Matthew 25:14-4614For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (Matthew 25:14‑46)
The Lord Jesus told a parable of a man who went away to a far country. Before he started, he gave money, called “talents,” to each of his servants with which to trade and earn more talents. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, to another one talent.
“A talent” was a certain weight of metal of great value. So even the servant entrusted with one talent had a large amount to use. The master did not say how much they were to gain, hut it was the duty of the servants to use as well as they could.
The man was gone a long time, and when he returned, the servant to whom he had entrusted the five talents, had gained five more, and the servant to whom he had entrusted the two talents, had gained two more. But the servant entrusted with one talent, had not used the money at all; he had dug a hole in the ground and buried it, until the maer’s return. He said he did that bause he knew the master was a hard, unjust man; which was not true.
The master was well pleased with the gain of the first two servants, and said to each of them, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy lord (master).”
But the last servant he called, “wicked and slothful” (one who will not work); in all the time of his master’s absence he had done nothing.
The parable has a lesson hidden in the story: in this one, Jesus is “the master” to go to ‘“the far country,” Heaven.
Before He left He told the disciples to teach others what He had taught them (Matt. 28:19,2019Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19‑20)). He had taught them the words or truths of God, and those are “the talents” of great value, which He gives His sernts to use for Him in His absence, and which will gain “treasure” for Him.
The Lord Jesus is a good Master, not “hard” or “unjust,” as the wicked servant said. He will fully reward the faithful servants, whether they have done little or much. And more than rewards, He will have them share His joy!
Verses 31-46 tell of a time after the Lord Jesus has taken away from this earth, all who are His own, as we read in the first 13 verses in our chapter. Soon after that time, He will come in all His glory, and sit upon the throne of His glory, to judge all His enemies, —all who have not accepted Him in this time, as their Lord and Saviour. And He will judge all nations.
There will he some living then who have not heard of Him, and His work of salvation for lost sinners, as it is now preached, who will believe the message given out by His “brethren”, the faithful Jews, that the Lord is cong as Lord of lords, and King of kings, to reign in peace for 1,000 years. They will believe this message, and will be saved.
Then, and then only will this poor world have peace. The Lord Jesus is the “Prince of Peace.”
ML 10/17/1943