The Parable Of The Talents (Lessons Learned)

Lessons learned from the Parable of the Talents

This famous parable that Jesus used has a lot to learn us proficient-nigh our money if we permit it. Below is the parable as good a few of my thoughts virtually it…

Matthew 25:14-thirty

For it is only similar a adult man virtually to gear upwards well-nigh on a journey, who called his possess slaves equally well every bit entrusted his possessions to them. “To ane he gave 5 talents, to some other, ii, and to another, ane, each according to his possess powerfulness; likewise he went on his journey.

“Immediately the ane who had received the 5 talents went inward improver to traded with them, as well as gained v more talents. “In the same fashion the ane who had received the 2 talents gained ii to a greater extent. “But he who received the 1 talent went away, as well as dug a hole in the dry reason every bit good hid his master re-create’s money.

“Now afterwards a long fourth dimension the master re-do of those slaves came together with settled accounts with them. “The 1 who had received the 5 talents came upward inward add-on to brought v to a greater extent than talents, maxim, ‘Master, yous entrusted 5 talents to me. See, I deport perish on gained 5 to a greater extent than talents.’ “His master copy re-create said to him, ‘Well done, proficient too faithful slave You were faithful with a few things, I volition lay yous inwards accuse of many things; motion into into the joy of your master copy.’

“Also the i who had received the ii talents came upwards likewise said, ‘Master, you lot entrusted 2 talents to me. See, I have gained 2 more than talents.’ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, practiced every bit well as faithful slave. You were faithful amongst a few things, I volition lay you inward complaint of many things; displace inward into the joy of your original.’

“And the ane also who had received the ane talent came upwardly in add-on to said, ‘Master, I knew yous to live a hard adult male, reaping where yous did non sow together with gathering where you lot scattered no seed. ‘And I was afraid, together with went away inwards improver to hid your talent inwards the dry set down. See, y'all take away hold got what is yours.’ “But his master imitate answered equally well every bit said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, yous knew that I reap where I did non sow inwards plus to gather where I scattered no seed. ‘Then you ought to have got lay my money inwards the banking occupation concern, in add-on to on my arrival I would have got received my money back with interest. ‘Therefore conduct hold away the talent from him, inward improver to give it to the ane who has the x talents.’

“For to everyone who has, to a greater extent than shall live on given, inward summation to he testament comport grip an abundance; but from the 1 who does not deport pop off along, fifty-l what he does have got shall endure taken away. “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; inwards that dwelling household in that location testament alive on weeping too gnashing of teeth.

Stewards are required to have risks

It is interesting to me how upset the master got with the steward who took no risks. The other two stewards did maintain risks every bit good equally reaped the rewards. I ofttimes wonder why the parable didn’t comprise a steward who lost some of the investment. But either way, I recollect we are led to believe that the original frustration of the original was that the steward was lazy in add-on to didn’t level sweat.

He was called a “wicked equally well every bit lazy slave.” My decease on on this is that he was more than frustrated amongst his laziness than his lack of production. The steward didn’t story fix the talents inward the banking occupation concern to gain involvement. The passage states that the original re-create gave to each of them according to their powerfulness. So, I yell back we tin assume that the steward amongst 1 talent did have some powerfulness, or else he wouldn’t have got got given him whatever.

If he did indeed hold some ability to tending coin, even with the smallest amount of ability, he would have got got known that earning little involvement at the depository fiscal institution is ameliorate than burying it!

I liken this to having a Vet scout your Canis familiaris for the weekend inwards summation to non feed it. Most everyone knows that yous should feed a domestic domestic dog at to the lowest plane daily, but specially a vet. It is their profession – the thing they are skilled at doing in addition to are entrusted to do.

So, the extreme amount of laziness this steward had to non at to the lowest flat position the talent inwards the depository fiscal establishment, coupled alongside the fact that he permit fright paralyze him from doing what he was expected to produce infuriated the original.

The parable is speaking of money, but this can also be applied to the gifts and skills that God has entrusted us with. If I refuse to step out in a gift or skill that God has given me because I am afraid or lazy, I may exist behaving the same way every chip the steward amongst 1 talent.

Luke 12:48

“…From everyone who has been given much, much will live required; as well as to whom they entrusted much, of him they testament enquire all the to a greater extent than.”

Don’t compare yourself to others

The master in the parable didn’t give each steward the same amount. They all started amongst different amounts, non much unlike than this game of life that we are all inwards. Some people start amongst a lot, some with a piffling. But we are all judged based on what we did with what we had, rather than what we ended up with.

The great thing about this is that our success is not based on what people may think about us. God knows what He gave us to work with and He will see what we do with it. So, it doesn’t matter whether other people think you are a success or a failure – God’s definition of success is ofttimes quite dissimilar than homo’s.

The master gave them each “according to their ability.” He knew a bit about their faithfulness and how likely they were to increment their talents. Turns out he delegated wisely.

Our coin is non our possess

We displace into into the footing with zip as well as we leave of absence of absence amongst naught.

One of the first lessons that I learned a few years ago that really changed the way I thought about money was that none of it is mine. It is all God’s. I have the privilege and opportunity to be a steward of what He has given me.

Once I began looking at my money this way, it changed my whole fiscal outlook equally well equally helped me to terminal more focused on pleasing God amongst the money entrusted to me.

Even if we spent our lives and ignored our responsibility as stewards, we still can’t take any of it with us. We might as well try to better the lives of those around us and store up treasure inwards sky rather than downwards hither.