Monday, August 23, 2004
For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. : So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'
His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. : So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. : For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
Matt 25:14-30 RSV
What is this parable about?
In many ways, it’s about discipleship. It's about stepping out on faith and using whatever you have been given, big or small, to the glory of God. The guy with one talent didn't get into trouble because he was only given one talent. He got into trouble because he didn't do anything with what his master gave him.
A talent (even one) was a lot of money...it was based on a measure of how much weight a person could carry. A gold talent was about 50 pounds worth of gold. A day’s wage to a laborer was a denarius, about .13 of an ounce of silver. There was a gold coin called an aureus , about a third of an ounce of gold, worth 25 denarii. Something along the lines of 4 ounces of gold would be close to a year’s wages. A talent of gold would be well over ten years wages for most people. And the listeners in Jesus’ audience would know this. So they knew he was given a whole lot to worth with. It was valuable, a fortune. So the story is clearly that because he chose not to do anything with what he had been given, but chose to bury the quite sizable amount he had been entrusted with, he was cast out.
It was a failure of discipleship, being a valuable servant.
This is in the 25th Chapter of Matthew. There are three parables here: the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, where those who stay ready until the end are contrasted with those who don't, the Parable of the Talents, whose point seems to be to be to stay active in the business of God, no matter whatever God entrusts you with, because to be a good servant means to work for the betterment of the Lord, and finally, the parable of the sheep and the lambs, where those who have been active in doing for Jesus are rewarded, just as if they had been doing it to Jesus himself. The context here is that we are to be busy, like trusted servants, doing our Master's work until he returns.
What to do? Someone suggested to me that the parable is discussing doing intercessory prayer. This is truly one of the ways God calls us - and seeing the parable as a call to that is an interesting read, but he also calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and so on. To me, the parable says to work with whatever, however God calls me to work, whether it's doing the big tasks or the lesser. Jesus' audience knew that a talent of Gold was a fortune that most of them would never see. So it shows that whatever he gives us to work with is valuable. I will sew the seed, stepping out on faith, and let God harvest the result. To turn my back on his asking me to do something would be a turning away, an act in defiance of faith. I might as well bury the gift he gave me.
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.'
His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.'
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'
But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. : So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. : For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'
Matt 25:14-30 RSV
What is this parable about?
In many ways, it’s about discipleship. It's about stepping out on faith and using whatever you have been given, big or small, to the glory of God. The guy with one talent didn't get into trouble because he was only given one talent. He got into trouble because he didn't do anything with what his master gave him.
A talent (even one) was a lot of money...it was based on a measure of how much weight a person could carry. A gold talent was about 50 pounds worth of gold. A day’s wage to a laborer was a denarius, about .13 of an ounce of silver. There was a gold coin called an aureus , about a third of an ounce of gold, worth 25 denarii. Something along the lines of 4 ounces of gold would be close to a year’s wages. A talent of gold would be well over ten years wages for most people. And the listeners in Jesus’ audience would know this. So they knew he was given a whole lot to worth with. It was valuable, a fortune. So the story is clearly that because he chose not to do anything with what he had been given, but chose to bury the quite sizable amount he had been entrusted with, he was cast out.
It was a failure of discipleship, being a valuable servant.
This is in the 25th Chapter of Matthew. There are three parables here: the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, where those who stay ready until the end are contrasted with those who don't, the Parable of the Talents, whose point seems to be to be to stay active in the business of God, no matter whatever God entrusts you with, because to be a good servant means to work for the betterment of the Lord, and finally, the parable of the sheep and the lambs, where those who have been active in doing for Jesus are rewarded, just as if they had been doing it to Jesus himself. The context here is that we are to be busy, like trusted servants, doing our Master's work until he returns.
What to do? Someone suggested to me that the parable is discussing doing intercessory prayer. This is truly one of the ways God calls us - and seeing the parable as a call to that is an interesting read, but he also calls us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and so on. To me, the parable says to work with whatever, however God calls me to work, whether it's doing the big tasks or the lesser. Jesus' audience knew that a talent of Gold was a fortune that most of them would never see. So it shows that whatever he gives us to work with is valuable. I will sew the seed, stepping out on faith, and let God harvest the result. To turn my back on his asking me to do something would be a turning away, an act in defiance of faith. I might as well bury the gift he gave me.
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