‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
- Matthew 25:14-30
In the story, the master entrusted his servants with "talents" (they can be interpreted as money, or literally talents). The master knew the servants' abilities beforehand so he gave talents according to it. The first and second servant doubled the talents given to them, while the last one buried it.
Upon arrival of the master he called his servants and asked them about the talents. He was extremely pleased with the first two servants who made good use of their talents and doubled them. The same is not said for the third one, whom he regarded as "lazy." The master got cross and in his anger he took the talents, gave it to the one who had the most, and gave punishment to the last one.
[Read also: Money Matters 101: Price versus Cost]
[Read also: Money Matters 101: Price versus Cost]
What does this story teach us and how does this apply to our everyday lives?
To me, this story is about many things.
First, God has given us talents, that we have to cultivate. Some may be better in sports, or excels in academics, or just plain witty. Whatever the case, the important thing is that God has given us these talents for us to put it to good use. Life may not be fair (some may have a lot more than others) but it is insignificant; the lesson here is clear - cultivate your God-given talents.
Second, there is a lesson hidden in the story. What would have been the master's reaction had the first two servants "lose" their talents instead of doubling it? The clue is the comment the master gave to the third one: "You wicked and lazy slave!" This teaches us to at least try, and not just wait and be passive. The third servant even gave an excuse for his inaction ("...you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow..."). This angered the master even more. So, do not be lazy and stop making excuses for your actions.
Adding to the second point is the fact that the master entrusted talents to his servants, thus giving his "faith" to them, for them to go and put these talents to good use. It may be in any way, as long as it is a good way and something that would reap good benefits. Again, the point is to not be lazy and to do something.
The master took away what he gave to the servants, but it is obvious that the two servants who did a good job has the master's good faith and trust, something that is very easy to waste and very difficult to earn.
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Applying this to our everyday life, especially to the topic about money, God has given us these "talents" for us to use it and cultivate it. When you put your heart to what you do, things become easy, and the money will start pouring in, rather than wait for something good to happen (a very good example is taking chances at the lottery).
If you are not convinced, just look around. You'll see a lot of poor people taking mediocre jobs, living from paycheck to paycheck, using their hard-earned money for stuff they really do not need, and others trying their luck in the lottery. How many times have we heard the story of someone who lost all his money faster than he made it? A lot of people think that winning the lottery is their ticket to riches. What they do not know is the responsibility of having too much money, and the problem of having too much in which they are unprepared. Why? It's because all their lives their problem is the lack of money, and now that they have too much, it becomes a problem as well. Also, notice that the poorer the person is, the harder his life will be. The last few sentences of the story says it all.
On the other side of the coin, rich people are becoming richer, it's because of their commitment to hard work. They do not become lazy. In being hardworking, God rewards them with more money, which they give back to the people in the form of charities, etc.
The real lesson is found in the last few sentences:
For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.
Choose to live in abundance and reap benefits, and you may be of service to other people.
Serve the highest master and have faith, and you will be rewarded as well.
Comments below!
Picture credits:
a heart that burns
Comments below!
Picture credits:
a heart that burns
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