The Parable of the Talents—a story Jesus told while discussing the kingdom of heaven—is probably one of the most commonly shared parables in the Church. But today, I want to offer my take on it as a young woman who’s figuring out how to use her talents in a God-honoring way. Maybe you’re trying to figure out the same thing. If so, I hope you join me as I share what I’m learning from the Parable of the Talents in this post.
The Parable
Although this passage of Scripture is relatively long, I included the entire parable below because the lessons I’m learning from it involve multiple parts of the story. (Lesson #1, for example, isn’t solely based on the first few verses of the passage.) But I did bold some specific phrases/sentences to draw your attention to them. Let’s dive in!
“For it [the kingdom of heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping 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. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (Matthew 25:14-30 ESV, emphasis mine)
Lesson #1: Invest Your Talents
Before the master went on his journey, he called his servants and entrusted his property to them (v. 14). Though he didn’t specifically instruct them to invest the talents he gave them, I think we can safely assume that’s what he wanted them to do based on how he reacted to the third servant’s decision to bury his talent. The third servant didn’t even take his talent to the bank, where it could’ve earned interest (v. 27).
The first lesson I’m learning from this parable is that it’s important to invest what God has given me. Friends, He entrusts us with talents so we’ll invest them, not bury them. He may not provide specific instructions on how we should use our talents in His kingdom, but we should certainly invest them, intentionally seeking to earn a return.
I hope you’ll join me for Part 2 next week, when I’ll share two more lessons I’m learning from the Parable of the Talents. In the meantime, I encourage you to read and pray through this parable, asking God to give you wisdom about investing the talents He’s entrusted to you.
