You know they owe you, but when you dont make them pay, you know that it cost you. Learn how your comment data is processed. Come and share your masters happiness! (Matthew 25:21). 4 But they remained silent. And cast the useless servant into the outer darkness. Youve heard the phrase, I dont get mad, I get even. You cant get even. Driven by that fear, the servant buried the money in the ground. I didnt want to do the wrong thing, he seems to say. Jesus had the wisdom to simplify the profound spiritual truths he came to share with humans in the form of relatable stories that are very easy to understand. In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus Christ shared a parable with his disciples. The first servant used his money very well and he got twice as much. Dig. By Joyce Webb 2008. But the third servant buried his one talent in a hole he had dug in the ground. Proverbs 26:13-16 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets, Haggai 1:2-4 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. "Then the one who had received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. Before going away on a long journey, a master calls in three servants. 2.!The parable of the talents is sandwiched in between the parable of the ten !virgins and the parable of the sheep and the goats. After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. Unlimited forgiveness ought to be demonstrated with mercy toward others because it is the reflection of a right relationship with the Father. Or to state it another way. In that case, you should have turned my money over to the bankers so that when I returned, you could give me what belonged to me with interest. We find our true joy and place in life when we serve God with our gifts. The story in Matthew 25:1430 unfolds as such: A man goes away on a trip. In this parable, Jesus describes a master who, before going on a journey, provides three servants with a form of money known then as a talent. What then. WebWhy did the servant buried his talent? WebBut he who received one went and dug in the ground and buried the money of his lord. Jesus told the story of a man traveling into a far country. Jesus went away and He is coming back someday. What did the master expect from each servant? The third servant buries the money and the first servant, who was given 5 talents, wastes the money on trivial things. However, as planned, he becomes king of the distant land and returns home to see how his servants have done. For example, this story is about talents which was a super large amount of money in Bible times. But when I recognize my forgiveness, I wont hold them accountable for their evil. WebThe Parable of the Unmerciful Servant is an important parable in terms of what Jesus was trying to teach us in the Gospels. The lazy servant represents the self righteous religious people of Christs day and the prideful rich. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 goes counter to the politically correct thought of our day. The wealthy man put his servants in charge of his So, the Lord told his servants to take his talent from him and give it to the one who had ten talents. You are a good and faithful servant. Third, and most significant, Jesus spoke the Parable of the Ten Virgins to four of His closest disciplesPeter, James, Andrew and Johnduring His Olivet Discourse (see The master is pleased with both servants and gives them new responsibilities: You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. It is not meant that the improving of natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. He admits he buried it in the ground because he was afraid to use it (Matthew 25:24-25, Luke 19:20-21). WebThe parable explains that the rich man also gives five talents (the large unit of money) to his first servant, two units of money to his second servant, and one unit of money to his third servant. He put it to work and gained five more (25:16); the one with two talents gained two more (25:17); but the third with one talent buried his masters gold (25:18). To learn more about me and Not Your Ordinary Joe, go to joeiovino.com/nyojoe. It is rather scary how angry the master was at the servant who buried his talent. The 1st servant did just that: doubled it from 5 talents to 10. Jesus told the parable, not to the multitudes, but to Peter, James, Andrew and John for their benefit. The master told them to care for his money and the first two servants used the talents to trade and gain profit. 2 And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? (Luke 19:12-27). In this show, one boss brings several employees into a room, gives them each cash, and tells them to invest to grow his corporation. He asked his servants what they had done with the money he had entrusted to them. In the end though, it doesnt matter whether we think Jesus is a hard or odd master, because we are neither all-knowing nor all-powerful. We must all be reckoned with as to what good we have got to our own souls, and have done to others, by the advantages we have enjoyed. God is both, and his plans will not necessarily make sense to our limited perspectives. The third servant buries the money and the first servant, who was given 5 talents, wastes the money on trivial things. Then he left on his journey. WebTo excuse himself, the servant reveals to the master that he was scared. The parable begins with a master planning a trip (Luke describes him as going off to be made king of a distant land). Youre given something valuable, hold onto it. Parable of Jesus - Parable of the Talents The man gave the first servant five bags of gold, the second servant two bags of gold, and the third servant one bag of gold. One talent would be worth somewhere between $300,000 and $800,000 today, so five talents is a lot of money. One can bury seeds in the ground and expect them to become productive because they obey Each servant entrusted with the master's money was faithful up to a certain point. 7. One received five, the second two and the last one. Strips him of the coin he was given, and throws him out of his sight, out into the farthest darkness where there is weeping and the grinding of teeth. Matthew 25:14-30 The Tragedy of Buried Treasure. Hank Hanegraaff, Economy of God What if we were to trust Jesus, to live the kingdom, to let the talents work in us and through us? And if he gained any money, he wouldnt get to keep it anyway. As a result he was judged wicked and lazy. Central to the parable is Yahshuas teaching about an unjust steward, which begins Luke 16. I want to go dig up the treasure I have buried and let it change my today, and not just my tomorrow. We are so much like this servant. 17 likewise, the one who received two made another two. The next part of the story goes this way. The fearful servant buried the money in the ground. Those who know not the day of their visitation shall have the things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. He passive-aggressively blames the master for his lack of effort. He now had $1000.00. The third servant did not invest his masters money at all; he dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. He praised the first two servants saying well done good and faithful servant and entrusted them with even more responsibilities. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. For us, talents are the gifts we use to serve Jesus, spread the good news about Jesus and help others. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. of Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. Most people understand the story as Matthew has (cf. The first servant, who had five talents, invested the money right away. When the master returned, they received great rewards. The one given two shows up with four. He told His disciples: 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.. Take the bags of gold from him and give it to the one who has 10 bags. Jesus could not have made the message of His parable clearer, that is: As God has forgiven you, so should you also forgive others in the same way. Those of you who know me are probably aware that I have little time for theologies that are all about the world to come. A footnote in the NIV translation says that a mina was about three months wages. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. If we grew up in cultures where the individual is primary, we also tend to think we can live as we please. Web14 One Sabbath, p when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were q watching him carefully. Hampton is cofounder of bible.org. The Greek word translated but the CEB as valuable coin is talentasoften transliterated in other English Bibles as talent, and this little story is sometimes called the parable of the talents. The Bible makes it clear that we dont really own our gifts. Weve buried Gods investment in us, and the world around us is paying a price. After describing some end-time signs to watch for, Jesus ends with the parable of the fig tree. With no easy answers allowed. The Parable of the Talents Today [s 'ospel tells a the familiar story of three servants share your master [s joy. Next. In this parable, Jesus describes a master who, before going on a journey, provides three servants with a form of money known then as a talent. Neuter of a presumed derivative of arguros; silvery, i.e. Until they repented there could be no remission of sin and no relationship, but what forgiveness does is release the other person from me. You gather crops where you havent spread seed. We forgive by canceling the debt someone owes us for wrong done. Most of us find it hard to un-crack, especially given the third servant gets punished for doing nothing. After a long time, the man came home. Genesis 1:28 says He asked his servants what they had done with the money he had entrusted to them. 20 And he arose and came to his father. The Unforgiving servant had a fellow servant (one of his peers) who owed him a small amount. However, the talents (or minas in Lukes version) represent more than just the monetary resources God gives us. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Here. In this parable the unforgiving servant is sent to the torturers by the king (God) for his unwillingness to forgive others. Before he goes, the master brings his servants together (three in the Matthew version, 10 in the Luke version). Luke has an interesting addition at the end, noting that after that, the master then executed the men who tried to keep him from becoming king (Luke 19:27). The treasure of the kingdom of God is not supposed to be buried waiting for your death or my return. Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive his brother when he sins against him. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), How we got here: Jesus and John Wayne Joe Iovino. WebThe Condemnation Of The Buried Talent . The master goes on his journey, which Luke notes has some opposition (Luke 19:14-15). What are the two meanings of the parable of the three servants? As Jesus shares in John 10:10, I came so that they could have lifeindeed, so that they could live life to the fullest (CEB). You did good! The third servant, however, has merely buried the talents received in the ground out of fear. How many times must we forgive others? We should be using and developing our talentsputting in our 10-thousand hours, as Malcolm Gladwell tells usso that they can be everything they can be and put into use for the glory of God. And yet, the third servant does everything he can to bury it, to hide it, to not allow it to affect his day-to-day living. After a long time, the man came home. I am sure we have all felt that wasted opportunity from time to time as it relates to sharing the gospel. The first servant has made the biggest return (10 minas from one mina, or 10 talents from five talents). As Dorothy Sayers put it in her essay Why Work? if we follow God properly, all the work will be Christian work, whether it is Church embroidery or sewage-farming.. They think that forgiveness = forgetting. The first lesson from this parable is that our life is a gift from God. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his masters investment. Revelation makes it clear that in the last days, Jesus will subvert his opponents, punish them and be named king over the world. In the story, a king forgives a great debt owed him by his servant (v. 23-27). Sometimes we dont even recognize that theyre Bible stories to begin with. And our Lord adds the solemn words, "there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. The servant entrusted with five talents. Each servant entrusted with the master's money was faithful up to a certain point. He, she, it, they, them, same. Maybe instead of exceptionalism, we would approach the world with humility. This gift is for us to share with others through our words and actions. Lets take a look at one of the the stories Jesus tells, considering what it might be saying about how to live life in the here and now. One servant owed him Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. The punishment for the unforgiving servant shows Gods efforts to help the believer appreciate his forgiveness. The men are charged with increasing what they have been given while he is gone. And the master says, No. 16 He also said to the disciples, There was a rich man who had a steward, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. He is talking about forgiveness in the immediate context. Instead, you are supposed to change the way you live, right here, right now.. Take the bags of gold from him and give it How to Get More Out of Your Bible Reading. immediately 16 the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. What Does the Parable of the Talents Mean? WebAnswer (1 of 6): When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. So, whatever we are doing (provided its not a sinful activity), we serve God well by doing it well. Well done. ^I know you one a leg up on others like that wretched third slave who buried the money, for fear of losing it in investments. A parable is a type of story Jesus would tell so we would learn something from it. The meaning of the famous parable in the Bible ( Luke 25 ) about the talents and the good and faithful servant and unfaithful servant in the kingdom of God. 18 but the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. One day 25 to 30 years later, I was driving to work and heard a message on the radio regarding this most disturbing parable. But to the third servant who buried his masters money in the ground, what does the master say? As I have said elsewhere, thats a big deal for me and its becoming a bigger and bigger deal in the world today. Jesus was in the midst of telling stories and parables expressing spiritual truths, and He told this one shortly before His death. It didnt grow. We cant forget, but we dont hold a grudge. Third, and most significant, Jesus spoke the Parable of the Ten Virgins to four of His closest disciplesPeter, James, Andrew and Johnduring His Olivet Discourse (see Mark 13:3). The whole thing kind of reminds me of Adam in the garden when he refers to Eve as, the woman you gave me. Not my fault. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for him. Then he turned around and refused to forgive another servant a debt owed him. Knowing that Jesus was describing servants being given huge amounts of cash to invest helps us to understand just how generous the master was being, the opportunity each servant was given. The Bible makes it clear there is no sacred versus secular work in the way we often think. He tells the master that he was afraid of the consequences of not having it when the master returned. The first and second servants put their money to work, producing (Double) the amount of talents they were given. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and v ran and w embraced him and x kissed him. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his masters money. It is a great responsibility with great reward as described in the Parable of the Talents. I think that is significant because it shows that he didnt really appreciate his own forgiveness. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Then we will in turn forgive others because we will see that we are just as bad as them and capable of doing the same thing they did to us. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers, NT Gospels: Matthew 25:18 But he who received the one went (Matt. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. He gave one servant five talents, one servant two talents, and the third servant received one talent. Im not typically one to quibble with God, but it seems to me that this guy gets a raw deal from the master. 15 He gave five bags of silver[ a] to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the lastdividing it in proportion to their abilities. Therefore, take from him the valuable coin and give it to the one who has ten coins. May we be people of life before death, as much as we are people of life after death. Why did Jesus say 70x7 ? and Christians should not be molded by worldly standards (Romans 12:2). Thats a valid point. 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