“And unto the 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.” Matthew 25:15
In the context of the Christ’s teaching of the last days, He addresses also the issue of the characteristics of the kingdom of God. These characteristics deal mainly with the attitudes of those who are truly in the kingdom, living to serve the King. In His treating of the subject, the Lord brings to stark clarity what it means to live as a servant of the King, with the responsibilities and rewards associated with being such. How does He address the matter, and how does it apply to us in these days, these last days before His coming?
The Lord begins his teaching of the kingdom by using a story, or parable. He writes of a man of great wealth and prestige, one who possesses great resources, and is in a position of authority and power to be able to take a trip into a far country for a certain length of time. His return is sure, as will be the accounting of all things with regard to his servants to whom he committed the responsability of his resouces and wealth. Scripture does not tell us what the man told his servants before he left, only that he was giving to each of them “talents,” or financial resources. The man was wise and only gave to each of the servants the quantity of talents according to his ability to use them. He then took his leave, and left for an undisclosed period of time. It is at this point that, regardless of the quantity of talents received, the attitudes of the servants towards their master began to reveal themselves. Thus, that which would characterize the “:kingdom’ would now begin to reveal itself. What were these characteristics?
The true servant is one who sees himself as such, having yielded his allegiance to his master. It must be noted immediately that this “master” of which we speak, and which is seen in the parable, is an honorable man, one who seeks to lift up and bless his servants. He encourages them in their responsabilities, and rewards them in their proper response to those opportunities. For the first and second servants mentioned, one to whom five talents was given, and the second one, two, both responded to the departure of their master by going and trading with that which had been entrusted to them. Why did they do this? Their relationship with their master was first one of trust, the master demonstrating his trust in them, and seeking a like trust in return. This they demonstrated, not thinking of themselves, but of the master. They both had a mindset of accountability to their master, one where they chose to be responsible to their master, not only with regard to the opportunity afforded them, but also, with regard to that which had been entrusted to their care. In other words, they lived for the master, and his pleasure and not for themselves. They were thus free to serve a gracious and just master, who would take care of, and bless them. This the master did, for in returning from his journey, and after calling his servants to him to give an account of their activities, he learned that the first two servants, by trading with the talents, had gained for the master, the double of what had been entrusted to them. Apparently, there was no fear of reprisals from the master, even from the beginning, as they believed that the master’s words, and commission, were given with the knowledge that success was assured. It is then that the master would say to them, “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.” (v.21)
The third servant was fearful, faithless and self-centered, hiding the talent given him. He was not a child of the kingdom.
Dear Father, Make us good servants. In Jesus’ name, Amen.