The inspiration of talent in Matthew 25

---By CK Jen, 2020/10/13

Matt.25:14reveals that the Lord entrusts His property to His servants (us, all the Christians) to operate. Therefore the servants did not have any property at all, and all their possessions were given to them by the Lord. Thus we the servants can be joyful, but never say and be proud of that we did something, because all were done by the Lord and given to us, although some might be through our hard labor and being faithful. Concerning His property, to one He gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability(G1411 dunamis; dynamite).(Matt.25:15)

Matt.25:14 "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants(G1401 doulos; slaves) and entrusted to them his property.

Matt. 25:15 To one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability (G1411 dunamis; dynamite). And he went abroad.

According to the weight unit one talent is~34 kg ( ~ 8700 denarii). In that age one day's wage was 1 denarius (Matt.20:1, 2, 9)which is about ~ 3.9 g (this can be found in web), hence one talentwas about ~20 years' wage. My inspiration is that to obtain one talentof Lord's property requires going through long years of faithfulness in the Lord. Matt.25:22-23reveals that all what one can obtain such a talentis to have faithfulness over many a little. It also means to accumulate through a little by a little. However, the Lord has a high hope that every servant (us; every Christian) can gain at least one talent.

Matt. 20:1For the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, who is a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard.

Matt. 20:2 And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

Matt. 20:9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius.

Matt. 25:22 And he who had received the two talents also came and said, Master, you delivered to me two talents; behold, I have gained another two talents.

Matt.25:23 His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have beenfaithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master'.

According to one's ability Lord gives different servants with different amount of talents (Matt. 25:15). The Greek word of servant (G1401 doulos) means slave, signifying this servant (us) is completely belong to the Lord including the servant's life. And the Greek word of ability (G1411 dunamis) means dynamite. In Phil. 3:14, Col. 1:29 and 2nd Cor. 4:7 this Greek word means the mighty power of the Lord. In Phil. 3:14, the servant must go through the fellowship of Lord's suffering and the conformation to Lord's death and then he is able to experience this power of resurrection. It also means that how to receive one talent of Lord's property is to accumulate such an experience, a little by a little, of dying with the Lord to terminate the negatives of us and the world, and living with the Lord to germinate the property of the Lord.

Phil. 3:14 To know Him and thepower (G1411 dunamis) of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

Col. 1:29 For which also I labor, struggling according to His operation which operates in me in power (G1411 dunamis).

2nd Cor. 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power (G1411 dunamis) may be of God and not out of us.

But in the church life, the majority of the saints like the servant described in Matt. 25:24-25feel that to serve the saints in the church life required to go through such hardships and sufferings is not what they can do or live, therefore, are afraid. As a result they hide the talent which Lord gives to them in the ground. "Ground" means that this servant living in this crooked and twisted generations still studies, works, and lives according to his own nature abilities and strength, and cannot follow the Lord to experience His death and the power of His resurrection. Therefore during Lord's 2nd coming, He will say to this servant using the words which hurts Lord's His own heart, "You wicked and slothful servant" (Matt. 25:26) and "the worthless servant" (Matt. 25:30).

Matt. 25:24 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,

Matt. 25:25 so I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.'

Matt. 25:26But 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?

Matt. 25:30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Again, Lord has much hope that every saint can obtain at least one talent of His property, and also expect that we use this talent in the church life (bankers) to gain another talent as the interest. 1st Tim. 4:16 reveals that when we keep a close watch on ourselves and on our teachings and persist in such a daily living, then we may gain a little by a little of the talent of Lord's property. Also the saints whom we serve may obtain a little by a little of the talent. This is the interest which Lord hopes and this interest is entirely belonging to the Lord as well.

Matt. 25:27 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.

1st Tim. 4:16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

From a different angle concerning talents, 2 are 1 plus 1, and 5 are 1 plus 1 plus 1 plus 1 and plus 1. "Plus" means intimate prayers and fellowship among spiritual companions and vital teams, so that they grow and serve together as one person (Phil. 2:2). The fellowship among them abides in the principle of submission to the order of life and the order of burdens. Then during the Lord's 2ndcoming He may say to them "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." Halleluiah! Praise our Lord.

Phil. 2:2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.