Parable of the Talents. Matthew 25: 14-30

I see the servent who did nothing with the money just as God said. He called him wicked and lazy. When he accused God of reaping where he did not sew, etc., and God said he would judge him by his own words is because that is what the wicked servent was like himself, which is why he said that about God. Did you ever realize when you were judging someone it was because it was something you were seeing in yourself? The scripture also says that somewhere. Sometimes people will even see you doing something your not really doing and judge you for it! I think weve all been guilty of these things at some point in our life if were honest.

Well, that's how I interpret it.

Blessings.
 
I see the servent who did nothing with the money just as God said. He called him wicked and lazy. When he accused God of reaping where he did not sew, etc., and God said he would judge him by his own words is because that is what the wicked servent was like himself, which is why he said that about God. Did you ever realize when you were judging someone it was because it was something you were seeing in yourself? The scripture also says that somewhere. Sometimes people will even see you doing something your not really doing and judge you for it! I think weve all been guilty of these things at some point in our life if were honest.

Well, that's how I interpret it.

Blessings.

Good point your making :)
 
Parable in (my) summary:
.....
A rich guy goes off jet-setting to do business and leaves some cash in the hands of 3 of his assistants. One of them does some trading and doubles his money (luck? he could also have lost it in some horrible investment scheme?). Another one does the same. The third guy is scared, he hangs on to the money and returns it to his boss, exactly as he left it. The first 2 guys get rewarded and the 3rd guy gets fired (hence gnashing of teeth).
----
Now I've thought about it (and typed it out in my own words), I can see the point (I think), that we should take what we have and use it! But I still feel sorry for the poor guy who's frightened.

Hi, sorry in advance if find my post a bit difficult to read, English is not my mother tongue, and my mind tend to present its idea in linear, step by step manner and how I capitalize some words :)

FIRST: when you mentioned “luck”, that is where i think will give a wrong impression or conclusion...YES, it needs luck to invest RICHES..

BUT: it is not about investing money, or wealth, or riches….
TALENTS, in the traditional way to interpret the parables: refers to GIFT or VIRTUES, that God gave us….
IMO: I think investing gift of love, of patience, of reminding one another, extending time to understand, to forgive….. these gifts or virtues NEVER FAILS, it does not need LUCK.​

SECOND: what happened to the servant, I feel sorry as well IF it is about investing a financial capital.
IF the investment is money: then indeed, the servant is understandably deserves to be sorry for, some people are really not into investing into business, profitable ventures, as there is ALWAYS RISK investing: that is: a POTENTIAL LOSS of INVESTMENT​

But again, it is not about money​

It is about gifts or virtues:
IMO: investing gifts or virtues of love, patience, ability to give instructions or reminders, those NEVER FAILS, it always give PROFIT, there is NEVER a LOSS​

Having said that:
If a Man can LOVE, but he did not LOVE, a man can FORGIVE but he did not FORGIVE, a man has the ability to INSTRUCT or REMIND a brother but did not….do we need to be sorry for him?​

Yeah I personally will still go “light” on him because I can relate, haha :).... kidding aside: it gives a heavy feeling not to exercise the gift or virtues, thus, it is for our own good to exercise it...​

Also, his trouble is not with us fellow servant, he needs to explain why he did not invest his gifts or virtues, to the Master.
 
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I see the servent who did nothing with the money just as God said. He called him wicked and lazy. When he accused God of reaping where he did not sew, etc., and God said he would judge him by his own words is because that is what the wicked servent was like himself, which is why he said that about God. Did you ever realize when you were judging someone it was because it was something you were seeing in yourself? The scripture also says that somewhere. Sometimes people will even see you doing something your not really doing and judge you for it! I think weve all been guilty of these things at some point in our life if were honest.

Well, that's how I interpret it.

Blessings.

Hello sister.

I saw something you said which was...........
"Did you ever realize when you were judging someone it was because it was something you were seeing in yourself?"

Just a question to you, if you observe, lets say someone robbing a bank, and you make a determination/Judgment that it is wrong, a sin, a crime, and you call the police, is that judgment then somehow a reflection on something in you?????

That may be too extreme. Lets say that your next door neighbor curses all the time around you. He uses Gods name all the time. You ask him to stop. Is that not a judgment on your part????? Does that then mean you are doing the same thing?

I am just trying to understand your thoughts.
 
Annie Cturtle
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Matthew 25:13-30

Hello there,

This parable is the last recorded parable of the Gospel of Matthew, and deals with reward or loss consequent upon service rendered to an absent Lord. The period of service is during the Lord's absence. The commission is given just before his departure, and the reward is given upon His return.

'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.'

(Mat 25:15)

* What strikes me about this verse is that the talents are given, 'to every man according to his several ability'. What care is taken in apportioning these talents, isn't there? This took observation, consideration, and knowledge of the people to whom they were given, it is not the intention to burden any man, but to equip appropriately.

Praise God!

* The person who received just one talent, was given it with the same care as the rest, according to his ability. Yet this man's response in Matt.25:24,25, shows that he did not understand the care that had been taken in apportioning him just that one talent.

* Like many of us in a tight situation we go into attack mode in our own defense, and this is what he does, doesn't he? Rebounding on his Lord he accuses him of being '
a hard man', 'reaping where thou hast not sown', and 'gathering where thou hast not strawed.'

*His Lord's response in Matt.25:26,27, shows that he is fully aware of the state of this man, he knows that it was
'slothfulness' (laziness) and not 'fear' that caused this man to act as he did. For he had the ability, as his Lord well knew. There is a proverb which sums this up well, I think:-

'The slothful man saith,
"There is a lion without,
I shall be slain in the streets".'

(Prov.22:13)

* The Lord has used this verse to chasten me very often and caused me to search my motives for not taking action, along with another proverb:-


'Go to the ant, thou sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wis
e:'
(Prov.6:6)

* No! We need waste no sympathy on this man.

Praise God!

In Christ Jesus
Complete

* The parable of the pounds in Luke 19:12-27 is a good one to compare with this one.







 
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Hello sister.

I saw something you said which was...........
"Did you ever realize when you were judging someone it was because it was something you were seeing in yourself?"

Just a question to you, if you observe, lets say someone robbing a bank, and you make a determination/Judgment that it is wrong, a sin, a crime, and you call the police, is that judgment then somehow a reflection on something in you?????

That may be too extreme. Lets say that your next door neighbor curses all the time around you. He uses Gods name all the time. You ask him to stop. Is that not a judgment on your part????? Does that then mean you are doing the same thing?

I am just trying to understand your thoughts.


Well obviously not always.

Example: My mil is short and round. She saw her great grandchikd who was short and round being young, and threw a judment at him, 'is he a little porker!' She sort of gasped. She did that to guy on stage at church I took her too also, but I forgot what she said or did concerning excatly.
Maybe she was in denial about her own weight or appearance or something, I dont know exactly but it was kind of funny really because shes sitting there with the same appearance.
Now I find nothing wrong it, so if you are short and on the rounder side, seriously, I could careless.
 
Firstly, please let me say that I am new to the bible and bible study. This is a disclaimer of sorts:)

When I first read this it confused me. I couldn't figure out why the servant who was frightened and played it safe got to be cast out and 'gnash his teeth'.

Parable in (my) summary:

A rich guy goes off jet-setting to do business and leaves some cash in the hands of 3 of his assistants. One of them does some trading and doubles his money (luck? he could also have lost it in some horrible investment scheme?). Another one does the same. The third guy is scared, he hangs on to the money and returns it to his boss, exactly as he left it. The first 2 guys get rewarded and the 3rd guy gets fired (hence gnashing of teeth).

I know this didn't actually happen, I know it's a parable (it's a lesson), but I still feel really bad for the poor guy who was afraid and therefore cautious with somebody else's money.

Now I've thought about it (and typed it out in my own words), I can see the point (I think), that we should take what we have and use it! But I still feel sorry for the poor guy who's frightened.

Help required:)

Greetings, Annie. I'm new here and I noticed this thread. Don't know if you are still interested in this question or not, but I noticed you are still active, so I think I'll post a reply for you.

I have written full bible studies on this parable and the surrounding parables, all of which must be taken and interpreted together as part of a cognitive whole, with a common theme.

Let me outline the elements for you first:

"Talents" = spiritual riches, i.e. revelation from God, that the disciples were to "increase in" while the Lord was away. This relates back to the parable back in Matthew 24, particularly Matthew 24:45, and that they were to be providing good spiritual "food" to His household until He returned.

"Each according to his ability" is exactly as other posters have stated. Not everyone has the capacity to be a great Bible scholar or teacher. He simply asks that we grow in the knowledge of his word according to the ability He has given US, not others.

"The one with the 1 talent went and hid it in the ground" = This speaks of someone doing NOTHING with the revelation and insight God had given him. He is supposed to be "trading" with it, or in other words interacting with others over it, whereby he will continue obtaining more from God in the interaction. But instead this guy just does nothing but HIDE the revelation God has given him in the earth. He is either,

A. Cowardly
B. Lazy
C. Disobedient, or
D. Any combination of these three. Hence the judgment that befalls him.

Thus, he eventually comes face to face with a Lord whom he acknowledges is "stern, and reaps where He has not sown," or in other words, the wicked servant acknowledges that the Lord was expecting something of him, a service and a responsibility that rested squarely on his shoulders (i.e. the responsibility to grow in revelation and understanding from God), and yet he failed to do so.

Thus, the entire parable is essentially an amplification on the principle of, "To him who has, more will be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from him who has not, even what little he has shall be taken from him." It is also an amplification on, "To him whom much is given, much will be expected."

Let me know if you get this, and have any questions.

God Bless,
Hidden
 
Thanks so much Hidden for your explanation. It is about indeed reaping what you sow and sow what you reap.

Amen. I love the parables. Our Lord always put things in terms of our relationship with Him, so that you could relate to them on a metal level, but also in an emotional one as well, which means a lot to me.
 
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