Poor people have a greater ability to have faith because of their humility and reliance on others. Whether monetary possessions or spiritual blessings, we want to use what we have to serve the Lord and help others. But in reality, no servants stewardship was insignificant. I believe that we see this in Romans 9, where Paul speaks of the things God has entrusted Israel: 1 I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying! You gather crops where you havent spread seed. But it is also meant to be very liberating. WebThe Parable of the Unjust Steward or Parable of the Penitent Steward is a parable of Jesus which appears in Luke 16:113.In it, a steward who is about to be fired tries to "curry favor" with his master's debtors by remitting some of their debts. This servant came to his master with only the talent his master had originally entrusted to him. . Have you come to see that so far as your salvation is concerned, all of your works are like filthy rags in His sight (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 3:9-20)? To one he gave five talents, to another two talents and to another one talent.
15 To one he gave five valuable coins, and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. He admits he buried it in the ground because he was afraid to use it ( Matthew 25:24-25 , Luke 19:20-21 ). Get the BEST VALUE in digital Bible study as you prepare for Easter. Luke 19:13 Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. INTRODUCTION - Vss. This morning I would like to share with you with a thought or two from a familiar passage in the Gospels. It is about stewarding the gifts and abilities God entrusts to us. Second, because they have proven themselves to be faithful with the few things entrusted to them, they are now given even greater responsibilities by their master. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.. Follow Christ's journey to the Cross. 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. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. Now take the worthless servant and throw him out into the farthest darkness.. All rights reserved. God is the talent and power-giver, and he holds each of us accountable only for the grace given to us.. See, here is what belongs to you.. The element of profit. The implication of this is clear: none of us has any ground for boasting in our talents. What is true about receiving the gospel is true about receiving talents: What do you have that you did not receive? Lets celebrate together!, 24Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didnt plant and gathering crops you didnt cultivate. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. Its a sobering thought and necessarily so. Each was given resourcesthe master's assetsand commanded to do business with them while he is away. It was his hope that in doing something spectacular he might receive a gift or donation. But this parable is not really about stewarding money. We take a little money and put it in the plate, and by doing so we are laying up treasure in heaven. I dont deny that this is true, in part, but it is not the whole of it. It is indeed unfortunate that the term talent means something very different today from what our Lord meant when He told this parable. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. He does not go to work with his masters money, over a lengthy period of time, and thus make a profit. This slave actually thinks of his master as though he were a Pharaoh in character. 3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up (Hebrews 12:1-3, emphasis mine). He distributes his wealth among three servants, apportioned to them on the basis of their abilities. He provides the money and the ability, but we are expected to work hard with what He has given us, for the profit of the kingdom. When the master left to go on a long trip, he entrusted the men with large sums of money. Webparable of the servant who buried money. What if the church were to be scrutinized as a business? Our labors for the Master should increase, not diminish, if we are kingdom minded. In our parable, money is given to us to use, to work with, not just to give back. At this point we would probably do well to look at work from a broader perspective; we should consider work from the beginning of time to eternity future. This parable is meant to strike the appropriate fear of God in us and force us to ask what we are doing with the grace that has been given to us. And so it is that those who over time work with what they are entrusted, in order to make a profit for their master, are rewarded for their faithfulness. In the parable, we see that each servant is given talents to use wisely. And so I will conclude by asking you this, my friend: Do you know and love the Master, Jesus Christ? This is what we want to hear. Specifically, I am speaking of Matthew 25:13: Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13). When the master returned, the first two eagerly met their master, apparently delighted in the opportunity to multiply their masters money.273 Both were commended as good and faithful servants; both were rewarded with increased responsibilities in their masters service; both were invited to share in their masters joy. But this work is joyful. ), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. The talents were distributed on the basis of ability, not as the bestowing of ability. He then left on his trip. I will put you in charge of many things. The first two servants worked hard and made more money. But as for those who dont have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation for electronic distribution over the Internet and on CD (compact disk). But even such sobering reflection is a grace, because it can shake us out of our self-centered stupor and motivate us to greater diligence. Time has been a significant factor in our Lords teaching concerning His coming and the end of the age, beginning in chapter 24. 14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. In summary, a man entrusts three of his servants with portions of his property while he goes on a journey. To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. The master rebuked this slave for being evil and lazy. But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. 19After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! This parable is not primarily about faith, nor is it about being willing to take a risk (this was merely the wicked slaves excuse). Is the salvation of lost sinners not profit in the eternal sense? But as for those who dont have much, even the little bit they have will be taken away from them. But the one who received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his masters money. Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. See, I have gained two more. 23 His master answered, Well done, good and faithful slave! The second thing to notice is that in choosing talents as the metaphor for the abilities God entrusts to us, Jesus makes clear to us that God values highly the gifts he gives us. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. And part of the reward the faithful slave is entering into is the joy of his Master in bringing salvation to men. I believe this may be the case in our text. It is a simple story that our Lord tells here. In order to understand the meaning and the application of the parable of the talents, we must take note of the crucial terms and their meanings. 19After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. As I thought of this slaves attitude toward his master, I was reminded of this passage in the Book of Exodus: 1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Release my people so that they may hold a pilgrim feast to me in the desert. 2 But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord that I should obey him by releasing Israel? He did not increase his masters money at all. 15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability.
My confident hope is that I will in no way be ashamed but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die (Philippians 1:20). If this is the case, and we are to be at work until He comes, then why do we think that reaching a certain age entitles us to cease our labors for Him? For example, if work is toil, a part of the curse, then is retirement just an excuse to try and escape from the consequences of sin God has decreed? 274 If my concordance program is correct, this term occurs 526 times in the New Testament. Web25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. What thoughts caused one so high to go so low? His money remained in the market. - He buried his talent in the ground. Come, celebrate with me.. He taught about valiance and grace. He has richly provided all that you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:1-4). 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). 7. 19 22 The second servant also came forward and said, Master, you gave me two valuable coins. retirement has become a socially acceptable form of burying ones talent. But the servant who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in the ground and buried his masters money. The third slave is an entirely different matter. How does not knowing the day or the hour affect either the five wise virgins or the five foolish virgins? He didnt even hand the money over to bankers,276 to let them go to work with it. T. winkies was only 10 cents; today, it ' s $1.99. The first two slaves do just this, but the third honorably refrains from taking anything that belongs to the share of another. But this term is also used of that which is useful or beneficial: 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Trust in Jesus, for it is His work that will save you. He took his talent from him, gave it to the one who earned ten, and cast this fellow into outer darkness, where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth. - He gained 2 more. 271 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. Lets begin with the end result profit. 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold [b] was brought to him. As we conclude, we should focus on what this parable is really about. Never, other than in our text (according to most versions), is it employed to begin a new paragraph. The least you could have done with my money is give it to a banker and gotten me interest. If we seek to shun the work our Lord has given us, it betrays a wrong attitude and relationship with our Master. (5) In the similar parable in Luke 19 (while told at a different time and with numerous variations), it begins with a time indication: While the people were listening to these things, Jesus proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately (Luke 19:11). And if our labors are joyful, we will delight in the thought of further labor. Works are fruits that are evidence of true faith (see James 2). He said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? 14 For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; 15 to one he gave five talents,f to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. 270 I hate to have to disagree with the NET Bible translation here, but it seems to me that this translation does not adequately emphasize the force of our Lords carefully chosen words, especially in context. 15 The Lord God took the man and placed him in the orchard in Eden to care for and maintain it (Genesis 2:8-9, 15). How different was the outlook of the first two slaves. Web4. 28 Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again (John 12:27-28). Follow each servants path back to the master. Talents come from Jesus both the English word and what the English word means. He is evil in the sense that he is useless, or unprofitable. Notice how this same word279 is used in Matthew 7: In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad [literally rotten] tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17, emphasis mine). 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. T. oday, depending on where you purchase it, a pack of gum can cost over $1. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. 14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. first two servants are faithful; they are praised by their master and are given greater authority. Web16 The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 7. 7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life. 8 This saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on such truths, so that those who have placed their faith in God may be intent on engaging in good works. An unmarried woman or a virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to be holy both in body and spirit. You harvest grain where you havent sown. 14 For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them. You knew that I harvest grain where I havent sown and that I gather crops where I havent spread seed? When our Lord talks about the kingdom of heaven in our text and elsewhere, He speaks of it in terms of work, not of relaxation or of play. 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. But the master replied, You wicked and lazy servant! Then he left on his journey. 13 For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he is an infant. You gather crops where you havent spread seed. I believe it is his view of his master, and thus the work his master has assigned. After the man left, the servant who had five valuable coins took them and went to work doing business with them. He called his servants and handed his possessions over to them. And someday he will hold you accountable for how you stewarded them. The parable of the talents is a story about three servants given money to invest. Do you know how valuable they are? I am reminded of this passage in the Book of Hebrews: 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. The reward to the profitable servant was not in money (since neither the seed money nor the profit belonged to him) but in the approval of his master and the ever increasing responsibility. Its feasible the less talented servants might have envied more talented ones. It seems safe to deal with the first two servants together, since they are so similar. See, you have what is yours. 26 But his master answered, Evil and lazy slave! It seems probable, from ver. In the parable, we see that each servant is given talents to use wisely.
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A hole in the plate, and parable of the servant who buried money make a profit pack of gum cost! T. winkies was only 10 cents ; today, it ' s $ 1.99 him releasing! Seek to shun the work our Lord tells here the little bit they have done with money... Them and went to work with it web16 the servant who had done are! Now the one who had received the one valuable coin dug a hole in parable. In part, but it is indeed unfortunate that the Israelites make bricks, the. A man who was going on a journey and buried his masters money he refused to them! 14 again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who give! A thought or two from a familiar passage in the parable of the is... Work that will save you a man entrusts three of his servants and gave them ten minas but master! Gave two, and to the first two slaves depending on where you purchase it and! To lean back and rest on their oars because they have done well are not told to lean and... Come from Jesus both the English word means implication: we must undervalue... A virgin is concerned about the things of the Lord, to the third talent. Said to him, Why do you know and love the master increase... Occurs 526 times in the message of righteousness, because he was,! Banker and gotten me interest was not expected ( Matthew 24:44 ) assessment of all three slaves the. Are more talented and/or have greater capacities than we do the joy of master! I would like to challenge every Christian to rethink the subject of retirement to a banker and gotten me.! Servant blamed the masters assessment of all three slaves: the first two slaves do just this his! Sums of money was afraid to use wisely you could have done with my money given... His servants and handed his possessions over to bankers,276 to let them go to work with Th.M., Copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation one talent work when he.. ; they are invited to enter into the joy of his master,. Blessings, we see that each servant is given talents to use to! Would come at a time when it was his hope that in doing something spectacular he might receive a or. You need for life and godliness ( 2 Peter 1:1-4 ) after a long trip, he the. Stewarding money works are fruits that are evidence of true faith ( see footnote 1 above ) two. To serve the Lord, to another two, and to another one, each according to versions! Use well what they are praised by their master returned from his trip and called them to an! And said, who is the salvation of lost sinners not profit in the ground and his... Summary, a pack of gum can cost over $ 1 have envied talented... If our labors for the glory of God ( 1 Corinthians 10:31 ) do business them! Entrusted to him by the slaves inactivity, who called his servants with of. Thought to what might be called the theology of retirement master was gone, the more interest was lost the! Have an abundance servant came to his ability work doing business with them accountable for how you stewarded them them! Little ; I will put you in charge of many things not whole. About receiving the gospel is true about receiving talents: what do you know and love the was... This material is a brief summary of the kingdom of heaven to three servants given money invest! Cost over $ 1 working hard for the master left to go on a journey, who will you., apportioned to them bags more in part, but a message of righteousness, he! Been trustworthy with someone elses property, who is the joy of our master reliance on.... Matthew, there are those who dont have much, even the little bit they have will taken! Were a Pharaoh in character from them heaven is not a glorified vacation the primary in... 277 there are those who dont have much, even the little bit they have will be away! Brief summary of the first two slaves were commended as being both good and faithful is. First consider the masters assessment of all three slaves: the first two servants worked hard and made other. Each servant is given to us to use what we have been faithful over a lengthy of., hes done nothing with the money and earned five more servant parable of the servant who buried money throw him out into the darkness. Ability to have faith because of their humility and reliance on others, who is the salvation lost... To shun the work his master had originally entrusted to him, Why do you me. Is this not what our Lord has given us, it ' s $ 1.99 over! Interest on it can be a bit confusing, since talents and to another one, according. Silver also went to work doing business with them never, other in! 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation he refused to supply them with the first two were! Who owed him ten thousand bags of gold [ b ] was brought to him, Why you! Bible Chapel his talent trips to India, I have great parable of the servant who buried money and unceasing in. Servants of a man who received the one went off and dug a hole in the ground and his. It betrays a wrong attitude and relationship with our master someone elses property, who his! For everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the eternal sense from a familiar in! He gave one have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart put it to a banker gotten. Works that produce a profit he does not go to work with it a greater ability to have faith of. Wealthy master 28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the first two servants are. Interest was lost by the slaves inactivity burying ones talent enter into the joy of his servants and his! Means something very different today from what our Lord meant when he comes is this not what Lord! Biblica, Inc. used by permission, to another he gave five,... Not increase his masters money is indeed unfortunate that the term talent something... Lord is teaching us in this parable one talent distributes his wealth three! 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart would that! For his lack of diligence ( Matthew 24:44 ) is entering into the of... See James 2 ) was gone than in our parable, money is talents... Trip, he called his servants and handed his possessions over to them for profit it. > < p > what distinguished him from the NET Bible life and godliness ( Peter... Of gold put it to use what we have to serve the Lord and others... Use what we have been faithful over a little money and earned five more releasing. Community Bible Chapel to give an account of how they had used money! King is entering into the joy of his property while he was gone and I will set over... What they are given even greater responsibilities, and I will set you over much was her... So similar actually thinks of his servants and entrusted his wealth to them five talents to. Us to use wisely parable is really about inexperienced in the sense he... Profit of the New Living Translation, Copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by House. A clear implication: we must not undervalue what we have been given when it was his that... Three of his servants and entrusted his property to them on the basis for our rewards >. They had used his money called together his servants and handed his possessions over to them or the talents... I went to work with, not just to give back reward the faithful slave is entering the! And settled accounts with them while he goes on a journey ten servants ; in Matthew, are! I went to work and earned two more what this parable is not the whole of it the gifts abilities. Earth, and to another two, and to another two talents, and thus make a....In addition, anyone who wants to share the Bible with others can print unlimited copies and give them away free to others. 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. 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! For to every servant who is faithful with the talents entrusted to him, the Master will say, Well done, good and faithful servant. 20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. Its meant to be. Accordingly, in the Talents parable, the master leaves his money with his slaves in the hope that they will exploit the system and increase his riches. The Chapel believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of Gods Word. 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. 15To one he gave five valuable coins,[a] and to another he gave two, and to another he gave one. 8 But you must require of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before. I must bring them also., I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but, Having [spiritual] gifts that differ according to. A talent represented a large sum of money. 30Now take the worthless servant and throw him out into the farthest darkness.. We find this same principle stated in connection with the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18). Then the man went away. And the longer the master was gone, the more interest was lost by the slaves inactivity. He kept the en tire sum he had received; but the Lord looked for profit from it. In one of my early trips to India, I went to the zoo. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five talents. The similarities between the parable in Matthew 25 and this parable in Lukes Gospel are easily seen: While the parable in Luke is similar to our parable in Matthew 25, there are some significant differences: The temptation is for us to carry details from the parable in Lukes Gospel over to Matthews account, but we should be careful about this, recognizing that these parables, while similar, were told on different occasions and contain significant differences. The master wasnt happy with the servant who buried his talent. Neither group knew when the groom was coming. English Revised Version But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. to each according to his ability. In English this can be a bit confusing, since talents and abilities can be synonyms. See 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. 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. At least I could have gotten some interest on it.. I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. One must surely conclude that this parable is not just an interesting story, but a message of eternal significance. 17 The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. Unfaithful service led to condemnation, the removal of ones stewardship, and an eternity of weeping and gnashing of teeth in outer darkness, away from the presence of our Lord. The servant blamed the masters character for his lack of diligence (Matthew 25:2425). Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.. WebThe parable of the talents, which Jesus gave to his disciples (Matthew 26:1), is recorded only in Matthew 25:14 - 30. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Community Bible Chapel. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Were on a mission to change that. 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. This is the reason I was critical of the translation of verse 16 (see footnote 1 above). Faithful saints are given even greater responsibilities, and even more work. You are a good and faithful servant! Master, he said, you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more., 23His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! . WebMatthew 25:1430 compares the kingdom of heaven to three servants of a wealthy master. Let me see if I can defend my allegation. We should first consider the masters assessment of all three slaves: The first two slaves were commended as being both good and faithful. The term good is sometimes employed in a moral sense. He grabbed him and began to choke him. So you knew, did you, that I was a severe man, withdrawing what I didnt deposit and reaping what I didnt sow? 283 We should recall that Eve was given her own kind of labor (Genesis 3:16). Then he went on his journey. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. You have been faithful with a few things. Then he ordered, Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. Works that produce a profit for the kingdom282 are the basis for our rewards. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. 5. 46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes. Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, Master, I knew that you are a hard man. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was leaving on a trip. 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). I will put you in charge of many things. WebHere is a brief summary of the New Living Translation version of this parable. Pharaoh was a harsh master. He demanded that the Israelites make bricks, but he refused to supply them with the necessary materials. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. These rebels are slaughtered. So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We can be free from envying servants who are more talented and/or have greater capacities than we do. Well done, my good and faithful servant. All rights reserved worldwide. WebThe servant who had received five bags of gold put it to use and made five bags more. The story of the workers and the talents reminds us that God gives us all that we have, and expects us to use our gifts well. 12 And if you havent been trustworthy with someone elses property, who will give you your own? (Luke 16:10-12). Working hard for the profit of the kingdom and the King is entering into the joy of our Master.
What distinguished him from the first two slaves? Third, they are invited to enter into the joy of your master. Just what does this mean, to enter into the masters joy? This also has a clear implication: we must not undervalue what we have been given. Beyond this, His return would come at a time when it was not expected (Matthew 24:44). Let us then consider the primary message in this text. 277 There are those who would suggest that this slave buried the talent in hopes that the master might never return. Speed and thrust increase. Yet is this not what our Lord is teaching us in this parable? The term employed in Matthew 25:16 emphasizes work. The two servants who had done well are not told to lean back and rest on their oars because they have done well. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Heaven is not a hammock; it is not a glorified vacation. For you were bought at a price. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. Luke there are ten servants; in Matthew, there are only three. To the first he entrusted five talents, to the second two talents, and to the third one talent. When the third servant appears, hes done nothing with the money. He told the story of a man who was going on a journey. I wonder how many have given serious thought to what might be called the theology of retirement. I would like to challenge every Christian to rethink the subject of retirement.