“For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents, went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well clone, thou good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that, hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”—Matt. 25:14-30.
This parable is very similar to the one of the Pounds (Luke 19), only here one receives five talents; one, two; and another, one, “according to their several ability;” whereas, in Luke, each received one pound. Here the wicked servant buried the talent “ in the earth;” in Luke it was wrapped “in a napkin.” Here the faithful servants are made rulers over “many things,” and “enter into the joy of their Lord;” in Luke they were put over “cities.”
This parable shows that all have not the same ability, but all have the same Lord to serve, and all should have the same zeal in their Master’s service. Each is to use the gift; and this implies it is not something already possessed in nature, it is bestowed by the Lord, to be used for Him. It will be seen the words, “kingdom of heaven,” have been added. It is the faithfulness of His servants, rather than the kingdom.
Here the sovereign goodness of the Lord comes out. Surely it would be more than an ample reward to rule over many things; but it is added, they are to enter into the joy of their Lord—to be brought into immediate association with Himself. Who can estimate what this will be?
Thus we are called upon to be using our talents for the Lord in His absence. It follows the parable of the Ten Virgins. We are to use our talents, not to sleep. When He returns, He will ask us as to how we have used these talents. It may be that the reader has but one—let him use that faithfully, and not, as is the temptation to many, wish he had more or different gifts, and thus be neglecting the one he has; and our Lord will accord to him His divine approval on His return, and make Him a sharer of His own joy.
We feel the especial danger, is, as in our parable, to those who have but one talent. It may seem so small in comparison with the gifts of others, and it may be for doing things unseen by mortal eyes. Ah, but God sees; He has given the talent, and the one talent is given according to “ability,” as much as those who have more. Then such could not use two if they could get them; their work is to use the one they have. May God arouse all to use the gifts He has given in dependence upon Himself, the living God.
As in the parable of the Pounds, so here, all receive gifts. This agrees with Eph. 4:16, where, under the figure of a body, there is that which every joint supplies—supplies, mark, not receives, though that is true also; but every part has its office to fulfill, and each has to do that which specially belongs to it; and no one is so insignificant, that the most exalted can say, “I have no need of thee.” Yea, the parts that we think to be less honorable, have the more abundant honors. All is so beautifully fitted, that there should be no superfluous member, and no lack. (See 1 Cor. 12)
We doubt not many of the complaints of the lack of gift would cease were each using faithfully, as to the Lord, what he has. We are also told to “covet earnestly the best gifts;” but he that is not faithful in a little cannot be entrusted with that which is greater, while the talent of the slothful servant is given to the one who had received the ten. Let us not forget, also, that even a Timothy needed the exhortation to stir up his gift (2 Tim. 1:6), or it might lie dormant and unused. There is much need in many places, but who can tell the amount of talents there are buried in the earth, or earthly things? May God arouse us to the sense of need, and to our individual responsibility.
The Master will return, and we shall have to give an account of our stewardship. “We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10.) But the apostle joins with this—“We labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of [or, acceptable to] him.”
As in the parable of the Pounds, all who take the place of servants will be judged as such. The unprofitable servant said he knew his master was a “hard” man; yea, more, that he took what did not rightfully belong to him; and he was afraid, and went and hid the talent in the earth. All a tissue of excuses, to cover up his unfaithfulness; but it shows how man, and even those who profess to be God’s servants, may regard their Master in heaven. All is hard work to the slothful, and it is wicked to charge injustice to God. So he is called a slothful and wicked servant, and is consigned to the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
But the faithful enter into the joy of their Lord, a rich compensation, surely, for any little service we can do here for that One to whom we owe all we have, and all we are, though nothing is little done for such a Master. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58.)