The Parable of the Talents
Now that you're awake, you need to keep yourself busy. you need to be doing something constructive with your life. This is Christ's advice in His next parable — the parable of the talents.
A talent in Christ's time was a unit of currency worth several hundred dollars at today's rates. In this parable Christ used it to symbolize a person's abilities and natural aptitudes. Etymologists tell us the modern use of the word "talent" is derived from the use Christ made of it in this parable.
The parable begins in Matthew 25:14 with a man (Christ) taking a long journey into a far country (heaven). Among his servants (Christians) he distributes his wealth for them to invest; some get more than others. Upon his return he calls for an accounting.
"And 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. His 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" (verses 20, 21). The servant with two talents also doubled his amount and was similarly commended.
"Then 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: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His 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: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For 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. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 25:24-30).
Don't Sell Yourself Short
The lesson to all is to make the most of the talents and opportunities God gives you. This message is especially important to those who think they possess only one talent — or less. Focusing their minds on what they don't have instead of what they do, they are fond of quoting Paul's statement in I Corinthians 1:26-27: "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world . . . the weak things . . . and base things of the world, and things which are despised." Identifying themselves with this description, they short-sell themselves, bury their talent, and wait, wait, wait for Christ to come.
It's too bad they don't read and identify with Paul's response to his own weaknesses. In II Corinthians 12 Paul prayed three times for relief from his physical afflictions. But
God answered: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." To which Paul responded: "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (verses 9-10).
The short-sellers should also read the parable of the pounds in Luke 19:12-27. It is identical to the parable of the talents except for the fact that each servant is given only one pound to work with. (For those who like to discount their ability, it should be pointed out that a pound was worth much less than a talent) The profitable servants were able to show Christ a 1,000% and 500% return on His investment in them. What you start out with is Christ's responsibility — and what you end up with is yours.
The criterion for Christians to keep in mind is that Christ will only hold you accountable for what you do with what you have — not what you haven't. So get busy!
The Ice Age Cometh
In Matthew 24, Christ predicted that as the end approaches there would be an Ice Age — of the human heart. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold " (verse 12).
The Apostle Paul elaborated on this chilling of human emotions and relationships in II Timothy 3:1-4: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves . . . unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good . . . lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God."
One of the great challenges facing Christians today is to give love, to be concerned and involved in people's problems and needs.
Thus the parable of the sheep and goats. The time setting is the judgment when Christ sorts out the sheep (righteous) from the goats (wicked).
"Then 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: for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me."
The righteous ask how this could be so. "And 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" (Matt. 25:34-40).
The goats on the left are left out of the Kingdom of God because they never took the time and effort to care. They took their motto from the first murderer, Cain: ". . . Am I my brother's keeper?"
Endangered Species
If you were in the sorting pen now, on which side of Christ would you be placed? If you can't say confidently that you'd end up on the right side, now is the time to do something about it.
There are too few sheep in the world — in fact, they are becoming an endangered species! Any additions to their depleted ranks will help a love-starved humanity and be well rewarded by Christ when His Kingdom comes.
The concept and practice of brotherly love is such a vast one that it could scarcely be covered in a whole article, much less in these few paragraphs. But for a working definition read Romans 13: 8-10.
Warn the World
We have seen that Christ instructs us to watch, to develop our talents, and to love our fellowman. These are things we as individuals can — and must — do. There is yet another responsibility Jesus places upon us. But it is a collective responsibility — a job that He has assigned to His spiritual organism — the Church. And that is to warn the world that He is coming.
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," said Christ (Mark 16:15). The gospel is Good News of the coming Kingdom of God — see Mark 1:14-15.
He also commissioned His Church to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in [into] the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt. 28: 19-20).
The Worldwide Church of God is doing something more than pray "Thy kingdom come." As the collective body of Christ it is striving to make this important prophecy of Christ a reality: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matt. 24:14).
What will you be doing when Christ comes?