Faithful With the Little
Parable of the Talents
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
Breaking Down the Parable
Here we have a master and three servants. The master represents Christ and the three servants represent believers. And each is given a number of talents, which represent opportunities. The amount given being based on their abilities, experience, and gifting. God isn’t going to give too much to someone who isn’t able to carry that load yet...that develops over time. If five talents were given to a person with minimal ability, he would be destroyed by the heavy responsibility.
So you have one servant with 5 talents, and he puts the talents to work and earns 5 more. Another servant is given 2 talents, puts it to work, and doubles it as well. Then you have a third servant given 1 talent who buries it in the ground.
The master returns and settles up with the servants. To the servants who had the 5 and 2 and invested what was given to them, the master is pleased. He says, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
They took what God gave them, invested it, and it pleased God. And because they were faithful with a little, God gave them more. I think it’s important to note that the man with the 5 and the man with the 2 received the same reward, indicating that the reward is based on faithfulness, not results. God isn’t looking to see how many comments your blog got or shares your post received. He’s not comparing what you give to others. God is simply looking at your faithfulness.
Now, to the servant who had the 1 talent and buried it, it didn’t go so well. When it was his turn, he claims he was afraid and so buried the talent. Let me ask you: what are you afraid of that is keeping you from investing your gift?
Rejection, failure, vulnerability? Usually, the fear that gets to me is not feeling like I’m not good enough. I wonder if that’s what this servant thought? Maybe he thought his 1 talent wasn’t important; it wasn’t as much as the other two. He got to looking at their talents and considered his not noteworthy and so decided not to do much with it. And the master, who represents God, essentially says that’s not a good excuse.
Now, this servant didn’t do anything inherently evil, right. It’s not like he stole it, or used it on himself. So we can wonder what’s the big deal? But by doing nothing, he was committing sin and robbing the Lord of service and increase. We have to realize that obedience is demanded from us and that disobedience is a sin. By not doing anything, he sinned. By not using what God gives you is sin.
As a result of disobedience, the servant lost everything. More than the one talent he lost out on relationship and abundance of life. Warren Wiersbe wrote in his commentary, “What we do not use for the Lord, we are in danger of losing.”
Ask yourself—are you willing to lose out on what God has for you simply because you’ve been afraid or busy or distracted to use the gift and opportunities He has given you?
Listen, you may not consider your one talent opportunity much, but it’s everything. So much has been built and accomplished because of one talent people offering up what they had. We may not be successful in the eyes of men, or even popular with others. But if we are faithful, we shall receive our reward.
