The Parable Of The Talents.

Matthew 25:14-19

“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. 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.

Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”

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Talents and abilities come from God. Everyone may have the same opportunities as everyone else, but each has different abilities. Some have more than others but each can function to their greatest abilities if they so desire.

This story is more than simply a lesson about money, as the talent was not only a unit of money in Bible times. It was also a measure of weight.

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Different Talents, Different Abilities.

The first recipient was given FIVE TALENTS of gold. Five, many of you know, is the number of Grace. Gold in the Bible is a picture of God’s divine nature. Who is the One that received the full measure of God’s grace and possessed the full measure of God’s divinity? Jesus, His beloved Son, of course! He was perfectly Holy, perfectly at rest at all times, and perfectly able to perform all the 10 Commandments, hence the mention of the number “10.”

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The second man received 2 talents which he faithfully put to work, doubling his Master’s money. In other words, he doubled the outreach and influence with which he was gifted. The master was very pleased with his works.

This man is a picture of the Church. We are beneficiaries of Jesus’ death (#1) and resurrection (#2). We mirror Jesus in that we do the best we can with what we have to reach the world for Christ.

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Sadly, the one who received the one talent saw him as a hard task master, not a loving father. He did worse than nothing with what he was given: He buried it in the ground! When the Master returned, he was very displeased with the unjust servant, so his talent was give to the one who now had 10.

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The message is, “If you don’t use it, you lose it and another will take the place you were supposed to have.” He who is faithful will have abundance, but he who is not shall not prosper.

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First Mention.

This reminds me of the first time the word, “Talent,” is mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 25. This is the chapter where God spoke to Moses about how to fashion the Menorah for the Tabernacle.

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There is a “Law,” if you will, in the interpretation of scripture which states this: “The first mention or occurrence of a subject in Scripture establishes an unchangeable pattern with that subject.  It remains unchanged in the mind of God throughout Scripture.”  This law is the key to revealing truths hidden in the Bible in the meaning and of words, names, and even numbers.

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What is interesting to note is that we are given the weight of the lampstand but not it’s dimensions. Let’s read below:

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Ex. 25:31 “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece.

Ex. 25:39 “It shall be made of a (one) talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. And see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.”

See? Weight but no dimensions. Why? Because it’s not the size of your church or ministry that matters; IT IS THE WEIGHT THAT IT CARRIES.  In other words, how influential it is in your community has nothing to do with the size of your Church or ministry.  It is God Who gives weight to one’s words or causes them to fall to the ground.

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(For more on the Lampstand, you may follow the link below:

https://emmausroadministries.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/the-lampstand-tabernacle-series-part-3/)

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To those who honor the truth of God’s word and preach Grace, God gives great weight or honor. Some people’s words are weightier than others, meaning THEIR WORDS AND TEACHINGS ARE MORE VALUED OR HONORED.

But those who come against grace, God causes their words to “Fall to the ground.” They have little or no impact. Eventually, their Church or ministry will dry up and their congregations will go elsewhere.

So whatever your talent or ministry, do it to the best of your ability. Don’t worry about your detractors. You just be true to God and to His word. He will take care of the rest.

He is the Lord of the Talents!