Notes: December 18, 2009

The Parable Of The Talents

What have you done with the stuff God has given you? Is your conduct defensible before God?

Matthew 25:14—30

“The kingdom of heaven is like…” tells us that we will have to think about something.

Responsibility (vs 14-18)

  • The master is going away. Before he goes, he distributes silver, in varying amounts, to his servants.
  • The servants are expected to use the money to make more money for the master.
  • Two of the servants succeed in making profit.
  • The third servant hides the money so nobody can steal it.

Reckoning (vs 19-30)

  • After a long time, the master returns to hear how his servants have been doing with their business ventures.
  • Those who increased the master’s wealth are deemed “good and faithful”; and they are promoted.
  • He who has no profit to show is stripped of his responsibilities and called “wicked and slothful” and “unprofitable”. More, he is thrown out.

Rationale

Even the relatively low-interest profit of depositing the money with the bank would have been better than doing nothing with the money (v 27).

The offense is greater because the servant knew the master’s reputation for business (v. 26).

Fear paralyzes us from doing what we know we should do (v. 25).

Unprofitable servants, like tasteless salt, are good for nothing but to be thrown out.

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