Matthew 25:14-30
Matthew • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 79 viewsJesus back ups his call for being found ready, with the the call to serve God faithfully in whatever capactity that is. Lack of fruit, declares lack of life.
Notes
Transcript
Last week we ended the sermon with the primary application for the believer to work while its day because night is coming
Jesus has given specific judgements, explanations of the end, and now I believe He is explaining how to live in light of that
Matt 25:1-13- Live prepared lives because the day and hour is unknown when he returns
The primary question that arises from that can be- what does prepared look like?
Glad you asked- Jesus explains what a prepared life looks like in the verses today- Its a faithful one
So lets look today at the Parable of the talents
Read Matt 25:14-30
Setting the Scene- Matt 25:14-15
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Its important to define what “For it” is- the kingdom of heaven- same as in MAtt 25:1
We see the story is about a master and his servants or slaves
At the get go, we have issues- Jesus is comparing slaves to Christians
Paul and James, the brother of Jesus, do the very same thing- We have become a “doulas”- a servant permanently attached to the master
The point being- Paul and James are saying- our life is not our own control- we belong to Christ in the same way the servants were under the care and rule of the Master
The Master is leaving and gives each servant responsibilities and does so fairly- according to each persons ability
These 3 servants are representative of all professing followers
Scene 1- Servants character revealed
He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Each servant was alloted their talents accordingly- some more, some less, but all fairly and accordingly
But all were given a substantial amount of money
A Talent would be about 2000 Denarius- about 5-6 years of work for the day laborer
This isnt pocket change but a real responsibility- DA Carson equates this to the equivalent of 300K our money
The first servant gets 5 talents, the second get 2, the last gets one
All were given the command to be faithful with whats been given
2 of them go at once and trade and put them to work and multiplied the Masters money
The third- just put it in the dirt
Scene 2: The Master Returns
Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
After a long time, very similar to the parable of the virgins, the Master returns and he comes expecting to find his servants obedient
The first and second come and present double their original allotment
What they both find is a 3 fold reward
1-They get Master’s praise
2-They gain greater responsibility
3- They are given the Masters joy
This looks very different than the last servant
Scene 3- Finding the Faithless
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Immediately the tone of the servant changes- I know your a hard man- tough and expecting to get a yield even from places you dont plant
So his rational was Ill just bury it and presume that it will be ok
Sound familiar- the five foolish virgins presumed that they could bum oil off someone else and that the groom would just let them in on their time
These passage are about virtually the same people with a few more details
So in this passage, the Master, who represents Jesus as he did in the first parable in Matt 25 plays off of his statement
You say I am so harsh and demand unreasonable expectations- why didnt you atleast put it in the bank and make some interest
Putting it in the dirt shows no effort or for thought
If you really though thats how the Master would respond- then you would have found someway to get some type of return
So he ends up having the talent taken away from him and given to the faithful one
Vs 29- Those who have been faithful, more will be given and in abundance
But those who are not faithful with the talent they have been given will find it taken away from them
Vs 30- The servant is declared worthless and cast into outer darkness because of his lack of faithfulness
-No reward is found- just the rightful justice and wrath of God
So lets try to make some applications for us today
Being prepared requires faithful following
-I want to tag back into our opening- Believers are to work while its day
-in this passage Jesus uses a parable concerning money- talents
-the talent however doesnt speak just of money, but it doesnt speak less of it either
-A faithful follower isnt just one who tithes- but it also does speak to that
This “talent,” of course, has an elastic quality to it. Let’s remember that this is a parable, not a mathematical equation. So a talent can mean the gifts of knowledge, health, strength, time, intellect, advantages, opportunities, “various responsibilities” (i.e., our jobs or vocations), perhaps people (a spouse, children, friend), and even further natural abilities (talents as we think of the word). A talent can also mean or include “spiritual gifts” as Peter and Paul called them,7 such as the gifts of teaching, administration, mercy, healing, and so on.
O’Donnell, D. S. (2013). Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth. (R. K. Hughes, Ed.) (p. 740). Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
Our lives are no longer our own and every aspect should be lived for the Glory of God
So no matter our situation on life: business owner, teacher, salesmen, technician, student, stay at home mom, grandparent, retiree--- We all are to be found faithful following God in our situation
The reason why the 3rd servant was cast out was not because he didnt perform as well as the others, but because he wasnt faithful with what had been given
The Master never gave them certain quotas they must meet, the other two realized the immensity of responsibility he gave them and from that they served faithfully
When we think of the immense gift of grace God has given his people it is supposed to move us to eager service
Jesus paid it al, All to him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washes white as snow
Are we serving God like that, Raising our kids like that, loving our spouse like, having conversations like that, sharing the Gospel like that
There is no time to sulk in our failures
May we take the cue from Jesus as he addresses Peter after his 3 fold denial, “Feed his Sheep”
Peter had talents God gave him, he needed to use them, and a resurrected Jesus changed it all
2. Being found faithful produces eternal assurance
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
Thats the point of the book- for the believer to be assured of salvation based on Gods gift of grace and faith
I think about the account of Paul with the Sons of Sceva in Acts 19
Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.” Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Im not saying I want to be around a bunch of demon possessed people to see how it all plays out but man what confidence there is for Paul when they say Jesus I know, Paul I have heard of....
Would that be said of us?
There is great confidence in seeing people grow in faith and commitment in Christ
In our story, there is reward here and eternal joy to come
Many others may not know, the world may never know your name, but let me ask you does someone know of your love for Jesus?
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Single parent, Grandparent, children, mamas and daddys- can be people see that we have been with Jesus?
3. Our actions prove our heart
The 2 servants proved themselves faithful by being about the masters work
The last servant proved he didnt care- It was the sin of omission that was his dagger in the heart
Many make a great profession but their lives prove a great recession
Thankfully- this story is speaking to a lifetime not just a single instance but it is at the very least one instance as well
No one knows the day or the hour
Jesus point was for his disciples to understand that prepared wasnt just get your bags packed and be waiting at the bus stop
But that God has entrusted the Good News of the Great Joy to us and being prepared means being about the Fathers business
Unbeliever or servant #3- they are one in the same- your actions prove your heart
Repent and find forgiveness- Its not just wiped away- your sins must be atoned for, paid for, covered by Jesus blood
On the cross Jesus did all that was necessary for mine and yours salvation
He rose 3 days later and offers life to all who will believe
4. The gift of God grace and eternal life should be transformative
Its the extravagant grace and responsibility that Master poured out on the servants that urged their obedience
There was no promise of getting a cut so to speak
there was just a command to be faithful with the Masters riches
Beloved we have been given the same command
That same grace and responsibility should urge us to obedience
Matthew—All Authority in Heaven and on Earth Six Months to Live
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, with the talents Christ has given you—whether it is something much esteemed in our society (the gift of being a heart specialist) or something little esteemed (the gift of children and raising children to know and love the Lord), please learn from this parable (if you learn anything) that you are to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).