Matthew 25:14-30 (New International Version)
This post is going to happen in two parts. That’s because you may have this parable figured out and so I don’t need to write. It’s also because I’ll lose the file if I leave it too long and I don’t have time to finish writing it at this point in time.
A few weeks ago, in a speech to Christians, John Howard referred to the “Parable of the Talents” (Matthew 25:14-30) as a great example teaching free enterprise. This nonsense got me slightly riled. Another misapplication relates to the word talent. If you check “talent” on dictionary.com, the sixth entry is “a power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement: so called from the parable in Matt. 25:14–30.” While this is indeed a current English language meaning for the word talent, the nonsense application to the parable was apparently developed around the year 1430.
So what is this parable all about? Go and read it now! Let me start by saying I prefer to call it the “Parable of the Three Servants.” It is a parable about the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew’s term equivalent to the kingdom of God), about the way God operates in his kingdom.
How would you like 170kg, 68kg, or 34kg of gold to trade with? (no wonder Howard thinks it’s about free enterprise) Anyway, if you read the text carefully you will see that the gold was not “given” to the servants, it was entrusted to them to trade for the master. The amount entrusted was in proportion to the smarts of the servant. The servants did not become owners of the gold, but it was their responsibility to trade with it. The parable focuses on successful trading by two servants and extreme caution by the third.
Jewish teachers used to say that anyone who immediately buries money entrusted to him is no longer liable, because he has taken the safest course possible in protecting the money. On the other hand, if a man wraps the money in a cloth and it is lost, then he is responsible to replace the money.
So there’s a bit of background. Tell us what you think this parable is about. I will respond with part 2 (esp. if Geoff pressures me further…).
4 Comments
Well, one interpretation (taken from wikipedia):
So the hero in the story is he who chooses to expose the inherent wrongs in the system. I don’t know if it’s the right one, but it’s an interesting interpretation.
Above quote taken from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Talents
Yes, I have heard that interpretation in a book Change across cultures by Bradshaw - he speaks in regard to the Lukan parallel (19.11-27).
One important question is: who is Jesus telling this parable to/for?
Most say it is for the church (ie us), as an example of what will happen “when Jesus returns” - he will call us to account for what we have done with the various gifts he has entrusted to us.
Another reading, I first came across through Tom Wright (i’ll see if i can track down the reference) is that Jesus is actually speaking to Israel, in story, and saying that God has come and is calling them to account now (2000 years ago) for what they have done with what he entrusted them with… ie it is a message of judgement.
All are given many talents including intelligence. It is up to each one to make use of them and multiply for themselves and for others. It is a sin if they are not utilized.