In that country this man has servants. The word He used all through here was bond-servants, slaves. Paul always spoke of himself as doulos, the bond-servant of Jesus Christ, that is, the absolute property of his Lord, all his life forces belonging to his Lord, himself at the disposal of his Lord. That is the picture here. Moreover this man has goods. They belong to him. Change the word, wealth, or substance, but not substance stored, but something to be dealt with, to be offered for sale. It is a commercial figure connected with a king, the man who owned a country, and who had servants in it, he possessing goods in the country, substance. The picture our Lord gives here is of that man leaving behind in the country which is his own, these very servants to whom he has distributed talents, according to their ability, and leaving them there to trade for him, to carry on his business in his absence, to represent his goods to those who were left behind, and to put his goods at the disposal of others. That is the very simple picture which our Lord used. After a THE TALENTS long time he comes back, and has a reckoning with the responsible servants he has left behind, and three illustrations are given : to one, five ; to one, two ; and to one, one talent. Look at the picture again. What is the teaching of it ? That in the absence of the Lord He has delivered to His servants His goods. He called them His own servants. Mark the emphasis on authority and possession, “ His own servants,” and He “ delivered unto them His goods.” The implication is perfectly clear. The goods were left that they might be used for the glory and enrichment of their absent Lord. He had goods. The servants were responsible for their use in order to bring wealth to Him. Really the relation and suggestiveness of these pictures are full of appeal. Goods, our absent Lord, and His goods. What are we to sell in this world ? Do not quarrel about the word “ goods.” We may say God’s gifts are without money and price. But the figure stands good. The apostle used the same figure in a great passage in which he told us, not to redeem the time, but to buy up the opportunity ; and in that little word the apostle used of buying is the figure of the market-place, and merchant-men sitting by their wares, watching for the opportunity, and buying it up. That is the idea here. What are the goods ? The whole fact of the mission of Jesus in the world, the Gospel ; and not merely the fact historically, but the fact in all its vital power, of the manifestation of God to men in Christ, the fact of a ministry full of the revelation of the possibilities of humanity in Jesus, the fact that He went to His Cross, and bore the sin of the world, the fact that He proved His victory in His dying, by His resurrection, the fact that He ascended on high, and received gifts for the rebellious, the fact that He is the living Lord, and waiting to come in and take possession of human souls, and change them and remake them after His own image and likeness. The goods ! The great merchandise of the Church of God is concerned with things that belong to the Lord Himself, not with their own things, not with their own enterprises, not with their own merchandise ; not with their own organizations ; but with the goods, the wealth of Jesus, purchased at infinite cost, and now offered to the sons of men, offered to the whole human race. He has left these goods with His servants while He is away. That leads one to an equally careful though brief consideration of this word “ talents.” He gave one five talents. He gave another, two talents. He gave one, one talent. What does “ talent ” mean ? The popular use of the word suggests ability. We say of someone, That is a talented man, or a talented woman ; and we are describing someone who has some gift, some ability. That is not the meaning of the word here. It is not a question of whether we have something to teach the world in our own personality. The word means something quite other. This word talantos, which we translate “ talent ” is a noun rather of quantity, not a revelation of quality. It is a noun of quantity, representing the Lord’s possession alone. The five talents were His, part of His goods, and so with the two and the one. They did not belong to these servants at all. It is not a question of the fitness of His people, but one of the riches of His grace, provided for humanity in quantity. One man was given five talents, another two, and another one. Why did one man have five, and the other two, and yet a third, one ? Why the division ? We are told, “ To each according to his several ability.” We now come to the question of ability. Talents were given according to ability. There is a tremendous principle involved in that. This does not mean that the man with the five talents had a bigger opportunity than the man with the two ; or the man with the two than the man with the one. The personal possession of responsibility of some part of the King’s wealth depended upon the ability of that particular person to use it. God will give one man, Christ will give, the king will give a man so many talents, because he has the ability to use that particular amount of the wealth that is committed to him. It means this, He will never call a man to preach who has no natural ability for preaching. I am afraid we often do. He never does. Behind that wonderful little expression, according as each man had ability, is a revelation of natural fitness, the ability of the personality as preparation for the reception of a supernatural gift, and that is always so. If a business man has that ability, he will receive responsibility according to that ability, which is his natural ability, the natural baptized, empowered, by the supernatural. Do not be led astray by the five, and the two, and the one, as though the first marks some element of greatness, and a kind of inferiority in the next case, and a greater inferiority in the third. Not at all. The man is taken into account. Go to the epistles, and when Paul dealt with gifts, he says, To some was given thus, and others so ; and among the lists, he says, “ He gave some helps,” not tongues, or preaching, or teaching, or exposition, or actual ability, but just “ helps.” Thank God for those in the Christian Church who are helps. But it is according to ability ; and there is no reflection on the last man because he only received one talent. It was according to his ability. The great principle illustrated is that of his disbursement of his goods to his bond-servants. That they may fulfil the responsibility of carrying out his enterprises during his absence, he gives to each man severally as he will, five, two, one ; according as a man was able to use the five, or the two, or the one. According to his several ability ; the natural creating fitness for the supernatural. Then the Lord showed how these men used these things. The one who had five produced other five, a hundred per cent. The one who had the two produced other two. How much is that ? Fifty per cent. ? THE TALENTS No, a hundred per cent. The second did as well as the first. The man with the one had a wrong estimate of his master, which was entirely false, as an excuse for inactivity. He took his talent and hid it in a napkin and buried it, and he said he did it because his lord was hard and unjust, reaping where he did not sow. Inactivity ! One talent committed to him. If he had traded with it, and that talent had produced one, then it would have been as good as the man with the two, or the man with the five talents. It would have been one hundred per cent. But this man had done nothing with his lord’s possession. Nothing was brought to the Iord by the use of his talent. The issue is perfectly simple and plain. Notice carefully two verses. Verse 21. “ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Verse 23. “ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” There is no difference of a word. They show what Jesus said of the man with five talents and of the man with two was exactly the same. The approbation of the two men is identical, ‘I Well done.” “ Well done.” My masters ! Jesus will never say “ Well done ” to anyone unless it has been well done. Then mark it well, I’ enter thou into the joy of thy lord.“ Share with Me in the joy that comes from thy use of My goods in the world, the substance that I entrusted to you. So do not be foolish enough to wish we had five talents if He has given us two, or that we had two when He has given us one. Have we got one ? Has He entrusted US with one ? Have we got some portion of the Master’s goods that is our special responsibility for other men, one, two, five ? Then see to it we make full use of His goods entrusted to our care. The whole story teaches us this, that the final question is not one of greatness of opportunity, but faithfulness, fidelity to the opportunity that has been granted. We need not tarry with the man with the one talent, although it is a very tragic story. He lied about his lord, and the lord refuted that lie by repeating it to him. One cannot read the words without catching the note of irony, of satire, as he spoke to him. “ Thou wicked and slothful servant.” Then come the words of refutation. Is that what you knew, that I reaped where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter ? Is that your estimate ? Well, if you think that way, you might have put my money to the bankers, and at least I should have had interest on my return. It is so conclusive, and so revolutionary. These were all the servants of the lord, and it is possible to have five talents, and bury them, and the two talents, and bury them as did the man who had the one talent. He did not bury it because he only had one. He buried it because in his own soul he had a false thought about his master. Then he lied at the end, and gave it as an excuse ; and the lord said, Take it away from him, and give it to the man who has ten taIents, and cast him into the darkness outside, the darkness that is outside the Kingdom of responsibility. It is important that we keep these three parables in connection with each other. They reveal the threefold responsibility of the Church. First, communal responsibility, right behaviour among all its members, the ending of all malice and unkindness ; to use the figure-beating one another. Then the personal responsibility, that we have far more than a name, far more than a torch, far more than a wick which can be dim, if it has become encrusted. We must have oil that keeps the light burning. Finally, imperial responsibility, our responsibility for the goods of the Lord, for the enterprises of Christ in the world. In each case the responsibility is defined by our relationship to Him. True to Him, the household is always at peace. Waiting for Him, the lamps are always burning. Working for Him, the Kingdom is hastened, and the glory is brought to His name. 28. Sheep and No one who believes in the New Testament can deny that. The statement is clear that He Who came is coming again to the world. All through this Olivet prophecy our Lord was looking at the world, and His Church from that standpoint of their being in the world, when He, as to bodiIy presence, was absent, going into a far country, and after a long time, coming again. This parable must not be confused with that of the Pounds in Luke’s Gospel. The emphasis in the two parables is entirely different. What then was the figure used here ? One characterized by the uttermost simplicity. The fourteenth verse opens, “ For it is as when a man, going into another country.” In the Revised Version the words “ it is ” and “ when ” are italicized, which means they are not in the Greek, but have been put in by translators to give smoothness to the statement. Leave them out for a moment, “ For as a man, going into another country, called his own servants.” That links the parable closely with what had preceded it. Our Lord did not tarry between the parables. We look back then at the parable of the virgins, and the whole impact and value is found in the final charge of Jesus in verse thirteen. “ Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. For as a man, going into another country, calleth his own servants, and delivereth unto them his goods.” He now illustrated the necessity for watchfulness, but in another regard. So He takes this simple figure ; “ a man,” He says. With all justness we may say, a king. It is the picture of a man who has a country of his own, under his own control. He is the lord, the master, the king. In that country this man has servants. The word He used all through here was bond-servants, slaves. Paul always spoke of himself as doulos, the bond-servant of Jesus Christ, that is, the absolute property of his Lord, all his life forces belonging to his Lord, himself at the disposal of his Lord. That is the picture here.

Moreover this man has goods. They belong to him. Change the word, wealth, or substance, but not substance stored, but something to be dealt with, to be offered for sale. It is a commercial figure connected with a king, the man who owned a country, and who had servants in it, he possessing goods in the country, substance. The picture our Lord gives here is of that man leaving behind in the country which is his own, these very servants to whom he has distributed talents, according to their ability, and leaving them there to trade for him, to carry on his business in his absence, to represent his goods to those who were left behind, and to put his goods at the disposal of others. That is the very simple picture which our Lord used. After a long time he comes back, and has a reckoning with the responsible servants he has left behind, and three illustrations are given : to one, five ; to one, two ; and to one, one talent

Look at the picture again. What is the teaching of it ? That in the absence of the Lord He has delivered to His servants His goods. He called them His own servants. Mark the emphasis on authority and possession, “ His own servants,” and He “ delivered unto them His goods.” The implication is perfectly clear. The goods were left that they might be used for the glory and enrichment of their absent Lord. He had goods. The servants were responsible for their use in order to bring wealth to Him. Really the relation and suggestiveness of these pictures are full of appeal. Goods, our absent Lord, and His goods. What are we to sell in this world ? Do not quarrel about the word “ goods.” We may say God’s gifts are without money and price. But the figure stands good. The apostle used the same figure in a great passage in which he told us, not to redeem the time, but to buy up the opportunity ; and in that little word the apostle used of buying is the figure of the market-place, and merchant-men sitting by their wares, watching for the opportunity, and buying it up. That is the idea here

What are the goods ? The whole fact of the mission of Jesus in the world, the Gospel ; and not merely the fact historically, but the fact in all its vital power, of the manifestation of God to men in Christ, the fact of a ministry full of the revelation of the possibilities of humanity in Jesus, the fact that He went to His Cross, and bore the sin of the world, the fact that He proved His victory in His dying, by His resurrection, the fact that He ascended on high, and received gifts for the rebellious, the fact that He is the living Lord, and waiting to come in and take possession of human souls, and change them and remake them after His own image and likeness. The goods ! The great merchandise of the Church of God is concerned with things that belong to the Lord Himself, not with their own things, not with their own enterprises, not with their own merchandise ; not with their own organizations ; but with the goods, the wealth of Jesus, purchased at infinite cost, and now offered to the sons of men, offered to the whole human race. He has left these goods with His servants while He is away.

That leads one to an equally careful though brief consideration of this word “ talents.” He gave one five talents. He gave another, two talents. He gave one, one talent. What does “ talent ” mean ? The popular use of the word suggests ability. We say of someone, That is a talented man, or a talented woman ; and we are describing someone who has some gift, some ability. That is not the meaning of the word here. It is not a question of whether we have something to teach the world in our own personality. The word means something quite other. This word talantos, which we translate “ talent ” is a noun rather of quantity, not a revelation of quality. It is a noun of quantity, representing the Lord’s possession alone. The five talents were His, part of His goods, and so with the two and the one. They did not belong to these servants at all. It is not a question of the fitness of His people, but one of the riches of His grace, provided for humanity in quantity.

One man was given five talents, another two, and another one. Why did one man have five, and the other two, and yet a third, one ? Why the division ? We are told, “ To each according to his several ability.” We now come to the question of ability. Talents were given according to ability. There is a tremendous principle involved in that. This does not mean that the man with the five talents had a bigger opportunity than the man with the two ; or the man with the two than the man with the one. The personal possession of responsibility of some part of the King’s wealth depended upon the ability of that particular person to use it. God will give one man, Christ will give, the king will give a man so many talents, because he has the ability to use that particular amount of the wealth that is committed to him. It means this, He will never call a man to preach who has no natural ability for preaching. I am afraid we often do. He never does. Behind that wonderful little expression, according as each man had ability, is a revelation of natural fitness, the ability of the personality as preparation for the reception of a supernatural gift, and that is always so. If a business man has that ability, he will receive responsibility according to that ability, which is his natural ability, the natural baptized, empowered, by the supernatural. Do not be led astray by the five, and the two, and the one, as though the first marks some element of greatness, and a kind of inferiority in the next case, and a greater inferiority in the third. Not at all. The man is taken into account.

Go to the epistles, and when Paul dealt with gifts, he says, To some was given thus, and others so ; and among the lists, he says, “ He gave some helps,” not tongues, or preaching, or teaching, or exposition, or actual ability, but just “ helps.” Thank God for those in the Christian Church who are helps. But it is according to ability ; and there is no reflection on the last man because he only received one talent. It was according to his ability. The great principle illustrated is that of his disbursement of his goods to his bond-servants. That they may fulfil the responsibility of carrying out his enterprises during his absence, he gives to each man severally as he will, five, two, one ; according as a man was able to use the five, or the two, or the one. According to his several ability ; the natural creating fitness for the supernatural.

Then the Lord showed how these men used these things. The one who had five produced other five, a hundred per cent. The one who had the two produced other two. How much is that ? Fifty per cent. ? No, a hundred per cent. The second did as well as the first. The man with the one had a wrong estimate of his master, which was entirely false, as an excuse for inactivity. He took his talent and hid it in a napkin and buried it, and he said he did it because his lord was hard and unjust, reaping where he did not sow. Inactivity ! One talent committed to him. If he had traded with it, and that talent had produced one, then it would have been as good as the man with the two, or the man with the five talents. It would have been one hundred per cent. But this man had done nothing with his lord’s possession. Nothing was brought to the lord by the use of his talent.

The issue is perfectly simple and plain. Notice carefully two verses. Verse 21. “ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Verse 23. “ His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things : enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” There is no difference of a word. They show what Jesus said of the man with five talents and of the man with two was exactly the same. The approbation of the two men is identical, ‘I Well done.” “ Well done.” My masters ! Jesus will never say “ Well done ” to anyone unless it has been well done.

Then mark it well, I’ enter thou into the joy of thy lord.“ Share with Me in the joy that comes from thy use of My goods in the world, the substance that I entrusted to you. So do not be foolish enough to wish we had five talents if He has given us two, or that we had two when He has given us one. Have we got one ? Has He entrusted US with one ? Have we got some portion of the Master’s goods that is our special responsibility for other men, one, two, five ? Then see to it we make full use of His goods entrusted to our care. The whole story teaches us this, that the final question is not one of greatness of opportunity, but faithfulness, fidelity to the opportunity that has been granted.

We need not tarry with the man with the one talent, although it is a very tragic story. He lied about his lord, and the lord refuted that lie by repeating it to him. One cannot read the words without catching the note of irony, of satire, as he spoke to him. “ Thou wicked and slothful servant.” Then come the words of refutation. Is that what you knew, that I reaped where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter ? Is that your estimate ? Well, if you think that way, you might have put my money to the bankers, and at least I should have had interest on my return. It is so conclusive, and so revolutionary.

These were all the servants of the lord, and it is possible to have five talents, and bury them, and the two talents, and bury them as did the man who had the one talent. He did not bury it because he only had one. He buried it because in his own soul he had a false thought about his master. Then he lied at the end, and gave it as an excuse ; and the lord said, Take it away from him, and give it to the man who has ten talents, and cast him into the darkness outside, the darkness that is outside the Kingdom of responsibility.

It is important that we keep these three parables in connection with each other. They reveal the threefold responsibility of the Church. First, communal responsibility, right behaviour among all its members, the ending of all malice and unkindness ; to use the figure-beating one another. Then the personal responsibility, that we have far more than a name, far more than a torch, far more than a wick which can be dim, if it has become encrusted. We must have oil that keeps the light burning. Finally, imperial responsibility, our responsibility for the goods of the Lord, for the enterprises of Christ in the world. In each case the responsibility is defined by our relationship to Him. True to Him, the household is always at peace. Waiting for Him, the lamps are always burning. Working for Him, the Kingdom is hastened, and the glory is brought to His name.

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On 5/9/2017 at 7:38 PM, Sight said:

This parable confuses me. Of course the guys with five and two talents will double them. The one who got one talent got jipped. The richer get richer, and the poorer get poorer, and this scripture confirms God is the author of that paradigm.

 

What does this parable mean? All this parable does is trigger and upset me.

To that, it is not even true that the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, whoever made that up, has not paid attention to life. There are lots and lots of examples, where the rich lose it all, and where the poor, have become rich. Some, stay the same. In my case, I came into the world with nothing. By the time I was out of High School for a year, I had a few had tools to my name, and a car worth $200, and maybe that much in the bank.

By the time I was 57, I owned a 2500 square foot home on .4 acres of land outright, and that after raising 5 kids to adulthood. In the U.S., that does not make me rich, but it sure does not make me poor. By world wide standards, no doubt I am rich. I live a better lifestyle, than any king enjoyed when the Bible was written. To expect better, is to desire to be truly spoiled.

I have never gone a day, where I could not have had something to eat, nor a roof over my head, nor clothes on my back, if that was my priority. I have little doubt, that had it been a goal of mine to be a multi-millionaire, that I could have been. That was never my goal, but with a few decisions to apply myself, in terms of effort, and to learn what I needed to know, the only thing preventing be from becoming rich, was moderately wise decisions, and moderate opportunity.

In the U.S., and in most modern cultures with any freedom, the main thing that hinders financial advancement, is ourselves. While there are always exceptions, it is not a case of the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer. Most of the time, the rich get richer because they work at it, and the poor get poorer, because they are lazy, or do not care to make wise decisions.

Want to be poor? Spent you money frivolously, drop out of school, don't take steps to learn valuable skills, have children before you can take care of them financially, etc. Party a lot, take drugs or alcohol, buy things you cannot afford, like a nice car or a nice home, or even rent that is outside of what you can afford. Eat out a lot, spend money on things like entertainment, nice clothing and jewelry, expensive hair care and other non-necessities, and then blame your problems on the rich getting richer, etc. Excuses do not help you advance, they help you to stay in the trap you set for yourself.

However, that parable is not about money, not about wealth and poverty.  It is about recognizing that everything belongs to God, and what you get of it's use, is by His generosity. He rightly expects, that you should appreciate that, and desire to thank him, by partially paying back some of His generosity, by returning or using some of what He has provided, in gratitude. 

This can be material things, or talents you have, spiritual gifts or other abilities, anything that you can offer. Is someone worse off than you? Share with them. Giving to others, is how you offer thanks to God, for what He has given you. If you do not think He has given you much, then think harder about every breath you breathe, ever sip of water or morsel of food, every creature comfort, every sight you take in, sound you hear, every moment you are not freezing to death of in danger of heat stroke.

Whining about your condition, instead of being thankful for all the things you receive but do not deserve, is how you come to be triggered within your blessings. Try counting those instead, and seek how you might live to please God, He who provided all good things.

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mp3speaker.pngparable talents

Question: "What is the meaning of the Parable of the Talents?"

Answer:
Matthew, in chapters 24-25, records the Lord’s heart of compassion and love mingled with unwavering holiness. This section of Scripture, including the Parable of the Talents, constitutes final warnings, prophecies, and encouragements to His people Israel prior to His departure. He, who is their Lord, is leaving for an undisclosed period of time. He is delegating to them the responsibility, as stewards, to care for His kingdom. The Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30, impresses on them the weight of that responsibility and the serious consequences of neglecting to understand and apply His instructions. There is also a message to all mankind.

If the talents are talents of gold, the value of what the master entrusted to the stewards would be immensely high, in the millions of dollars. Since the Lord uses only the term "talents" we must make some assumptions, but is seems reasonable to assume that the owner of the talents, the man traveling into a far country, was a wealthy man. He is entrusting his wealth to three men who become stewards of his money. One receives five talents. Another receives two talents. A third steward receives one talent. Each is given a significant amount of money. These are stewards entrusted with the care of the money. The stewards must know the personality and character of their Lord. He expects them to know Him well enough to apply the spirit as well as the letter of His instructions. Those that do are richly rewarded. The others receive severe judgment. The amount given is based on each steward’s ability. The first two understand the spirit and letter of instructions and the character of their Lord. They both use the resources by "trading" to gain a profit. Each of them makes a 100 percent profit. Fear and mistrust of his Lord motivate the third steward. He buries the money in the earth and returns the original amount. The profitable stewards are praised, given increased responsibilities and invited to enter into the joy of their Lord. The untrusting steward is scolded, rejected, and punished.

The application of this parable must be understood within the context of the message of Matthew 24-25. It is first a message to the people of Israel that will live in the last days before the Lord returns. The statement, in Matthew 24:13, "But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," is a key statement. This is the believing remnant that will receive the promise of the kingdom. In Matthew 24:32-34, the Lord states, "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." These will be alive when He returns and will have understood and believed their Lord. The application to the people of Israel is graphic and relevant. Those that believe Him will be rewarded in His kingdom. The basis of the reward will be their stewardship of His resources entrusted to them. Those who fear and do not believe will be rejected and judged.

There is also a universal application to all mankind. From the time of the creation of mankind, each individual has been entrusted with resources of time and material wealth. Everything we have comes from God and belongs to Him. We are responsible for using those resources so that they increase in value. As Christians, we have additionally the most valuable resource of all – the Word of God. If we believe and understand Him, and apply His Word as good stewards, we are a blessing to others and the value of what we do multiplies. We are accountable to the Lord for the use of His resources.

https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-talents.html

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Do something with the kingdom of God. Its simple.

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