Parables of the Talents, Pt. 4
This Week's Bible Reading: Matthew 25:14-30 (focus on verses 19-30)
Over the past few weeks, we've explored Jesus' parable of the Talents. In the story, a man entrusts three of his servants with talents before embarking on a journey. Two of these servants invest what they have and earn more. But the third servant buries his talent in the ground to keep it safe.
When the man returns home, the servants must explain what they've been up to. This is where things get interesting (and maybe a little frightening!). Let's unpack it together and see what we find.
The man learns that the first two servants have doubled their investment. He gives the same response to each:
His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21, 23, ESV)
The master rewards the servants with more responsibilities. But there's something else they receive—something even better than that. They are invited to share in their master's joy!
The master wants to celebrate each servant for using the talents he gave them. His joy doesn’t come from earning a profit. It comes from seeing people become who he knows they are capable of becoming.
This is a beautiful picture, and it reflects Jesus' heart for us. Jesus doesn't hover over us, waiting for us to make a mistake so he can pounce. Instead, he guides us to become more of the person God created us to be. Every time we say yes to using our talents—however imperfectly—Jesus celebrates with us.
But what if we don't view Jesus this way? What if we see him as a brutal taskmaster who is never pleased with anything we do? This is how the third servant viewed his master. When his time comes to give an account, this is what he says:
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours." (Matthew 25:24–25, ESV)
The servant calls the master a "hard man" (also translated as "harsh man"). Is this reality, or is it just the servant's perspective? Many commentators point out that the master's actions have been generous up until now. But because the servant perceived the master as harsh, he lived in fear and buried his talent.
And now, we've come to the most challenging part of this parable: the ending.
But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 25:26–30, ESV)
It's hard to deny that in these final words to the servant, the master does appear harsh. So what are we to make of this? I'd say three things.
First, as I said a few weeks ago, Jesus told parables to shake his audience into new ways of thinking. If this story were an Aesop fable, the moral would be, "Be productive or go to hell." But parables are not fables, and Jesus is getting at something deeper. Because we know God is good, we can sit with him in the tension of this story. It's worth taking time to reflect on the ending and invite God to help us understand it.
Second, the master's harsh words emphasize the urgency of this parable. It's a stark reminder that what we do here and now matters. Each day, God gives us opportunities to extend his goodness to the world. If we choose not to participate, it doesn't mean we are destined for hell. But it does mean we miss out on becoming a bit more of who God created us to be.
When Jesus says the servant was sent "into the outer darkness," where "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth," he is using images that convey a feeling of regret and sorrow. I know there have been times in my life—even this week!—where I've missed opportunities to use my talents for God's kingdom. I can never get those moments back, and there is a real sense of loss. But the good news is it's not the end of my story. Jesus always offers us another chance to move toward him.
That brings us to the final point: In Jesus' parable, the master is a one-dimensional character. He represents Jesus, but he is not Jesus. As we said at the start of this parable, Jesus is the one who entered the darkness for us. He is the suffering servant who gave his life freely. And, as we'll see next week, he is faithful even when we are not.
Questions to Ponder:
Take a few minutes to reread the parable of the Talents. Invite God to sit with you and reveal anything he would like.
Have you ever viewed Jesus the way the third servant viewed the master? (i.e., as a "harsh man.") How would things change if you saw Jesus as someone who celebrates when you use your talents for God's kingdom?
Have you ever felt sorrow over a missed opportunity to use your talents? How can you move forward, knowing that Jesus offers you new opportunities each day?
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