Dear Brother
KevinK, with your interest I'll just paste a teaching I have in my studies of Matthew I hope is of benefit to you.
Notes by Mary Bodie: The Talents
While the King is absent, we have some special lessons pertaining to this age. The Lord speaks of special trusts committed to His servants who are left to care for His interests on earth. We do not believe these talents are natural endowments, gifts, education, tact nor personality; but something added to these, while at the same time acknowledging them. It is according to the several abilities of each that the talents or talent was given. It appears that these talents make us responsible in the measure that they are given, to gain for Christ and His Kingdom; therefore we infer that they are the opportunities that lie before each of us. The deposit increases with the wise use of it. The sphere of service grows larger as we serve. And this is the special point insisted upon - there must be no hiding of the talents. We must make use of all we are and have. Light is given for testimony, not to be put under a basket. Open doors are set before us. We are to take advantage of every one of them. And thus the five talents grow to ten. The two multiply into four, capacity and capability increasing with experience, as we all have observed. no one is shut up to uselessness in God's vineyard. There are opportunities for all of His people and possibilities of increasing our talents. Thereby we add to His riches, as is plainly taught by this parable.
And yet there are degrees of responsibilities, which fact we must not overlook. The one who receives but one talent is called upon to gain only one more; but this very one hides his Lord's money. Thus we infer that it is the one who has little natural ability, and therefore has few opportunities for service, that imagines he is not responsible to do anything. But each one is entrusted with a charge, little it may be, but there must be the increase. No one is excused from service. The
little gift is despised; but the Master says it is according to our ability - that which we are able to do. He asks no more than that we do what we can. The mass of Christians drop out of all responsibility, wax weak and inactive, practically give up their talents into the hands of others whom they esteem better qualified than themselves. Thus the latter get the benefit of the unused talent; or else the opportunity that yawned before the slothful one is neglected. Some work is left undone.
Suppose we have but one talent and a very small despised sphere of service, every day's wise use of it will carry us on to the doubling of its value. We are God's first gift to us; tho' we may shut ourselves up by hiding our talent in the earth and thus lose what we have and the capacity for gaining more. For the rule is, as the Master speaks,
"to him that hath shall more be given" (Mt. 25:29). The one that steadily makes use of his gifts shall increase accordingly;
"but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away" (Mt. 25:29).
One more thing that is worthy of note. It is not the amount with which we are entrusted that ensures the reward; but the faithfulness to the trust. the servant that had the five talents gained five more. He who had but two doubled his money and is equally approved by the Lord and rewarded in like manner as the other. It was possible for the one with the one talent, to win the same commendation and double his capital; thus adding to the joy of the Lord in a greater measure, it might be, than even the others, in that He finds one to serve in a humble capacity just as cheerfully as in a more exalted sphere. It is the service born of a "
love that seeketh not its own," that receives the reward. Such love may
covet earnestly the best gifts, that would enlarge its sphere and capability for love's sweet service.
Now, as we have intimated, there are principles herein which apply to every true Christian; yet the one described, that hides his Lord's gifts, is not even classed with the people of God. His plea for his conduct is one of total unbelief, expressed in such an arrogant and impudent manner that seems to preclude any thought of the fear of the Lord, such as becomes a believer. Faith would most surely argue differently; for to the one that believes, God can make no mistake. The possession of any opportunity to serve is sufficient warrant to justify the service, tho' small and unimportant in the eyes of man. Love, divine love, would prize the opportunity and take advantage of all such, as a blessing from the Blesser Himself. The man in the parable is simply an expression of the legal spirit, which often exists in a true believer, but which must be judged; for it renders us incapable of using fully and freely all that we have for the blessing of others.
If we are amazed at the language of the unfaithful servant and harbor the awful blasphemy of his utterance; then let us abhor the unfaithful and cowardly refusal to make use of every advantage that we have to glorify our Master and enrich ourselves eternally. Faith is the energy of service. It worketh by love. The judgment of the Lord finds vent in absolute condemnation. In fact, the servant's own mouth condemned him; for if his Master was as he thought, he should have loaned his Lord's money out to the bankers so that He might at least have received interest on the talent. Therefore the servant is cast into
outer darkness away from God and all that is light, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. this is the abode of the old creation who refuse to yield to the grace of God and take advantage of His gifts to serve others.
