Q. “S.” Will you give an outline of the Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30). There being an “evil servant” is a difficulty to some. May not an unrenewed soul get a gift?
A. This is one of three Parables in Matthew 24:45-51;25:1-30, which refer to the relations of those who would really or ostensibly follow the Lord Jesus during the period characterized by His absence and the calling out of the Church; from Pentecost until the Lord’s second coming. During this time He has ceased to deal with the Jew. At its close He will judge the “quick,” and thus bring in the kingdom (25:30).
The Parable of the Talents is mainly a question of power, rather than of gift, if you mean by the latter such as the ascended Lord gives in Ephesians 4:8-11, as head, of His body to His members.
He is represented as “traveling into a far country,” Messiah rejected by His own people, goes on high. When He departed He called His own servants, and delivered unto them His goods, that is, spiritual things (in Judaism God had distributed earthly things) varying the power and measure according to the aptitude of the vessel. “Unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one”; and then went away. Thus spiritual power is imparted. Three things are recognized.
1. The measure of spiritual power bestowed according to the sovereignty and wisdom of the giver.
2. The natural ability of the vessel.
3. Activity in trading with his Lord’s goods. Then, “after a long time” comes the reckoning, and some are found to have doubled their Lord’s money, and are to enter into the joy of their Lord. The rewards are all the same here, because when the talents were varied it was His sovereignty to do so. Each did his best, and each doubled his capital, no matter what the amount. We have to be diligent, that we lose not spiritual power. This has been the case frequently with many who have not traded with that which the Lord has bestowed, their power is weakened from want of diligence in trading with it.
It being a question of power, the evil servant is judged according to what was at his disposal, and the place he had taken. The question is not that of salvation, but of the power of the Spirit. Hence he is judged as a servant, but an evil one. He is not treated for not being a servant, but for being one with whom spiritual power wrought, and which he abused. Balaam in the Old Testament, Judas in the New, and those who had said, “Lord, Lord,” and cast out devils, and done many marvelous works in the Lord s name, are examples of this. A man might speak with the tongue of men and of angels, and not have love — the divine nature, and be nothing (1 Cor. 13). Hebrews 6 also speaks of those who were partakers of the Holy Spirit, and of the powers of the world to come, or coming age, and were unrenewed.
He is judged out of his own mouth, for “with the froward he will show himself froward.” Words of Truth 7:178-180.