Talents And Pounds (Mat. 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27)

by Toms, A. F. | Category: The Lord's Parables | Sept 1991

The parables of the talents and the pounds both refer primarily to the Lord's return to the earth as Son of Man when He will subdue His enemies and set up His world-wide kingdom. In this context the references to the unprofitable servant being cast into outer darkness in the parable of the talents, and to the enemies being slain in the parable of the pounds are easily understood, for that is precisely what will happen when the Lord comes to reign. However, in this article we wish to draw out some principles of service and reward which are applicable today to disciples of the Lord Jesus. There is not the slightest doubt that the parables have their application to us also, for the nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom and to return is our Lord and Master, whose return we also await, and when He comes we shall appear before His judgement seat to give account of our service. "Trade ye herewith till I come" is clearly His word to our hearts also, and it places upon us all a tremendous responsibility to serve Him with all the strength and zeal we can muster until we hear the call "Behold, He cometh". Let us learn then by comparison and contrast the lessons touching our service for the Lord which these parables teach, and we shall do so under three headings. Firstly:

The Stewardship Entrusted to them

In both parables bondservants are involved and we remember the apostle Paul loved to describe himself in that way - "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:1). What we write has particular application to those who have yielded their hearts to Him, and who no longer live unto themselves but unto Him who for their sakes died and rose again.

In the first parable three servants are mentioned and the gifts of five, two and one talents were varied according to their several ability. Our minds turn immediately to the spiritual gifts which our ascended Master gave, "gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us" (Rom. 12:6). The apostle Paul made it clear "there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit", for He divides "to each one severally even as He will" (1 Cor. 12:4,11). And the apostle Peter adds to our understanding of the subject when he says "according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves" (1 Pet. 4:10). "To each one" is a phrase often repeated in connection with spiritual gifts and it emphasizes the fact that no member of the Church, which is His Body is left out. Each has received a gift as an endowment for service and we are responsible to use it until He comes.

In the second parable there were ten servants and each received a pound. Once again it was to be used in service, but this time it was the same value to each one. Our minds reflect on the Master's words, just before He died, "I have given them Thy Word; and the world hated them" (John 17:14). It is interesting how He places the two facts together, the giving of His Word and the hatred of the world. It answers to the parable, for those ten servants lived and laboured in a hostile environment among citizens who hated their absent lord. We find ourselves in similar circumstances, serving in a world which has no time for the Master we love. But He has given us God's Word; to each one of us the same precious and powerful Word of God which the world so desperately needs. With it we are to serve as workmen and if we handle it rightly we shall not need to be ashamed.

The apostle Paul wrote of elders who laboured in the Word and in teaching (1 Tim. 5:17) and the Greek word conveys the thought of labouring with wearisome effort. They put all they had into it, and so must we. Whatever spiritual gift we have been given, whether teacher, pastor or evangelist; whether we give ourselves to ministry, teaching or exhortation, we shall find they each stand related to the Word of God. The man of God is furnished completely unto every good work by the precious deposit of the Sacred Writings. And even if we consider what we might think of as the lesser gifts we shall find that they also require that we handle God's Word. As the pounds increased as they were used, so will God's Word. It did in apostolic days. "The Word of God increased" (Acts 6:7), "grew and multiplied" (12:24), "so mightily grew the Word of the Lord and prevailed" (19:20). We turn now to consider as our second point:

The Response of the Servants

They did not serve with their own resources. Each of them served with what they had received. It was a stewardship entrusted to them and "it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful" (1 Cor. 4:2). Not surprisingly therefore faithfulness is highlighted in both parables. In the parable of the talents the lord's word was "Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things". In the parable of the pounds, there are similar words of commendation and a reference to having been found faithful. We are forcibly reminded that God does not expect us to do more than we are able, but serve faithfully with the talents we are given. Paul's words in a slightly different context are nevertheless applicable that "if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according as a man hath,

not according as he hath not" (2 Cor. 8:12). The servant with the two talents did not concern himself with the fact that his fellow-servant was entrusted with five. In his lord's estimation he had ability to serve with two talents and he faithfully worked away until his two had grown to four.

However, in both parables there was one servant who failed. The one talent man hid his talent in the earth, and the one with the pound wrapped it in a napkin. A gift lay unused and therefore unproductive, and it turns our thoughts to Paul's word to Timothy, "Neglect not the gift that is in thee" (1 Tim. 4:14) and later "stir up the gift of God, which is in thee" (2 Tim. 1:6). We each have a gift and we do well to examine ourselves regarding it. Are we using it diligently or would we in any way come under the condemnation of the slothful servant? "In diligence not slothful; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord" is the apostle's instruction immediately following his teaching about the gifts in Romans 12.

The Day of Reckoning

is coming and this is our third point. We are accountable for what we have received. "Each one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). It will be a verbal account, for at the judgement seat of Christ we shall each be required to speak.

In both parables the lord or nobleman returned as he had said he would and at his command his servants stood before him. It was a solemn time, of praise and reward for those who had proved faithful, but of loss for the one

unfaithful. The contemplation of it causes us to search our hearts, for our Master also has gone away and will return. "If I go... I come again "He said, and about that we have no doubt. But how shall we meet Him when He comes? Will it be with joy or shall we be ashamed before Him at His coming?

"I have gained other five talents" said one of the servants. "Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more" said another. There were two ways of viewing it: "I laboured more abundantly than they all" wrote the apostle Paul, "yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). We recall that grace was given according to the gift. Happy shall we be in that day if we can say, "His grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain".

The day of reckoning is coming. In both parables the reward for faithful service was authority in his coming kingdom. Because "thou hast been faithful in a few things, I will set thee over many things" (Mat. 25:21,23). "Because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities ... five cities" (Luke 19:17,19). "Know ye not that the saints shall judge the world?" (1 Cor. 6:2) asked the apostle Paul. "If we endure, we shall also reign with Him" (2 Tim. 2:12). Glorious prospect! But perhaps more precious than all will be to hear Him say "Well done, good and faithful servant... enter thou into the joy of thy Lord". Is there anything we would desire more, than that by our life and service we might bring Him joy?

Toms, A. F. | Sept 1991
The Lord's Parables