The Parable of the Talents

Jesus told this parable as part of His teaching about the kingdom of heaven and being ready for His return. A man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. A talent was a large sum—equivalent to about twenty years' wages for a laborer. Even the servant given one talent received a substantial amount. The master then went on his journey, leaving the servants to manage what he had entrusted to them.

The servant who had received five talents went at once and put his money to work. He traded with it, took risks, invested wisely, and gained five more talents. The servant with two talents did the same, doubling his investment to four talents. Both servants were characterized by immediate action ('at once') and productive labor ('put his money to work'). They didn't play it safe or make excuses—they actively stewarded what had been entrusted to them. Their different amounts didn't determine their faithfulness; both doubled what they had received.

But the servant who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money. Instead of investing or trading, he chose the path of absolute safety and zero risk. Burying money in the ground was a common practice for safekeeping in that culture, but it ensured that the money wouldn't grow or produce anything. This servant's choice revealed something about his character and his view of his master—he was motivated by fear, not faith, and he saw the master as someone to avoid displeasing rather than someone to serve joyfully.

After a long time, the master returned and settled accounts with his servants. The man who had received five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His report was simple and factual—he presented both what he'd been given and what he'd produced. The master's response was beautiful: 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Notice several elements of the master's response. He called the servant 'good and faithful'—character mattered as much as results. He called five talents 'a few things,' revealing that even what seems significant to us is small compared to what the master has. He promised greater responsibility based on proven faithfulness—'I will put you in charge of many things.' And he invited the servant into shared joy—'share your master's happiness.' The reward wasn't just more work but participation in the master's joy.

The servant with two talents received the identical response. Though he started with less and produced less in absolute terms, his faithfulness was just as complete. He doubled what he had been given, just as the five-talent servant had. The master's commendation was word-for-word the same, showing that God measures faithfulness by how we use what we've been given, not by comparing our results to others who were given more or less. Both servants heard 'well done' because both were faithful stewards.

Then the one-talent servant came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His speech revealed his problem: fear rooted in a distorted view of the master. He saw him as harsh and unreasonable, and his fear led to inaction. He thought he was playing it safe, but by doing nothing with what he'd been given, he had actually failed completely.

The master's response was harsh: 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.' The master used the servant's own words against him. Even if the servant truly believed the master was hard, he should have done at least the minimum—put the money in the bank to earn interest. But he had done literally nothing productive with what he'd been entrusted.

The master commanded, 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.' This seemed unfair to the onlookers, who protested. But the master explained a kingdom principle: 'For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.' Those who faithfully use what they have will be entrusted with more; those who fail to use what they have will lose even that. The one-talent servant was thrown into outer darkness, where there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This parable teaches that God has entrusted each believer with gifts, abilities, opportunities, and resources. We're called to actively invest these for His kingdom, not to bury them out of fear or laziness. Faithful stewardship means using what we've been given—however much or little—to produce fruit for God's glory. What matters isn't the size of our talent but our faithfulness in using it. The master's return is certain, the accounting will come, and hearing 'well done, good and faithful servant' should be the consuming desire of every believer's heart.