The Parable of the 5 Talents

I know.  Two posts in two days.  Almost a miracle in itself, right?  I'm actually feeling really touched by God's spirit lately during my quiet time.  This one grabbed me yesterday and wouldn't let go so I decided to get it out while it was fresh.

This parable isn't studied as often as some of the others Jesus taught in the New Testament.  The mustard seed, the sower - these are usually more popular parables.  But I like the one about the talents because I think it speaks about so many different things.  I guess they all do so maybe I just like this one best.  Either way, let me paraphrase the parable Jesus teaches in Matthew 25.

There was a master who went on a journey, but before he left, he called three of his servants to him.  The Bible tells us that he gave them each some talents according to their ability.  To one he gave 5 talents, one 2 talents, and the last servant received only one talent.  Now keep in mind that a talent was worth more than a thousand dollars so this is a pretty big deal for these servants.  The master leaves, comes back, and calls his servants to him so they can account for the money he entrusted them with (read: spiritual gifts).  The servant with 5 talents worked to turn it into 5 more.  In fact, the Bible tells us he went immediately after the master left to invest the money.  The second servant turned his 2 into 2 more, again doubling his master's investment.  The final servant gives an answer that we in today's society can actually empathize with and sometimes have difficulty understanding where the servant goes wrong.  For each of the first two servants, the master begins his praise with a simple, yet wonderful sentence: "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

How wonderful would it be to hear our Master greet us in such a way when he calls each of us for our accounting of the "talents" (notice anything?) He has given us.

The last servant tells his master that, knowing the master is a harsh and dishonest man, he was scared to lose the money so to be safe he hid it in the ground.  He gives the talent back to the master, and we see a very different reaction to this servant.  The master gets angry, calls him lazy, and gives his one talent to the servant who earned 10 talents.

Now, the "moral" of the story, the usual focus for most pastors, is when Jesus finishes by telling his disciples that "he who has will be given more in abundance, and to him who doesn't have, what he does have will be taken away." (NKJV)

In other words, those people who use the talents God gave them well, He will provide more in abundance.   To those who waste the talents they were given, they will not only not gain but will lose what He has given them.  I like the superhero mantra: "With great power comes great responsibility".

I could go into that, but if you search for any sermon on this parable, you'll get all you need to know about this principle.  It is really well covered.

What I want to focus on is something that I've never actually heard anyone speak about.  Before I do, though, I will throw out a caution.  I haven't actually researched my opinion of this particular passage.  The part above is pretty clear.  I've read and heard dozens of interpretations, and I feel pretty comfortable of my reading of that part.  But this next part, my particular focus, I haven't researched yet.  I feel like I was led to notice this part, but I can't say I've read about it yet.  So take this with a grain of salt, as they say.

Here's what I noticed yesterday reading this parable: 24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' 26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest."

Did you see it?  I'll point it out just in case.  See, the servant says that he knows the master to be a harsh, deceitful man then the master admits to being such a man.  However, he still punishes the last servant by sending him out into the darkness where there will be "wailing and gnashing of teeth".  Do you get it now?  

Jesus is teaching his disciples about obedience.  And the key is, not just obedience to a master who deserves to be obeyed.  In this parable, you would think that Jesus, who preaches against evil until his last day on Earth, would have condemned the master for admitting to being such a wicked man.  But it is the disobedient servant who is punished!

What this tells me is that God expects us not only to obey Him as a holy, perfect, loving God, but also to obey our human masters who may not deserve such respect and service.  Why?  Why would he tell us to obey our boss at work who is mean, spiteful, and a professed atheist who punishes you for trying to hang a Bible verse in your office?  Because it is not the master we are actually working for; it is not talents that he has given us that we are using.  If we are using talents given by God then that makes Him the master we are working for no matter what.

If God has blessed me with a job then no matter how my Earthly master acts, I am actually working in a blessing from God so I need to answer to God.  It didn't matter that the master in the parable wasn't worthy of loyal obedience, it was expected nonetheless.  And for the servants who gave it, they were rewarded by being praised and invited to join in their master's good fortune.  The fearful servant, while he didn't actually commit any crime, also didn't actively obey either, and was sent out into the darkness alone.

I don't know about you, but I am praying that I end up sharing in my Heavenly Master's good fortune not alone in the darkness forever.  I can't claim to be a "5 talent" servant.  At least not yet.  But I'm hoping that I'm using my one talent well, and with faith and maturity, I'll earn more talents to be used for His glory.

One last little tidbit I'd like to point out before I go.  Even though the last servant was punished, he wasn't killed or sold to another master.  Although his punishment is still very severe and very permanent, it didn't remove him from his master's service.  What does this mean?  Well, again I'm just expressing my interpretation, but I believe this points to believers and unbelievers alike in the Kingdom of God.  

For believers, I think this proves that, although we may not share in God's riches, we are always His servants even when being punished for our sins.  He isn't casting us off to another master.  He is just letting us suffer the consequences of our own wrongdoings.  Remind you of another parable?  That which a man reaps, he will sow.  Sound familiar?

For unbelievers, I think the focus is on the permanent part of the punishment.  The master didn't give any conditions, limitations, or loopholes for the punishment.  The servant was forever in the darkness alone.  He couldn't earn his way back into the fold.  The master didn't give him points for good behavior, or shorten his punishment for good works.  He had his mission, he failed, he was punished.  No returns, no exchanges, no refunds.

I'm not a fan of the punishment of the servant.  I have to admit that I actually agree with him.  I would be terrified of the master's reaction if I had made a bad investment and lost everything.  But Jesus wanted the disciples to know that God expects instant obedience.  He's given us talent and a mission, to glorify His kingdom, and He expects us to obey.  No questions.  If we believe then we obey.  Simple.  Okay, not simple but still doable.

I can't say that I like what this parable teaches about obedience.  I want to treat someone how they are not how God sees them.  If you are an ugly person on the inside, I don't want to give you my loyalty and respect.  But now that God has shown me this part of the parable, I may not like it, but I can no longer claim ignorance.  

And now, hopefully God has shown you as well.  We'll all be reluctantly obedient together.  

The Greatest Word in the English Language

Seeing the title I'm sure you're thinking of something along the lines of "love" or "hate" or even "fear" or "evil".  But in my recent studies of the Bible for my kindergarten class in AWANA, I've noticed a pattern.  It's actually been there the whole time, but I should say that God recently opened my eyes to it.  I shouldn't be surprised.  It's what He does after all; open our eyes to a new lesson inside of a passage we may have read a hundred times.  That's why we say that the Bible is the "living" word of God.  Because it is ever changing and never changing at the same time.  Enough background, drum roll please.  The greatest word in the English language (and probably every other language, as well) is......BUT.

Disappointed?  Let down?  Or did you guess it?  Don't feel bad.  It is a very small word.  Technically, just a conjunction used to connect bigger, more complicated words together to form a longer sentence.  It's not even the only conjunction out there.  But (see?) it is that precise function that makes it so powerful.  I'll put down a few of the verses I was studying when it hit me.  See if you can find the pattern, too.

Genesis 2:20 - BUT for Adam, no suitable helper was found. (NIV)
Genesis 6:8 - BUT Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (NIV)
Genesis 50:20 - As for you, you meant evil against me, BUT God meant it for good... (NIV)
Psalm 73:26 - My flesh and my heart may fail, BUT God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

And in my opinion the greatest "but" of them all:

John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish BUT have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world BUT that the world through Him might be saved.

See the pattern?  The word "but" is so important that it occurs over 1000 times in the Old Testament alone!  Have you figured out why it is so important yet?  It's right there in the pattern.

The word "but" is a conjunction used to connect two smaller ideas together.  In the Bible, it is usually used in the following way:
You have fallen short of the glory of God, BUT He is merciful and faithful to save you from yourself.

Pretty amazing right?  Such a small word for such a big promise.  The Bible is very clear in that every human, including Paul, Moses, and even Abraham, will fall short of God's glory and standards.  If you don't believe that, just look around you.  The evidence of man's fallibility is everywhere in our culture; a culture of excess, greed, and selfishness.

BUT, (see my pattern now) God knows this, knew this when he created Adam and Eve.  He never, never planned on letting us go it alone.  He knew we would fall, knew we would need help getting back up, and knew we wouldn't deserve the help.  So in the Old Testament He sent judges, spiritual leaders such as Saul, David, and Solomon, and prophets to help lead Israel out of their sin.  When that didn't work, He chose to send the ultimate Help, Jesus Christ.  Of course, this leads into the whole free will vs. predestination (or fate) debate.  I'm no theologian, but this is how my tiny brain makes sense of a very difficult idea.

If God is our Heavenly Father, then the closest picture we have of this on Earth is our human fathers.  Hopefully, you have a good one either by blood or choice so you can understand what I'm referring to next.  Just like a good, dedicated, loving human father knows his children, to the point of knowing what choice they will make in certain matters, he also hopes they will surprise him and make the better choice.  Let me clarify with an example:  my husband knows how much my oldest loves sugar.  We all know.  If we were to leave him at home for the day with instructions to eat only protein and vegetables, but we did not remove the oreos from the pantry, we know that some will be missing when we get home later.  We know my son will choose the oreos even though he knows they are bad for him.  But, we hope that he will eventually mature and learn from his previous consequences, and choose to bypass that temptation.

In the same way, on a much higher scale, God looks at us.  Although He knows what we will choose because of His omniscience, He continues to hope that we will eventually turn from our temptations and choose Him instead.

Moving on from that sensitive subject.

The word "but" is very powerful.  I hope you start to notice it now when you study your Bible.  Notice that it usually follows a condemnation from God then precedes a glorious promise from God.  Notice that we never deserve the promise.  Notice that we don't seem to learn from our behavior.  And notice how that doesn't change God's steadfastness.  He continues to help the people in the Bible just as He continues to help us today.

And I will leave you with one final verse that I feel sums it up for me, and pray that God will use this revelation in your life as He has in mine.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Amen.