The Parable of the Ten Talents

The following is a sermon manuscript, preached on June 12, 2022 at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Matthew 25:14-30

Introduction

There are a lot of last things.  Death row inmates get a last meal before execution.  Sometimes people get to say last words before their deaths, but in each of these times there is one thing in common: Usually what is said is very important.  

The Olivet Discourse is the last teaching that Jesus gives to His Disciples before the Passover.  This is where all 12 of the Disciples are gathered and Jesus explains the end of the world to them.  Jesus informs them of what is to come, so that they know what to expect.  Then Jesus illustrates exactly what He is teaching to His Disciples through two parables: 10 Virgins and the Talents.  Afterwards, Jesus describes the Final Judgement that will take place.  

Here in our text, Jesus gives His Disciples a very important teaching.  This teaching occurs right before He is ushered to the cross.  So how does Jesus illustrate this teaching to His 12 Disciples and what does Jesus say?  Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a man who is going on a journey and entrusts His property to His servants.  In this parable, Jesus is the master and the Disciples/people are the servants.  Let us examine the Charge, the Actions, and the Responses in this parable:

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, 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. 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 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. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

The Charge (vv. 14-15)

​The Master is wise, and abundantly rich.  The Master calls the servants to himself and charges them to steward his property.  The Master represents Jesus.  This is Jesus way of telling His Disciples that He is going away, but will return after some period of time.  The Kingdom of Heaven is being inaugurated by Jesus, but its consummation will occur sometime in the future.  This makes perfect sense regarding the rest of the context surrounding this parable as well.  So, Jesus is telling his Disciples that they will be charged with stewarding or overseeing His property while He is gone.  

​Notice in verse 15, how the Master sets boundaries for each servant.  The first servant got 5 talents, the second got 2 talents, and the third got 1 talent.  Each got talents according to their ability to steward them well.  What does this tell us?

​It tells us that not all people are equally equipped by the Master to conduct business.  God is not egalitarian in asset allocation.  Please don’t hear what I am not saying: Humans are created in the image of God and thus have equal worth and dignity.  However, you and I both know that not all humans are equally gifted.  For example, I am 5’5” and cannot dribble a basketball to save my life.  I am not equipped to be an NBA star. I also did not receive the ability to play the guitar, so I am not going to be a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.  There are things that I just don’t have the ability to do.  You are the same way.  In our American Society; however, this is not what is accepted or taught.  You see, children are told that they can be anything that they want to be or that they put their minds too.  That just isn’t true.  This is detrimental to the health and well-being of our children too, because it builds resentment and envy in them when they cannot do what they want to do because they are not equipped with those traits as others are.  

​This also says something about the Master, Himself.  It shows that the Master is wise and good.  The Master knows the abilities of these servants and does not give them more than they are capable of stewarding.  The Master does not put the servants into precarious situations by entrusting to them that which they cannot handle.  This reveals the Masters wisdom at the issuance of this Charge to steward His possessions.  The Master charges the servants to care for His property.  

This parable as an illustration reaffirms that this physical life matters to God.  This life matters to God for what we do, and what we don’t do based upon the opportunities and ability that He has given us.  What has the Lord entrusted to your care?  What opportunities has the Lord Jesus given to you?  What manner of responsibilities has Jesus entrusted you with?  What should you do with these assets, opportunities, and Responsibilities that the Lord has entrusted to you?  What actions should you take?  

The Action (vv. 16-18)

​Look with me at the actions that these servants took.  The first servant and second servant immediately, and joyfully put into service that which they were entrusted with.  They were pleased to immediately use their Masters money to expand their Masters assets.  Why did these two servants take this action?  Possibly, these two servants thought that if their Masters influence was increased it would be good for them as well.  Maybe they were both excited that the Master saw fit to trust them with this responsibility, so they were eager to show their Master that He had made a good decision by trusting them with His property.  

​The first two servants were very successful too.  They each doubled what they had been entrusted with. They both increased their Master’s wealth by 100%.  So, in their possession and care the first servant had two lifetimes of money to watch over, and the second servant had one lifetime of money to watch over.  The reality is that both of these servants trusted that their Master was a man who was trustworthy.  This enabled them to put into action and expand their Master’s property while trusting that their Master would be pleased upon His return.  Thus, their investments yielded a large increase.

​This is Faith in action yielding fruit.  When Jesus gives us opportunities, and responsibilities, what actions do we take?  As James says, Faith without works is dead.  A non-working faith is useless, in fact, it is no faith at all.  This is really what separates good servants from bad servants.  These servants even trust that if their investments went poorly, their Master would do what is right.  This security in the character of their Master drove them to immediately seek to please the Master by faithfully stewarding His property.  

​Now, the third servant found the need to secure the Master’s money in a safe location.  He did nothing with the Master’s property, nothing.  In this time period, this would be equivalent to placing it in a safe deposit box.  It could be assumed that this third servant has done good by not risking a chance to lose the Master’s property.  Maybe the servant was scared to do anything with fearing that his incompetence would yield a loss of the Master’s property.  However, remember the basis upon which the Master used to allocate His resources to these servants, the servants ability.  The Master had already made a calculated judgement based upon His knowledge of the servants.  But again, at first glance, it doesn’t look like any of these three servants made bad decisions with their Master’s property.  They possessed the Master’s property, but the Master owned it.  Which of these three servants can you most identify with?  What actions have you taken to faithfully steward the resources of God in your life?  Have you noticed fruit being produced by your actions?  Now after a long time, the Master returned.  Let’s notice what the Responses are of each servant and the Master are at his return.  

The Responses (vv. 19-30)

​When the Master came back after a LONG time, the accounts were settled with the servants.  I can hear the excitement and joy in the first servants voice as he come dragging in two lifetimes worth of money to show the Master how successful he had been with the Master’s property.  The Master indeed affirms the servant, and says that the servant had been faithful over the small portion, and now will rule over much.  Then, the servant enters into the joy of his master.  The second servant likewise in like manner does the exact same and receives the same praise from the Master as well as the same reward.  The response is truly authentic and fair.  Both of these servants had done what was honorable.  They immediately employed their Master’s resources in an honorable way.  These servants knew that these resources were not their own and they knew they would have to give back what they had been entrusted, but they wanted to make their master proud.  This is why they were faithful to employ these resources to expand their master’s property.   

​The third servant comes to the Master, and immediately attacks the character of the Master.  This attack insinuates that the Master is unjust, and unfair.  This servant makes a lot of excuses for why he did nothing with the Master’s resources.  This servant had no intention of utilizing his time to steward the Master’s resources because this servant was too wrapped up in himself.  This servant couldn’t be bothered by the Master to do His Master’s biddings for Him while He was gone.  Out of sight, out of mind so to speak.  I am not really sure that this servant even gave much thought to his response at the Master’s return.  Nonetheless, this servant’s response and accusations tells us a lot about the heart of the slave, and his view of the Master.

​Notice how the Master responds to this servant’s accusations.  The Master calls this servant wicked and slothful.  Laziness is a form of wickedness.  Then the Master calls the servants bluff, and shoots a ton of holes into this servant’s excuse.  The Master basically says: “If you really believed that I was like what you have described of me, then why didn’t you at least give me back with the same value that which I entrusted to you?”  The Master identifies that the servant is lying to his face on the motivation from which the servant failed to act.  The judgement of the Master is quick and right.  The talent that was entrusted to this servant is taken away, and the servant is cast into Hell.  This servant has proven to be unfaithful, and wicked.  

​Just because it appears in the eyes of the world to be a good action, that doesn’t mean that it is.  We can note that actions here really do speak louder than words.  The wicked servant’s actions really showed his true colors regarding the Master.  The servant attempted to shift the blame off himself, almost making himself out to be a victim.  Isn’t this common in our world today? People despise the gifts of God, call Him unfair, while the whole time missing true nature of God.  Instead of seeing God’s heritage as an opportunity for faithfulness, they view it as a burden.  They make themselves out to be victims of their own circumstances; although, they had every opportunity according to their ability to act rightly according to knowledge.  Maybe Jesus looked right into Judas’ face as he told this portion of the parable.  

​Church let us resolve to identify with the two faithful servants.  Let us acknowledge the gifts and resources that God has entrusted to us that we might expand, multiply, and invest into this life that which will reap spiritual rewards such that when the master appears, we will be eager to give back to him all that He has given to us and much more.  Let us ensure that our faith in our Master, the Good Shephard, drives us to have a right understanding of His character and attributes.  This will ensure that we rightly trust, and have security in the one who has saw fit to entrust to us His resources according to our ability.  Be faithful, always, for when the Master comes, the only right response to hear is “Well done thy good and faithful Servant”.  This is the Word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God!