Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ Matthew

[Junior]

V: 14 Kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling into a far country V: 15he gave talents to his servants V: 30 unprofitable servants where casted unto darkness

I have a question:

• What does the talent represent? I know what it is but what is it a simile for?
• With what ever the talents represents, will be thrown into darkness as well if we don't multiply it?
• How can we be profitable?

[jimwalton]

The parable is about stewardship: being faithful rather than negligent with what you have been entrusted. Interestingly, it's in the middle of a segment about the End Times, so it's logical to look at it in that light.

a. It’s a parable of the end times, when faithfulness is a repeated responsibility (23.34; 24.45)
b. The hypocrites have been negligent (Woes on the Pharisees, ch. 23).
c. Those who turn away are faithless (24.10).
d. Noah is displayed as a many who was faithful in a faithless generation (24.37-39).
e. The faithful will keep watch (24.42-45).
f. The faithful will keep ready (25.1-13).
g. The faithful will be good stewards with God’s trust (25.14-30).
h. The faithful will serve their “neighbor” (25.31-46).

So it's about faithfulness vs. fear, activity vs. negligence, and productivity vs. Maintenance/Status Quo.

> What does the talent represent? I know what it is but what is it a simile for?

The talents seems to be spiritual gifts, not in the technical sense of tongues, healings, prophecy, etc., but more generically: anything that God has given us with which to do His work.

> With what ever the talents represents, will be thrown into darkness as well if we don't multiply it?

The man was motivated by fear (v. 25). His fear motivated him to the wrong action. Faithfulness and productivity will be rewarded, fear and faltering is judged. He is thrown into darkness because he despised what he was given instead of being faithful and using it as it was intended to be used. It's not so much multiplication as it is faithful stewardship.

Dallas Willard writes, "Such a person could not enter into the joy of his master because—misconceiving the relationship as he did—he could neither enter into his lord’s mind and life nor open his own life to his lord. He actually abused his lord by taking him to be interested only in getting his own back, while the lord for his part was really interested in sharing his life and goods with others."

> How can we be profitable?

The master rewards those who participate in His work. We can be profitable by serving the Lord with gladness and handle well that with which we have been entrusted.

Here's a beautiful little (10-minute) video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DXL9vIUbWg