The Talents
Scripture Reading: Matthew.25:14-30
Today’s chosen parable, on first reading, is difficult to digest if we take it at face value. It’s easy to see it as being about money & making more money, gaining wealth for the manager of a company, & I don’t know about you but I actually feel sorry for the man who buried his talent trying to keep it safe.
But when we study it deeper it is not about money at all, as just like the other parables each person & item are representative of ourselves & how we prepare for Christ’s second coming. Jesus here is teaching us how to prepare for His return, how to live our lives as we wait for Him to come again.
The story begins with these simple words:
“It will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants & entrusted his property to them.”
Jesus sets the stage – we are trusted to take care of God’s property, His world & all that is in it. Everything we have is given to us by God. So do we see ourselves as stewards or owners of it?
Stewards live for the day when they will return the Master’s goods to Him, whereas an owner believes his possessions are his to use and spend the way he sees fit. It is the same with the gifts we have been given – are we using them for the glory of God, for our own gratification & ends, or just hiding them away? We have to remember that all we have – our material goods, our abilities, & even our very lives – belong to someone else. We are merely holding them for the day of reckoning.
Next, the parable tells us that each servant has a different amount of money entrusted to him, “Each according to his ability.” Everyone receives something but not everyone receives the same amount.
It is easy to complain today that we have not received as much as someone else, but God Himself has given us the ability to care for what we do have & share it with others. In other words, we are responsible, & we are able.
Jesus continues to tell us in the parable about His return: “After a long time the master of those servants returned.” He reminds us that His return is certain, even though it may not always feel like it, & when He returns we will be called into account regarding our faithfulness with His gifts. All of us give an account. The second coming is not only about Jesus, & not just about others, it is also about us. In these last days we too have a role to play.
When Christ returns He will ask each one of us as servants to tell Him how we spent the time & opportunities He has given us. We need to ask ourselves:
Did we care for those we were told to protect?
Did we provide for those in need?
Did we share the good news of Christ’s salvation & forgiveness with others?
Did we do all we could to further the Kingdom of God in our ministry?
Were we faithful stewards of everything God entrusted to us?
This means, as Christians, we should be more intentional with the time & gifts we have been given (talents) because we know that one day Christ will return, & when He does He’ll want to know what we’ve done with this precious life we have been given.
Ask yourself today – are you a good steward of what belongs to Him? Are you sharing it with others or locking yourself in your own little bubble? Are you growing His investment? Or are you burying your time, talent & opportunities (maybe out of fear in the current climate, or using them for self-gain/ self-gratification)?
It’s up to you to decide but do it quickly for you never know when the Master will return. He could be back at any moment – don’t waste the little time you have.