14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15to one he gave five talents,* to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 17In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 18But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” 21His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 22And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” 23His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” 24Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” 26But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
I think this parable could be titled “Investing in the Kingdom” or how are we preparing for Jesus’ coming again?
We are approaching the end of the Church Year and the Sunday scripture lessons will be focuses on the themes of final judgment and the proper use of the time and gifts that have been given to each person. The Parable of the Talents is one of the end-time parables in Matthew (24:45-51; 25:1-13 & 25:14-30) that focus on how we are to prepare for the Son of Man, who will come at an unknown time (cf Lk. 19:11-27).
As a man left on a journey, he entrusted his property to his slaves: one slave received five talents; another received two talents and a third slave received one talent: each according to his ability. The first two slaves doubled the amount given to them but the third dug a hole and hid his one talent.
When the man returned, he praised the first two slaves and finding them trustworthy planned to put them in charge of more. These slaves had taken a risk and skillfully managed what they were given.
However the slave who received one talent returned the one talent to his master. The master in turn gave the one talent to the slave who had the greatest return. Although the third slave was honest and did not lose his master’s money, he was accused of being wicked and lazy. He defended himself, saying that he acted out of fear because the master was a “harsh man” (v. 24). The master did not deny this, but for that reason, the slave should have at the very least invested the talent to obtain interest on it.
The master goes on to say that more will be given to those who have much, while from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The point being that one must act responsibly and also be willing to take a risk in the face of the coming of the Son of Man.
The third slave is further punished by being thrown “into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The darkness alludes to the condemnation of the last judgment and is in direct opposition to entering the joy of the master.
In the Matthean context, this parable is about the second coming of the Son of Man, and builds on the theme of constant watchfulness. During this time of waiting, the Christian community is to avoid laziness and fear and to work diligently.
In broader terms, God’s undeniable call demand that we take the risks that must accompany our spiritual maturity and the spreading of the hope in Christ. Rather than just living safely, we are to risk acting in ways that reflect the creativity and commitment of our Creator. We are to be good stewards of the Gospel by proclaiming the Good News of everlasting hope and not hiding it away or keeping to ourselves. Our reward is the everlasting joy of our Lord and the peace of God that passes all understanding.
Questions for thought and reflection:
- How do you imagine each of the slaves felt when he received his sum of money from the master?
- How do you imagine each of the slaves might have felt as the master reacted to their various efforts?
- With which slave do you identify most easily?
- This parable challenges us to take risks as a part of our call from God. What risks have you taken in relations to your faith?
- How are you challenged by the Parable of the Talents, and what are its implications for your life of faith?
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