Matthew 25:14-30

After instructing the believers to be ready for Christ's return and the establishment of the kingdom, Jesus shares a final parable with them. This teaching is commonly known as the parable of the talents. In this parable Jesus tells of a man who is traveling to a far country (illustrates Jesus in heaven before His second coming) so he calls his servants (those living during the time of tribulation) together and distributes his possessions to them. To one of the servants he gives five talents (certain sum of money) and to another he gave two talents and to the last one he gave one talent. He gave to each man the amount of money he felt that they could handle (25:15). The man goes away on his journey and while he is away the servant with five talents trades with others and gains five more talents (25:16). The servant with two talents gained two more (25:17). The servant who had been given one talent went out and dug a whole and buried his money (25:18). After a period of time, the man returns and each servant gives an account of how he handled the master's money (25:19). The servants with five and two talents bring their money before the master and he is pleased with how they've used it and declares them "good and faithful servants (25:20-23). However, the servant with one talent comes accusing the master of being an unfair and unreasonable man (25:24-25) and made excuses as to why he had not gained anything with the money given to him. The master calls this servant "wicked and lazy" and sentences him to be punished (25:26-30). This parable is a clear illustration of the responsibility that God has given His followers to be faithful in that which He has entrusted to them. The issue in this parable is not the amount given to each servant...He rewards both the servant with five talents as well as the servant who was given two talents. The issue seems to be the faithfulness of the servants. The servant who was given one talent is an example of a person given his very life by God but chose to ignore his responsibility to worship Him with it. We can surmise from the master's punishment that this servant also represents an unbeliever who will ultimately be cast into hell (25:30). Those who are truly servants of God will be faithful (not perfect) to do His work; however, those who live life for themselves prove that they are not a follower of Jesus Christ.

Dear God, I desire to be faithful to You and what you have entrusted me with. Help me to use what You've given me to bring honor to You.