It’s Not Your Talent, but Your Willingness to Invest It (Matthew 25:14-30).
length: 62:20 - taught on Jan, 7 2026
Class Outline:
Wednesday January 7, 2026
The last three parables in the Olivet Discourse are particular to the Tribulational period and focus on being alert, watchful, ready, and laboring until the Lord comes.
They all have application of principle to us today.
Parable of the Talents:
"For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
22 "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Breaking it down:
Goes on a long journey: Jesus Christ between the Advents.
His own slaves: they know him.
One Talent as worth about $1million today:
Each according to his own ability:
“each “ plays an important role in Paul’s doctrine of grace gifts.
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.
But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift.
from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
Soon as the master leaves:
"Immediately" (5 talents and 2 talents identical; “just as” - they don't wait)
3 verbs
Go forth (out) (poreuomai)
Work, (ergazomai)
Gain (kerdaino)
Wicked slave:
3 verbs (also)
Go from (away, aperchomai v. go forth)
Dig (v. work with money)
Hide (v. gain (show))
“After a long time…” the master delays as in the parable of the virgins.
The 3 verbs used of the good slaves also actions of Christ and the apostles:
But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."
The word apostle means “sent one” so they all went forth.
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 25 For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality.
For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
Heavenly vs. earthly treasure.
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
Reward and judgment:
“Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.”
"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
“Enter into the joy of your master” would be the inner circle of the master, or in the Tribulation, the fellowship of the King in the millennial kingdom; the messianic banquet; the table of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (MAT 8:11).
He calls them true and faithful (same as good butler). He is put in charge of more.
The Lord’s doctrine of rewards can teach believers to transfer ambitions from this ladder to that, from this world’s prestigious places to eternity’s eternal positions.
The rewards for the 5-talent slave and 2-talent slave are identical; word for word.
Each of us is unique and each has been given a uniquely crafted gift. No believer is left without one from the Holy Spirit. Part of the fun of Christian life is discovering one’s uniqueness and learning to employ it in the service of others.
The emphasis is on the slave with one.
"And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.'
26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.”
“I’ve come to know that you … I know who you are (he doesn’t because the lord was obviously gracious to them all and more so in reward).
“Hard” skleros could mean hard as in strong or harsh, cruel. Perhaps flattery or inward bitterness.
The one wrong attribute makes the other two correct ones monstrous.
“I was afraid …” Fear of the Lord is a good thing, but for the wrong reason it is a bad thing.
Christ had the fear of the Lord (Isa 11), but no one would say that He feared the Father the way this slave does. Nor we, as we look to Christ’s example.
By doing nothing he is called evil and lazy. The theology of sovereignty developed by this slave was a massive cover for laziness.
Regardless of his motivation, he could have done the easiest thing - turn the money over to lenders and gained the interest.
The service required with the gifts is light, not hard. Putting the talent into the “bank” (lending it out) is as easy as going to the village gate and setting the value out for anyone who needs to borrow it at interest.
"For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
There is no fear in love. If you risk your choices on the gifts and life God has given you through Christ, the promise is that all things will work together for good. Not according to your dreams and plans, but good as God says it is good.
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