For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents and to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
When he returned he called his servants to give an accounting. To the one he gave five talents he doubled the amount given him. The same is true for the one he gave two talents in that he doubled what he was given. The third servant being afraid did not double what he had been given and the master was not pleased.
This is a very interesting passage. Jesus is speaking here and he is teaching the disciples some very hard lessons in order to prepare them for their ministries after he is gone.
He challenged their depth of understanding and was there to teach about a new way to live and love.
Have you ever been in a job situation where your boss seemingly is testing you? Maybe it is to thin the staff, but maybe, it’s to see what you do with responsibility when placed in a leadership role. You never quite know.
In the story of the talents, the master represents Jesus, the servants represent his believers, and the talents symbolize the various gifts that God places into our stewardship.
The talents could represent a great multitude of things:
The ability to lead
The ability to teach
The ability to sing or play an instrument
The ability to manage finances in a household or business
The ability to create things for the greater good of humanity.
These are but a few of the many things that God may or may not have blessed us with. The important thing here in relationship to the passage is that if we are given gifts by God, it is His expectation that we actually use them!
Our relationship to God and the world is one of stewardship. We are to use everything entrusted to us in such a way that it benefit’s God’s Kingdom. Today we have far more material and technological means than any other previous generation, but we often use these tools selfishly. If we use the things entrusted to us for God and His purposes, we will be blessed here and in heaven. We must be active in this stewardship and not be afraid to ask God for help.
We have to stop fearing the unknown and boldly profess our faith in our God and in his son Jesus Christ to this world in which we live.
God wants success for his children, but it is not solely dependent on his Grace. We have responsibilities in our relationship to God.
We are to honor His word regularly.
We must Love each other when it is the absolute hardest thing to do.
Turn away from our sins.
We are to pray regularly.
We must be an example to a lost world, without being hypocrites.
We are to love as Christ Loved. He gave us the script that we need to follow.
We are to live our lives so that they are pleasing to God and not let fear direct our stewardship towards the talents God has given us.
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