Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem with the disciples
He has taken them privately to the mount of olives
He is preparing them for the fact that he will soon leave them and they will have to cope with his absence
Matthew 25:14-30
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.
To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
The one who had received five talents went off right away and traded with them and gained five more.
In the same way, the one who had two, made two talents more.
But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it.
After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled his accounts with them.
The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have made five more.’
His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a little. I will put you in charge of much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have made two more.’
His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in a little. I will put you in charge of much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,
so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?
Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!
Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.
For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
And throw the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
based on NET Bible
What is a talent?
pause and let people answer…
Natural gifts or ability?
If you use your gifts you will generate more?
You will become more and more talented by practice?
And this is how to earn God’s favour and go to heaven?
When God judges the world, it will basically a talent show?
Except the untalented will be thrown into darkness?
The word talent nowadays =special abilities or gifts
This has only been the case for the last 400 years
before that, talent simply meant a weight, usually a gold weight of extremely high value
It is only through a misunderstanding of this parable that we started calling abilities talents
The original hearers would have had no concept that Jesus might be talking about gifts
Does talent = ability?
music, languages, art, public speaking, acting, debating, writing?
“called his servants and entrusted his property to them”
It is unusual for God to refer to these abilities as his property
Is God really the harsh man who will punish us for not using our abilities?
So what would Jesus’ hearer’s have understood a talent to be?
