Parable of the Talents

For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30

(The parables of Jesus are open to multiple interpretations, and the parable of the talents is no exception. A key interpretative choice for the reader is to decide who the "king" or "master" is in each parable. If we decide as a reader that the most powerful figure in the story is God, then different avenues of understanding open up than would if God is not the most powerful person. For this reflection, I will follow the tradition interpretation of God as the master in this story. Follow the link below for an alternative interpretation.)


Each of has been given gifts or talents by God, but not in the same areas or in equal proportions. For example, our genetics largely determine our physical attributes. I may wish to be taller but no matter what I do I cannot change my height. Similarly, I can work hard to increase my endurance or speed as a runner but I will never be as fast as Usain Bolt no matter what I do. This parable suggests we will be judged by God not for what we do, but what we do with what we have been given. For those who have been given more, more will be expected. But each of us is called to use whatever we have been given for God's purposes in the world.


When the master leaves for his journey he entrusts each of his servants with a different number of talents (a large sum of money). He doles out the talents according to their ability. The servant who received five talents had either more gifts or had previously demonstrated more ability in the past. The other servants received fewer talents but were each expected to use what they had been given wisely. When the master returned, the first two servants had doubled the master's investment. This pleased the master, and they were each given more responsibility. The last servant hid his one talent out of fear of the master. He was reprimanded and punished by being thrown into the outer darkness.


There are many different ways this parable could be interpreted. It could suggest God's encouragement to use our gifts in the world rather than inaction due to a lack of self-confidence. Or it could suggest sharing God's word and being willing to risk rejection by others. Some might also find justification for bold entrepreneurial business tactics that invest in high-risk, high-reward opportunities.


Whatever the specific application, the parable suggest using what we have been given for God's work in the world. For those given the talent to sing, sing for God's glory. For those who can speak or write, do so to lift up God's word. For those skilled at making things, build things to help others. For those with the gift of compassion, share you love with others. We all have been given gifts by God for specific reasons. We must decide how to use our gifts, but when we use them for God's purposes we participate in God's kingdom work. I can think of no better use.


Prayer: Thank you Lord for creating me the way I am and giving me the gifts I have. Let your spirit inspire me to share my gifts for your purposes, in Jesus' name, AMEN.


For another interpretation of this parable check out: Economic Oppression and the Seductive Lure of Debt