Parables of Jesus—
The Parable of the Talents of Money
By Joyce Webb 2008
A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Jesus told stories so people could understand things about heaven.
The Parable of the Talents of Money
Luke 19:12-27 Matthew 25:24-30
Jesus told the story of a man traveling into a far country.
The man called his servants. He gave talents (money) to each of them so they could use it to make more money while he was gone.
To one servant, he gave 5 talents. A talent was a certain amount of money. Let’s say he gave him $500.00. Another man was given 2 talents–or we will say $200.00. The last servant was given 1 talent or we will say $100.00.
Each man was given the amount of money that the master thought the man was able to use well.
The first servant was given the most because the master thought he had good business understanding. The master thought he would be able to use the money wisely.
The next servant may not have been as able to understand business things, so he was given less money.
The last servant was even less able to take care of money, so he was given the least amount.
The owner went away to a far country. He would not be back for awhile.
The servants were expected to use the money in whatever way they thought would earn more money. When the master came back, he would ask them how much they earned.
The first servant used his money very well and he got twice as much. He now had $1000.00.
The second servant did well, too, he got twice as much. He now had $400.00.
The last servant did nothing with his money.
He said he was afraid he would lose some of the money, so he just buried it in the ground.
Later when the owner came back home, he asked the servants how they did with the money he had given them.
The owner said to the first servant. “You are a good and faithful servant. You have done well. You may enter into the joy of what I have prepared for you.”
The owner said the same thing to the second servant.
The third servant came bringing the $100.00 that the owner gave him.
He said to the owner, “I knew you were a hard man and you would expect to get money by letting others work for it. I was afraid, so I hid the money so I would not lose it. So here it is.”
The owner was angry.
He said, “If you thought I was a hard man who tried to get money by someone else’s work t hen you should have tried to make some money.
You could have put it in the bank and then you would have earned interest.
At least you would have earned a little more money. Hiding it in the ground did not earn anything. Y ou are lazy and not a good worker.
Go away from me!”
The owner took the $100.00 and gave it to the servant who had $1000.00.
The owner said, “To those who have–more will be given. For those who have little, even what they have will be taken away and given to the man who has much.”
The meaning is that the man who had much knew how to take care of money and how to use it wisely. He was willing to work and do what was
expected of him.
The man who had little did not know how to use the money wisely.
He knew what was expected of him—he even said so—but he was not
willing to take a risk or to ask for advice on how to use the money. He let his fear win, so he could not be trusted to have the money.
Verse 30 says: “Throw (cast) the unprofitable servant into outer darkness where there is weeping (crying) and gnashing (grinding) of teeth—a place of pain.”
Jesus was saying: God gives each person ability, skill, understanding to do things for God.
Some people are smarter than others. Some people have better health than others. Some people have more opportunities than others.
Some people have self-confidence. Some people are shy.
For some people it is easy to talk to others. Other people find it hard to do.
We all have something we can do for God o help others come into the kingdom of God.
If you know Jesus, you can talk to other people and tell them about Jesus. You can tell them what they need to do to go to heaven.
May be you can tell the people in your family, your relatives, or your friends. You can invite someone to church.
May be you can teach children in Sunday School, or teach teens or adults.
If you have more ability, maybe you can be a preacher or a missionary.
Everyone can tell someone. Everyone can help by encouraging others to do right and to think about God.
Everyone can be kind and helpful.
The man with $500.00 had much more than the man with $200.00,
but the both earned twice what they had to start with. They were equal in willingness to work, to try,
They were equal in faithfulness.
The owner did not judge them on how much they earned. He judged them on their willingness to do their best to work.
The owner was very pleased with both of them. They both were called “good and faithful servants”. They both entered into the joy of what the owner had prepared for them to enjoy.
The last servant knew what he should do, but he would not do it.
He put the whole thing out of his mind and went his own way.
When the day came to stand before the master he was very afraid.
He should be. He knew what was expected of him he just did not do it.
He said that he was afraid. May be he just did not want to bother doing anything.
Being afraid was not an excuse that the master would accept.
God said that he will help us. The Holy Spirit will go with us in whatever we do. Sometimes we have to do things even if we are afraid.
Being afraid should not stop us from doing something for the Lord.
If we can not do “big” “important” things for God, then we need to do what we can.