Talents

It is often said that the talent in Mathew chapter 25 means ability, however the word ability is also mentioned in that same verse from Mathew chapter twenty five. So we read “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey (v15). Clearly the two words “talent” and “ability” appear together and therefore cannot have the same meaning. They are in fact two different greek words in the original language. The talent mentioned in this verse carries the same kind of meaning as “money” or “coinage” carries, because although actual money is not intended, the “talent” in this verse is “like” money. It is of itself something having value and the ability to increase its value. On the other hand the “ability” referred to in this verse speaks of the moral character of a person. The three amounts of talents given indicates not only “quantity” but it is also a reflection of the moral character of the person to whom the talent is given. In short the Lord does not give five talents to one who does not have the moral character to profit from one talent for his master, but instead gives the five talents to the one who will profit for the master according to five talents. On the other hand everyone has sufficient moral character in Christ to profit from at least one talent, for the Lord’ sake. All the Lord asks of us is that we labour according to who we are in Him at the very least, and return some benefit from the “talent” or “talents” which the Lord gives.

This then brings us to the question of what is the talent. It is a measure of the calling of God in our lives. Faith, calling, gifts of the Holy Spirit, upbringing, ability to obey God, ability to be faithful to God, obedience to authority and perhaps many other such things. The talent is at very least that which God supernaturally invests in us throughout our lives in order to serve Him when He calls us to the vineyard to labour, in order that we might be profitable servants. As this investment is of God Himself it is able to grown and multiply just like real money is able to grow if it is put to use even in the smallest way. In short the talent is a responsibility and a duty to God Himself through Christ (the Master) to whom we have to give an account. It is evidence that we are servants of the Master and it is a requirement to serve the Master. It is also the basis for heavenly rewards.

So what is specifically the Lord's that we are to increase, will be judged by the increase, will prove or disprove our place in the visible church, and all gain goes back to Him, with no excuses for failure?

Life brother. Eternal life is the thing given which when received also comes with a calling of God and faith equal to that calling. Jesus said “whosoever cometh unto Me from his inner parts shall flow rivers of living water”. This flowing is either free of hinderance and therefore profitable, or else it is mixed with brackish water and produces a limited effect or else the cistern is stopped up completely because of a hard heart. This latter case was true in the parable with the servant who received the one talent. Of course if this is true, that the essential thing given which produces increase, is eternal life, then the servant with the one talent is not a false concert but simply a lazy servant. That raises a few questions!

Sorry friend, but God doesn't speak that way to those hidden in Christ.

Then there is nothing to say is there and your question becomes more like a lion in the thicket who's quiet murmurings are mistook for pain. Then as you draw closely to give some comfort the lion roars and makes good its escape into the night. Oh the fool who mistook the lion in the thicket for pain and saw not the lion who devours!

So by disagreeing that God would call His children lazy and wicked and send them to hell I'm a 'devouring lion'?

Maybe we're just having a bad day? Or do you imply God would say these things to those that have eternal life?

If I was having a bad day that certainly cheered me up. Thanks.

My own view is that they pertain to stewardship of the Kingdom of Heaven in the visible church, and however one can bring Christ increase. I have found no consensus online or in the commentaries and was wanting input if any others have any.

I believe the very same thing myself. Which is why the outcome of the lazy servant raises some difficult questions.

I would ask how can an unbeliever be a steward of the kingdom of heaven? You asked “How could a servant that received 'eternal' life be referred to as lazy, wicked, and be thrown into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth?” This is a much easier question to answer than how can an unbeliever be a steward of the kingdom of heaven! It isn’t possible to please God without faith. But the idea behind the talents does definitely appear to be evidence of stewardship and therefore the “increase” must be according to what is given. Perhaps some others will have some answers which will help.

I think it also shows that the Lords intent is to show that in this particular parable, He has counterfeit 'servants' in view as opposed to say those openly opposed to the gospel in Matt 22.

There are clearly tares and wheat growing together as the scripture tells us. As to what to make of the idea that a tare can be given the means to profit the kingdom of heaven is fundamentally a challenge to me. In fact I rather think that the tares choke the growth of the wheat somewhat and to that end actually harm the kingdom work. The two stewards on the other hand both achieved 100% increase in their efforts and service.

I have seen that many brethren have come to view the times we live in in this way. By which I mean that the general condition of the church in the west at least, being somewhat lazy, is described or else explained by those who are not lazy, as a problem of wheat and tares. In short the tares are unbelievers in the midst. Again if this were true it has to be said that many many believers in the west are not after all believers. But this is of course where things are going anyway. The best view of this appears to be to avoid the issue all together and focus on the "remnant" of faithful stewards who are then said to be the "true" church.

This does not sit well with me either, even though I do believe in a remnant who by God' hand alone are able to serve Him faithfully for the ultimate benefit of the many, including the faithless.

Just to make my position or understanding even less clear, I also believe in eternal security of those who are truly born again. And I don't make being born again so mystical and abstract a thing that it is possible to exclude most people. I base that belief primarily on what someone is in fact able to believe. On the other hand I hate the saying "once saved always saved". I prefer instead "you have been saved with an everlasting salvation". Hope that not too confusing.

I believe the talents in question represent love and grace and mercy and forgiveness. Jesus said that those who are forgiven much love much. There is and should be a correlation between how much we ourselves have been forgiven and how ready we are to forgive others, lest we become like the wicked servant that was forgiven a great debt and then demanded a smaller debt from an other and had him thrown in prison, oh how angry the King was.

We, as Christians, have been abundantly blessed with love and and grace and mercy and forgiveness, this is the currency of the Kingdom. God has invested so much in us and He certainly expects a return. We must invest that love and grace and mercy and forgiveness in others. This is the measure of our walk. I believe that this is how our " works," shall be measured, this is our works, to give unto others that which we have been given. Now, all the world has received these blessings, in that the Lord came and died for the whole world that the who-so-ever could be saved. The rain falls upon the the fields and also about the thorns. What has man done with this great outpouring? What has man done with such a great forgiveness of sins? The wicked man, who has suppressed the truth ( to bury, to hold down) in unrighteousness shall be cast into outer darkness...............bro Frank

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Re 20:11–15).

It may well be that there are many in hell at any given moment we may choose to have a peak. But one thing is for sure it is EMPTY when it is caste into the lake of fire. Whereas those who are found in hell at the time of the Great White Throne after the 1000 year KINGDOM, the beginning of which corresponds to the MASTER who went on a long journey, returning to establish his visible KINGDOM, are then judged according to their WORKS and those whose names were not written in the Book of Life were caste into the lake of fire for eternity. Hell is NOT the eternal resting place of the wicked. It is the lake of fire. No one who is an unbeliever can possibly serve Christ so as to produce any return on life. For without faith it is impossible to please God. Why would Christ give the same requirement to an unbeliever as to a believer. The gospel of the kingdom is not the gospel of grace. The gospel of the kingdom is for those who already believe and it is a gospel of works. Eternal life on the other hand is a free gift.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (13) Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (14) And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: (15) For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (16) But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. (17) For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. (18) Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. (19) When any one heareth the word of the kingdom..."

We know that the context of the parable of the sower is how we receive the Word of God. So when Jesus says to the disciples that to him who has, much more will be given, and from him that has not, even that which he has will be taken away, He is talking about a heart that hears and receives the gospel.

There is no possibility that Jesus will remove from anyone the opportunity or power to believe in Him if they turn to Him in a repentant heart. This passage above is the explanation to the question as to why Jesus began to speak in parables to the people of Israel, but it has nothing to do with the lazy servant whatsoever. The explanation is from verse twelve and then from verse thirteen to verse seventeen. "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given”. This reality is revealed, in another place in the Lord’ words “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you” (John 15:16). There is another scripture which cannot be of any less importance to this understanding and corresponds to the moment Jesus rode into Jerusalem from the mount of Olives on an asses colt, “saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes (Luke 19:42). These words were expressly spoken to the Pharisees who said to Him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples”. To make the point emphatic Jesus said “if you had known this day, EVEN YOU, the things which make for peace”.

Verse In Mark 3:22 we read of the moment when these same Pharisees, now on the Mount of Olives, blasphemed the Holy Spirit, by saying “He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons”. It is directly after this blasphemy that Jesus stopped speaking plainly and began to speak in parables instead. The first of which parables was the parable of the sower according to Mark 4:3-8.. This parable is spoken to a multitude who is gathered by the sea of Galilee and is therefore in an open place where anyone could have come to listen freely. This included the Pharisee, now cut off from life. In this context, Jesus says when asked about why he had begun to speak in parables, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven” (v11-14). Returning in this sense is both personal to the pharisees who blasphemed the Holy Spirit as well, as can be seen in many other instances of the Jews generally and even the people in the end.

As was pointed out this saying “that they may see and not perceive, and while hearing they may not hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven” is a prophecy of Isaiah 10:9-12.

He said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.’
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts,
And return and be healed.”
Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
“The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.

Also we see that the words spoken in Luke chapter nineteen conclude with this same prophecy, including the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersia of Israel in 70AD.

It is clear therefore that the whole of the prophecy, which is given in part by Christ to the disciples in private, is given to the Pharisee in full, in public, and concerns both the pharisees as well as Israel itself. From the point, of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit onwards Jesus only spoke in parables. And the condition for being able to believe in Him from this point onwards became “let him who has an ear, hear”. Or “eyes to see”.

In John Chapter ten although Jesus speech is not said to be a parable nevertheless it is hidden from “the jews” who were gathered to listen to Him. In verse six it is written that Jesus spoke in a figure of speech and in verse twenty four “the Jews” asked the Lord to speak to them plainly. The Lord’ speech gave rise to a schism amongst the jews some saying that Jesus had a demon and other bearing witness of the Lords works, which could not possibly be the fruit of demonic power. Here in this verse alone is the proof of the outworking of what it means to have eyes to see or ears to hear. Jesus is asked, whilst standing in Solomon’ Portico to come right out with it and to say clearly whether He was the Christ or not. To which Jesus says, ““I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “I and the Father are one” (John 10:25-30).

The reality of Isaiah’ prophecy is that it had to do with both the pharisees blasphemy as well as the blasphemy of other jews of no rank and in generality it had to do with Israel. It was worked out in everything which the Lord spoke after the pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit and it was fulfilled all the way to its fullness in the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Israel. Even down to the part of the surrounding of the dwellings of the Pharisees who perished in Jerusalem in 70AD. What it has nothing to do with is the gentiles who would believe because the apostles believed and were given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

This does not answer the original question but it does set out plainly two things. The first is that Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish.” It also demonstrates that this prophecy of Isaiah cannot be used to justify the idea that the parable of the talents and the "lazy servant" meaning that the lazy servant is an unbeliever and therefore his being caste into outer darkness proves this point. For me the question still remains. How can an unbeliever be entrusted with life and the ministry of the kingdom of heaven? How will an unbeliever ever be able to produce an increase? Whilst yet in unbelief. It simply is not possible at all to produce an increase for the Lord whilst yet in unbelief.