IDEA: Talents represent the opportunities God gives us to use our abilities for Him and to bring Him the return that He desires.
TEXT: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability, and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents beside them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things. I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.'
But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth' " (Matthew 25:14-30).
PURPOSE: To help listeners explore the application of this idea in their lives.
Have you ever told a joke to someone and then had to explain the punch line? What happens to a joke we have to explain?
We may do that with some of the stories Jesus told.
I. One such parable is found in Matthew 25:14-30.
Talents in this story represent opportunities God gives us to use our abilities to bring Him the return that He desires.
II. How did this parable apply to Jesus’ disciples who were in His audience?
They would be confronted with opportunities to invest themselves for Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 25:35-46, Jesus says that those who are sheep have taken the opportunities to minister to those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked, or in prison.
These were the disciples who were told to go into the world and take every opportunity to make disciples out of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).
III. This parable speaks to us as Jesus’ disciples in that God puts into our hands great opportunities to minister for Him.
We meet Jesus Christ and minister to Him when we minister to those who are hurting.
We honor Jesus Christ when we go into our world and tell people the good news about Jesus