Parable of the Talents
Posted: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 by Aaron Mora in Labels: Jesus, message
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I am preparing to teach at Crave and Element this week on the Parable of the Talents from Matthew 25. I remember reading this story when I was younger and thinking the master was kind of a jerk to treat so harshly the final servant who buried the money in fear of losing it. Wasn't this servant just someone who was playing it safe and didn't want to risk angering the master if he failed or lost what he had been given. Given my own insecurities, I think I could relate.
But now I see this parable as a call to utilize the gifts we are given to accomplish greater and more amazing things than sitting on our hands ever could. We are unable to see the duplication of our humble offerings if we are too afraid to share them with the world. And according to this parable, God obviously has a strong desire for us to be good stewards with what we are given.
It reminds me of a parent's desire for their child to be successful and their disappointment when they don't push towards their full potential. As a teenager my parents were always very supportive of me, especially academically, and encouraged me to do well in school. Lucky for me, I typically didn't struggle in class and learning came easy. Perhaps too easy, as it didn't require much effort in grade school. I have many distinct memories of sleeping in unique places in many classrooms.
It reminds me of a parent's desire for their child to be successful and their disappointment when they don't push towards their full potential. As a teenager my parents were always very supportive of me, especially academically, and encouraged me to do well in school. Lucky for me, I typically didn't struggle in class and learning came easy. Perhaps too easy, as it didn't require much effort in grade school. I have many distinct memories of sleeping in unique places in many classrooms.
Incidentally, hard work was a lesson I learned quickly after graduation. My freshmen year in college I took an accelerated Chemistry course and got my first C ever! (In my defense it was a C+). I can remember talking to my mom and dad about the course afterwards and honestly saying I had not put my full effort into the class. Their desire for me to reach my full potential during that conversation made me want to work harder next time (and I did, I ended up graduating cum laude)! Similarly, God desires for each of us to develop the talents we have to bless other people and live a life filled with joy and fulfillment.
So how do we live out the call of this parable? I don't think it always means we have to leave everything and go serve the poor in a third world country, although sometimes it might. It does mean that where ever we are, our goal as Christ Followers should be to use our talents for God's glory. In doing so we save ourselves from the disappointment of unmet potential.
So how do we live out the call of this parable? I don't think it always means we have to leave everything and go serve the poor in a third world country, although sometimes it might. It does mean that where ever we are, our goal as Christ Followers should be to use our talents for God's glory. In doing so we save ourselves from the disappointment of unmet potential.