Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[b] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[c] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 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.’ 24 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, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 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? 27 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. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Footnotes
- Matthew 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19
- Matthew 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer
- Matthew 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30
When reading this scripture, I’ve always thought of the talents as what God has given us in our lives to use to help bring others to him. (Not money) as many people believe it to be.
On further investigation some translations say silver or gold instead of talents. (When used as a measure of money, it refers to a talent-weight of gold or of silver). So i researched on google what silver represents in the scriptures.
Silver is a general symbol of Truth but perhaps more specifically, that TRUTH which centers and deals with the RANSOM — the redemption accomplished in Christ Jesus.
So this helped me to understand what this story means. In the parable Jesus is the master who is going away and he wants us, his disciples, to invest in others what he’s invested in us, (Faith, redemption a way back to God through faith in him) , so making other disciples. Which intern makes God’s people grow in number.
So it’s us sharing and caring for others which helps others share and care. Making this world better to live in and expanding the kingdom of heaven at the same time.
What are your thoughts on this? Does my understanding make sense to you, what is your understanding of this parable?