Jesus continues His teaching on the importance of being vigilant and awaiting His return by giving us another parable.

It’s like He knew that I wouldn’t get it the first time around. “You know. I bet Blake is going to read that parable about the ten bridesmaids 2,000 years from now, and it’ll completely go over his head. Let’s give him another one!”

Thank you, Lord.

So, He loads another parable into His bow and releases, this time straight toward our hearts. The Lord loves us deeply, and He provides for us, but He doesn’t coddle us. He tells us like it is, with power and authority.

That’s the main idea behind today’s parable, the Parable of the Talents. We are to take what He has given us and put it to work while He’s gone. We are not to be idle.

So, we have three servants who are given three different amounts – all of them very large sums of money. Each is given his amount based on his ability. This reveals an astounding truth about our Father.

God knows what we are capable of, and He graciously gives us gifts of which we are to use to further His Kingdom. Yet, He knows our limitations (He created us, after all!). He’s like that wonderful coach you had in high school: the one who is happy with the player who lives up to his potential, even if he never becomes a superstar.

Two of the servants double the money entrusted to them, proving they’re good servants, always about their Master’s business. The third buries it in the ground, proving he’s a bad servant, concerned only for himself. He doesn’t lose anything, but he doesn’t gain anything, either.

And in that, he fails.

As we saw yesterday, the parable of the ten bridesmaids taught us to be prepared for the bridegroom’s arrival. We must be ready for whenever He comes. The parable of the talents teaches us what to do as we wait for Him – we are to work, serve, and invest in His Kingdom. We must work diligently on His behalf right now. We aren’t guaranteed a great investment opportunity later. And if we fail to do what we should with the gifts we have, we will find ourselves unprepared when He arrives.

The Lord is not looking for us to make a big splash in the world on our own. He’s giving us His gifts, His Spirit, and asking us to steward them well. If we make a splash, that’s great. If we don’t, that’s fine, too. We still stewarded well what He entrusted to us. Ultimately, it’s up to Him what happens. That is His responsibility.

All He asks of us is to be proactive and to steward well what we’ve been given.

The message of this parable is clear. As we await Jesus’ return, we should not be passive. We should be about our Master’s business, seeking to advance His cause. Will it be hard? Of course. All life-giving things are.

But it will be so, so worth it because Jesus is worth it.

If we listen to Him, do what He asks, and follow Him, we will have a greatly fulfilled life. It will be full of joy because the King has a glorious purpose for it all. As you work, you’re working on His behalf, and joy fills your heart, even when times get hard.

Now that’s a cause worthy of investment.

Reflection:

• When you hear about “talents” in this parable, what immediately comes to mind? Could Jesus be speaking of other things in your life, as well?
• What has Jesus entrusted to you? What are you doing with those talents? Are you stewarding them or burying them?
• It’s not too late to begin investing the talents that have been entrusted to you. Ask Jesus to show you where to put your time, talents, and treasure and begin going about the Master’s business.
• Prayer: Jesus, thank You for the talents that have been entrusted to me. It can be scary to be responsible for the things You have given. So often, I want to simply bury them and go on living my life. But I know that is not the plan You have for me. You are calling me to take what I’ve been given and invest it completely into the work of Your Kingdom. Help me to open my hands and my heart, Lord. I am ready to give all that I am and all that I have. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

Family Content

Author: Anna Overstreet

Today’s passage comes from Matthew 25:14-30 and is another… wait, I bet you won’t believe it… rhymes with shareable… starts with a p... makes us think really hard…. usually means something deeper… drum roll please…It’s another parable!! You have probably discovered by now that Jesus was a master storyteller and really liked using parables as a way to teach and answer questions. I can just imagine the collective groan from some of His disciples when they wanted a quick answer, and Jesus starts in with another parable. The parables made everyone think, and definitely didn’t always give away an immediate answer about spiritual matters. Jesus wanted everyone around Him to examine their hearts. He knew that was the only way to true heart change. The popular saying, “If you know, you know” could probably apply to how the disciples felt when someone posed a question to Jesus, and He started with another parable instead of a simple yes or no answer! I love how creative Jesus was for them and us. I mean, think about it. Not many people can say they are good enough storytellers, that people will re-tell their stories thousands of years later. Use the following questions to think about Matthew 25:14-30 and see what God wants to reveal to you and your family through this parable.

Who are the main characters in this parable?

What are the differences between these characters?

How could this parable apply to salvation and living a holy life today?

What verses stood out to you the most and why?

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for continuing to teach us through Your Word. Thank You for being so creative and fun with how You teach us. Please let the deeper meaning of today’s parable help us know and understand You more. Help us to not be afraid to think deeply. May we always ask You for wisdom when we don’t understand something. Thank You for all You tell us through Your Word. Amen.