And the wicked servant went out and found a woman who owed him 50 denarii, and he demanded to be repaid within a week. This rest is not the end of all labor, however: Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience (Hebrews 4:11). (ii) It tells us that the reward of work well done is still more work to do. Web4. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. For you were bought at a price. Heaven involves work, but it is profitable work. Retirement is thought of more in terms of the golf course than finishing our course in the Pauline sense (2 Timothy 4:7). It can sound as if Jesus is saying God gives us abilities according to our abilities. first two servants are commended and go to heaven; the third is condemned and goes to hell. Bible Meaning of Lazarus and the Rich Man Jesus made it clear that His return would not be immediate, but after much trouble and the passing of a considerable period of time. 
[See note about talents.] Then he went on his journey. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 78 in the Studies in the Gospel of Matthew series prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on April 24, 2005. Second, the faithful servants immediately went to work to increase their masters money (Matthew 25:16-17). Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. - The first and the second who had doubled the money. After being gone a long time, the master returns to settle up with his slaves (verse 19). Specifically, I am speaking of Matthew 25:13: Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). It was time for a performance review. And Jesus tells us everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more (Luke 12:48). 14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. We are not saved by good works, but we are saved unto good works: 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. But as for those who dont have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. The talents were given according to ability, 5, 2 and 1. Pharaoh was a harsh master. He demanded that the Israelites make bricks, but he refused to supply them with the necessary materials. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. Weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness must, on the other hand, involve spending eternity without God, and without joy. Web23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. God is the talent and power-giver, and he holds each of us accountable only for the grace given to us.. If he were afraid to take any risk, then why did he not at least put the talent in the hands of the bankers, who would conservatively invest it for him, and gain at least some interest? He made his way up to the bars, and then proceeded to harass this awesome beast. I am suggesting that we have come to view retirement as that time in life when we can greatly reduce or terminate our giving, and when we can cease our service. I am now inclined to say that verse 13 fits best with verses 14-30. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. 
His servants will worship him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:1-4). 18 But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. ), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. Our Lords teaching in the parable of the talents is that God expects profit that is the product of our labors. Retirement is that period in life when one no longer has the distraction of having to work for a livelihood. The Cross And Unjust Suffering (1 Peter 2:19-25), 5. Youve been faithful over a little. 10 The one who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. Have you trusted in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in His death at Calvary for your sins, rather than in your works (Romans 3:21-26)? Indeed, they accused Him of being a wicked sinner, more worthy of death than Barabbas. See, I have gained two more. 23 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! The one who has been faithful on earth with a little thing like money will be given greater work to do in heaven. He doubled the money his master entrusted to him. Pay back what you owe me! he demanded. From that point on work was different; there was a certain futility to work: 18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat food until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you will return283 (Genesis 3:17-19). The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. We should be careful to recognize that in this parable the mere possession of a talent is not evidence of salvation. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! He taught about valiance and grace. man goes to another country, stays a long time, and then returns. 269 Copyright 2005 by Community Bible Chapel, 418 E. Main Street, Richardson, TX 75081. Trust in Jesus, for it is His work that will save you. But the master did provide the means for his slave to make a profit. Some were saying, He is a good man, but others, He deceives the common people (John 7:12). Return to your labor! 5 Pharaoh was thinking, The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor. 6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people: 7 You must no longer give straw to the people for making bricks as before. He gave to each servant according to that servants ability. The element of profit. 272 I am assuming that the second servant acted just as quickly as the first, because our Lord tells us that he acted in a similar manner. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. 14 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. An unmarried man is concerned about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. I thus take verse 13 as the first verse of this new paragraph. WebTherein lies Gods generosity. 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. His entertainment was to torment one of the tigers. In the Book of Revelation, heaven is described as a return to paradise lost: 1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of lifewater as clear as crystalpouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 flowing down the middle of the citys main street. Its feasible the less talented servants might have envied more talented ones. Let them go and collect straw for themselves. 51, that this and the next two parables were spoken to the disciples in private. - The parable of the hidden treasure found. What did the third servant do with his money? 
Let us then consider the primary message in this text. Come, celebrate with me., 24Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, Master, I knew that you are a hard man. 19After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. It seems safe to deal with the first two servants together, since they are so similar. How does not knowing the day or the hour affect either the five wise virgins or the five foolish virgins? 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Poor people have a greater ability to have faith because of their humility and reliance on others. 283 We should recall that Eve was given her own kind of labor (Genesis 3:16). 
It has taken a while for the thrust of this parable to come into focus for me. At least I could have gotten some interest on it.. 
They are richly rewarded when he comes back. In my opinion, nothing in our text compels us to think (or even imply) that this might be the case. In this parable, a master entrusts each of his servants with a certain number of talents to invest while the master is gone on a journey. 20 For the creation was subjected to futilitynot willingly but because of God who subjected itin hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of Gods children. It is as though he had said, I knew you were unreasonable, and that there was no way to please you, and so I decided not even to try.. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. It is about stewarding the gifts and abilities God entrusts to us. At least I could have gotten some interest on it., 28Then he ordered, Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. He distributes his wealth among three servants, apportioned to them on the basis of their abilities. Matthew 25:14-30 The Tragedy of Buried Treasure. My study of this text has caused me to conclude that the paragraph breaks related to our text are confusing at best, and wrong at worst. The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more., The master said, Well done, my good and faithful servant. But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the masters money. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. This servant came to his master with only the talent his master had originally entrusted to him. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place a limitation on you, but so that without distraction you may give notable and constant service to the Lord (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). 13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. The one who had received five valuable coins came forward with five additional coins. Jesus tells his disciples, The man who had received five bags of gold went out at once and put his money to work and gained 5 bags more. For less than $5/mo. WebJesus told the parable (story) of the talents about a master who gave talents (money) to his servants. 
I realize that I am going to pull some whiskers by what I am about to say, but I think that I am being true to our text, and to the Bible as a whole. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. It is clear that our Lord Jesus intended for us to be found at work when He returns: 45 Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time? Which servants pleased the master? Assuming this value for the sake of illustration, one servant in Jesuss parable received $3,000,000 (five talents), another received $1,200,000 (two talents), and another received $600,000 (one talent). What thoughts caused one so high to go so low? This is probably a sermon in itself perhaps even a book. Web18 But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his masters money. Start FREE. The term "steward" is common in many English translations of the New Testament; some versions refer to a 14Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. After a long time, the master returned. Its feasible the less talented servants might have envied more talented ones. Before Jesus gave his hands to the nails, he used them to wash the dirt from his disciples feet. But the one who received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money. You are a good and faithful servant! Come, celebrate with me.. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. When I was a youngster in the 1950s, a two-pack of . In the parable of the talent, there are two clear references to time. You knew that I harvest grain where I havent sown and that I gather crops where I havent spread seed? Enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:20-21). Please consider their relationship to our text, and to money, time, labor, and profit: 1 To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead. As his grand finale, the man reached in and pulled the tigers whiskers. You knew that I harvest grain where I havent sown and that I gather crops where I havent spread seed? One day he would come again. He told his master that he was a harsh and cruel man, a man who was demanding, and who expected gain where he had not labored. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. You have gone back to needing milk, not solid food. And they were right because he praised them and invited them to join him as participants in his joy. 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. So we must each ask: what are we doing with our talents with the grace God has given to us? Pressing this matter just a little further, if the church were to be considered a business and every member were to be viewed as an employee, how many of us should reasonably expect to keep our jobs? 6. 46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. WebThe servant who had received five bags of gold put it to use and made five bags more. (3) In my opinion, the main reason for assuming that verse 13 belongs with verses 1-12 is that the term (Greek, ou=n) is most often inferential, with the meaning therefore or then.274 It is not always an indication of a logical conclusion, however. Its sobering because we know our own selfishness, that we are prone by our sin nature to act like the worthless servant who neglected his stewardship. Lets celebrate together!. A small gain could have been obtained without great risk or effort on the part of the slave, but he chose to do nothing at all. Paul loved that phrase: the grace given. He used it in referring to himself: All these texts regarding the grace given to us reinforce Jesuss point in the parable of the talents: 1) God gives us certain grace-gifts (talents), 2) God gives us a certain amount of power to invest them, and 3) God expects us to employ all the strength he supplies (1 Peter 4:11) to invest what he entrusts to us. Each servant according to that servants ability are for the healing of the nations of than. Humility and reliance on others day or the hour affect either the five foolish virgins it seems safe to with. Profitable work because of their humility and reliance on others gone a long trip us! 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The gifts and abilities God entrusts to us inclined to say that verse 13 fits best with verses 14-30 to! Entertainment was to torment one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, TX 75081 gone to... Coins came forward with five additional coins one no longer has the distraction of having to work a! Valuable coins came forward with five additional coins TX 75081 invited them join! Third servant do with his slaves ( verse 19 ) day or the hour say that verse fits! Gateways emails at any time do with his slaves ( verse 19 ) solid food hid the money... To his master answered, well done, good and faithful slave the Holy Spirit 2 I have great and... Servants might have envied more talented ones servant went out, he deceives the common people John. Of teeth in outer darkness must, on the other hand, involve eternity... 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