03 - The Parable Of The Talents By Pastor Jeff Wickwire Notes

As we've studied what Jesus said concerning the last days in answer to three questions from His disciples, we've learned that He predicted things both near and far. His own generation would witness the destruction of the great Temple. And they would also experience the horrific destruction of Jerusalem. Jesus warned the people of His time:

“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you" (Luke 19:42-44).

And Jesus also warned of the signs that would precede His return to earth. Worldwide apathy and indifference to prophetic warnings. Sexual perversion as in Noah and Lot's day. An increase in natural disasters like famine, earthquakes, signs in the heavens, and so on.

All of these things are discussed in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Mark 13. Then toward the close of Matthew 24 and on into chapter 25, Jesus continues His answer to the disciples' questions with three parables---the parable of the householder, the parable of the 10 virgins, and the parable of the talents.

Keep in mind that beginning in Matthew 24:4, all the way through to the end of Matthew 25, Jesus is delivering one continual answer to the three questions. He never stops to take a breath. It is one uninterrupted stream.

The three parables all have to do with the responsibility of the church while waiting for His return. The parable of the householder deals with COMMUNAL RESPONSIBILITY---how we treat the members of our own household, the church.

The parable of the 10 virgins deals with PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY---that Christianity is not mere ritual, dead religion, and form without substance. We are called to be filled with the Spirit and ready for His return, as symbolized by the oil the wise virgins had in their lamps, and that the five foolish did not.

And the parable of the Talents deals with KINGDOM RESPONSIBILITY---how effectively each of us distributes the goods of the kingdom into the world. How faithful we are to the Great Commission. "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature..."(Mark 16:15). "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 24:19).

So, let's read the Parable of the Talents. Heads up, I'm going to use the NIV translation which substitutes the word "talent" with "bags of gold." It's a little easier to understand.

Matt. 25:14-30 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability."

"Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest."

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Once again we have the figure of the master departing and leaving his affairs to his servants. The servants represent the church, and of course the master is Jesus. In the first parable He left them to care for one another in His absence. In the second parable He leaves them to take care of their own spiritual vitality.

And now in the third parable he leaves them (the church) in charge of his business. It is kingdom business. He is leaving his wealth with them that they would invest it in his absence so that he receives a return on his investment when he comes back.

It is worth noting that, not only did Jesus powerfully illustrate the certainty of His return to earth with the picture of lightning flashing across the sky, but with every one of these parables the message is, "I'm coming back one day. Be ready!"

Now, what is the "talent" or "bag of gold" the Lord has left to us? Here's what it is not. It has nothing to do with, say, the talent to sing, or the talent to speak. What exactly is the wealth of the kingdom he has entrusted to us as stewards to invest in His absence? The wealth consists of everything available to us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

It means that we are to declare the fact that God manifested Himself to mankind in the Person of Christ. That He went to the Cross, bore the sins of the world, rose from the dead, and now lives forever at the right hand of God the Father.

The "bag of gold" is described by Paul this way: "He is the Head of all principality and power....you are complete in Him....in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge...."(Col. 2). "Christ is the wisdom of God and the power of God..."(1 Cor. 1:24). "The exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Eph. 2:7).

In other words, all of the incalculable spiritual wealth available in Jesus Christ is the bag of gold in Jesus' parable. As His church, we have been entrusted to not keep it to ourselves, but to distribute it to a lost and dying world! To invest it in the lives of others who will in turn bring forth fruit and become investors in the Kingdom of God as well!

Now, the second thing we notice in the parable is that God gave varying amounts to each man 'according to his ability.' One man was given five, another two, and a third man, one. Jesus makes it very clear that the talents were given according to each man's ability.

This is an incredible truth that the church really needs to understand. The varying amounts given to each man had nothing to do with bigger opportunity. The man with five talents was not confronted with more open doors, hence given more to distribute. The amount given him was based on his ability to use it! Jesus said, "each according to his ability."

God will entrust to each of us what we have the gifting to handle. We know that eagles fly thousands of feet in the air, while sparrows fly maybe ten to twenty feet in the air. God would never say to a sparrow, "Fly higher! Fly where the eagles fly!" It would kill the sparrow.

And God will never require a person with the ability to handle one bag of gold to go distribute five bags. God won't break you or cripple you with Kingdom responsibility you're not fitted for!

This is a good thing because it does away with competition, envy, and jealousy. We all have boundaries and parameters we should not cross. Even Paul knew where he could go and where he should stop.

"But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to measure up to God’s plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. 14 We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to come to you with the Good News concerning Christ."

15 "It is not as though we were trying to claim credit for the work someone else has done among you. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that, still within the limits set for us, our work among you will be greatly enlarged" (2 Cor. 10:13-15).

According as each man had ability is a revelation of natural fitness, of one's "water level." And so the master gave to one man five bags, to the other two, and to one, one....each according to his ability.

Then the master finally returned and wanted a reckoning of what each man had done with his stewardship. The man with five bags had earned five more. He received the Lords commendation: "Well done, you good and faithful servant."

Then the one with the two revealed that he had also invested his two bags of gold into the world and had gained two more. He, too, received the commendation, "Well done, you good and faithful servant."

But then the master approaches the man with one bag. His story is different. First, he lied about his Lord, and the Lord refuted his lie by repeating it to him.

This man did not bury his one bag of gold because he was only given one. He buried it because he had a poor concept of his master. (It matters what we believe about God!) Having had a bad concept of the Lord, he was exposed in the end trying to make a poor excuse for not bearing fruit.

The bottom line message of this parable is----be faithful with what God has entrusted to you, according to your ability. Invest His treasure into a dying world.

True to Him, the household is always at peace. Waiting for Him, the lamps are always burning. Working for Him, glory is brought to His name.

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