The Parable of the Talents

In the Parable of the Talents (Matt 25:14–30), a master preparing to leave town gives his three servants money to manage while he is away. The servants were not the owners of the money; they were the managers of it. The same thing is true of each of us. God has given all of us something to manage, such as money, time, gifts, and opportunities. None of us are empty handed.

In Jesus’ parable, two of the servants took what their master had given them and went to work with it. They invested wisely, and each doubled what he had (Matt 25:16–17). When the master returned, he was pleased with them. These servants did the right thing—making the most of what was given to them.

At the end of the parable, Jesus says, “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matt 25:29). The point: those who use what they have will be entrusted with even more.

The third servant in the story took the money his master had given him and dug a hole, burying the money in the ground (Matt 25:18). He was afraid, so he played it safe. But the master was not pleased because the servant did not take a risk: “Evil and lazy slave!… you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and when I returned I would have gotten back what was mine with interest!” (Matt 25:26–27).

Fear can cause people to play it safe, and it may even prevent them from receiving new blessings. Ultimately, the Parable of the Talents tells us to recognize the resources that God has placed in our hands, to make the most those resources, overcome our fear, and take a step of faith with what God has given us. If we do these things, we can look forward to hearing the words, “Well done, good and faithful slave!” (Matt 25:21).

Ken Foreman