Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Talents
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, '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!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, '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!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent 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. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well 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.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Jesus does not want us to live in fear...Jesus teaches us that we are not to be lazy and slothful...We are to be doers...When assigned something, do it with passion and zeal...Live life this way, with a passion...
Jesus tells us the man who received the one talent was in fear of his master...So he buried the money...Jesus does not want us to focus on fear...When we focus on things and this focus becomes in our thoughts we live that way...So when we over a period of time have a fearful attitude and focus on fear, we become more internalized and more thinking becomes on ourselves...We are less likely to get out and do things...
God gave us a spirit and soul...Take advantage of what God gave you...Think about the LORD...Pray without ceasing...Make Jesus a part of your life...Profit from it...Those who think it is impossible to please our Father, will do nothing to try...Jesus tells us in this parable, the Master can be pleased and we are to at least try...God wants to have an abundance of good things including love, zeal, and passion...
God gives us the freedom of choice in our lives...If we compare ourselves with others and make life a competition with others, we may think God gave others more than He gave us...In life others are given more talents and gifts than we are given...
Each of us has limitations, when we compare ourselves to others...But God gave us an ability to work, an ability to do... Others may be given many talents and you only one...But we are expected in the very least to do something with the one talent that He gives us...We want the Master to tell us in the end, "Well done, good and faithful servant"...