Matthew 25:14-31

About the Text

(15) What is a " talent" ? In Biblical times, it was a unit of money valued at more than a thousand dollars. It should not be confused with the modern meaning of " talent," such as piano playing or painting. In this parable, the talents represent all of God's gifts to us, whether they be a house, children, a loving Christian home, wealth, the ability to play tennis, a fulfilling job, etc. Salvation is the chief of God's gifts, paid for by the death of His Son Jesus Christ.

(16) What does the parable mean by the servant gaining " five more" ? The servant represents those believers who use their possessions, time, knowledge, and abilities to the glory of God. That is, they strive to bless others so that they would praise God. In this way, we " multiply" the blessings of God, by using God's blessings to us to bless others.

(21) What did Jesus mean by " Come and share your master's happiness" ? That Christ bestows abundant rewards to believers who work diligently and effectively for God. Although the Bible doesn't give great detail about those rewards, it is clear about those rewards as being a source of great hope for those who labor tirelessly for God. See Matt. 5:12, 1 Cor. 3:10-15, and 9:24-27. If all your hard work for God seems fruitless at times, remember that there is a great prize yet to come.

(24) What did the servant mean by saying that his master was " a hard man" ? He knew that his master would take any profits that the servant earned (hence, " harvesting where you have not sown" ). The lazy servant, therefore, thought it was pointless to invest time and energy multiplying that one talent.

(23) Why was the lazy servant afraid? He was afraid of anyone, including the master, taking the one talent. Likewise, one of the biggest hindrances to our giving ourselves towards life-long sacrificial service to the Lord is the fear of losing out. We sometimes fear losing too many of our possessions, or wasting our abilities on non-profit-making ventures.

(28) Isn't it unfair that the master gave the one talent to the servant who already had ten? No. This act shows how Jesus Christ is so pleased with those who work hard for the Lord, that He bestows gifts to them in great abundance.

Insights

• Christ gives to each of us a variety of gifts, and to those who believe, the greatest gift of all - salvation.
• Christ pours out more blessings upon those who gratefully use the blessings they already have to bless others.
• Christ judges unbelievers who, out of selfishness and laziness, hoard God's blessings to themselves.
  

The Bottom Line

Use all your abilities, skills, knowledge, possessions, and background to the glory of God. If you are a believer, spend time thinking how you could use all that you have and all you can do to bless others. Ask yourself, " How can I use all this for others such that they will praise God?" God's greatest gift to us is the reason why we would want to use our gifts for Him. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross, taking the punishment for our own wickedness and sin. Through this act, He paid for the gift of eternal life, with the result that all the blessings of salvation (e.g. the Holy Spirit, joy, hope, peace, love) are given abundantly to those who believe. Such believers, like the first two servants in this parable, are so overwhelmed with gratitude, that they cannot help but to want to use those gifts for God's glory.

Key Memory Verse

" 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!" (Matt. 25:21)