This morning, we continue our series on “The Parables of Jesus.” We will seek to glean “Pearls from the Parables.”
Before we get to the parable, let’s look at a scripture we have been looking at all year. This is something I believe the Lord wants us to meditate on.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us.
(Matthew 25:14-30 TPT)
14 “Again, heaven’s kingdom is like a wealthy man who went on a long journey and summoned all his trusted servants and assigned his financial management over to them. 15 Before he left on his journey, he entrusted a bag of five thousand gold coins to one of his servants, to another a bag of two thousand gold coins, and to the third a bag of one thousand gold coins, each according to his ability to manage.
16 “The one entrusted with five thousand gold coins immediately went out and traded with the money, and he doubled his investment. 17 In the same way, the one who was entrusted with two thousand gold coins traded with the sum and likewise doubled his investment. 18 But the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money.
19 “After much time had passed, the master returned to settle accounts with his servants. 20 The one who was entrusted with five thousand gold coins came and brought ten thousand, saying, ‘See, I have doubled your money.’
21 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
22 “Then the one who had been entrusted with two thousand gold coins came in and said, ‘See, my master, I have doubled what you have entrusted to me.’
23 “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you were faithful to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Enter into the joy of your Lord!” ‘
24 “Then the one who had been entrusted with one thousand gold coins came to his master and said, ‘Look, sir. I know that you are a hard man to please and you’re a shrewd and ruthless businessman who grows rich on the backs of others. 25 I was afraid of you, so I went and hid your money and buried it in the ground. But here it is–take it, it’s yours.’
26 “But his master said to him, ‘You’re an untrustworthy and lazy servant! If you knew I was a shrewd and ruthless business man who always makes a profit, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? 27 Then I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. 28 But because you were unfaithful, I will take the one thousand gold coins and give them to the one who has ten thousand. 29 For the one who has will be given more, until he overflows with abundance. And the one with hardly anything, even what little he has will be taken from him.’
30 “Then the master said to his other servants, ‘Now, throw that good-for-nothing servant far away from me into the outer darkness, where there will be great misery and anguish!’ “
We started this series by taking a look at the Parable of the Sower (the Mother of All Parables). We have now spent the last few weeks looking at the Parable of the Talents. I will transition to another parable soon. For today and the next few days, we will seek to glean the last few golden nuggets from this parable. As we approach the end of this series, we will seek to glean the last few golden nuggets from this parable. In the coming days, I will give you a recap and closing on this parable. Let’s continue to delve into the profound insights and teachings this parable offers us so that we can become better versions of ourselves.
So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. The Significance of the Parable of the Talents.
It came at the end of Jesus’ ministry on the earth.
— The placement of this parable at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry emphasizes its critical importance for every believer.
— The timing of a message often reveals its urgency and significance.
God’s timing is perfect.
— Divine timing is not just a concept; it’s a reality that governs our lives.
— The fact that this parable was one of Jesus’ final teachings serves as a sort of “final exam,” summarizing the essence of discipleship.
— It’s a reminder that the last words of a person usually contain their most urgent message.
The message of the Parable is clear.
— In the parable, the master does our talents to His servants, He leaves, and after a LONG TIME, He comes back to see what they did with what He gave them.
— Shortly after teaching this parable, Jesus left the earth and He is coming back again.
— It’s been a long time since Jesus left, but when He comes back, He is going to want to do what the master did in the parable: settle accounts!
— The only way you will hear “Well done” is if you have done well!
2. The Concept of Stewardship.
Accountability.
— We must remember that we are stewards, not owners, of the talents and gifts we’ve been given.
— Our lives are not our own; we are accountable to God for what we do with what we’ve been entrusted.
— This is a call to live responsibly, knowing that we will give an account for our actions and inactions.
Purpose.
— When the purpose of something is not known, abuse is inevitable.
— I often say that our goal should be to “FIND, FOLLOW, and FINISH our purpose before we die!”
— When we stand before God, we will be measured (checked) to see if we did what we were supposed to do with the short time we were given.
— Our success or lack thereof will not be measured in money, cars, houses, titles, or positions. It will be measured in purpose.
— The only way to fulfill our purpose and maximize our potential is by taking the talents God has entrusted to us and multiplying them!
— Your gift will make room for you, but only if you use it.
3. The Master’s Return: A Call to Preparedness.
Living with an Expectation.
— The master in the parable eventually returns to settle accounts.
— We should live our lives in the constant expectation of Christ’s return, making the most of what we’ve been given.
— We have a soon-coming-King, and we we live like it.
— This is not about fear but about fulfilling our divine assignment with excellence.
Earlier in the series, I said the following:
— Don’t miss your moment. Recognize the urgency of now, and act on what God has given you.
— I have done a great deal of teaching on divine timing. If you’re complacent, you’ll miss your season of blessing.
— God operates in appointed times; don’t let procrastination make you miss yours.
The Reward for Faithfulness.
— Just as the faithful servants were rewarded, so too will we be rewarded for our faithfulness in stewarding what God has given us.
— This is the law of sowing and reaping in action; what you sow, you will reap, often in greater measure.
Earlier in this series, I said:
— In the parable of the talents, God calls “increase” faithfulness!
— God entrusted His money to three people, and He was looking for a return on His investment.
— God gives you resources, and He wants you to EXPAND His resources so He can EXPAND His Kingdom on earth.
— God is a God of increase and advancement. God is looking for us to increase and advance. He called the increase “Faithfulness,” and he called the one who did not increase the resources (although he did not lose it) “Wicked.”
— To be clear, the increase I am talking about is not for selfish gain but for the advancement of God’s Kingdom on the earth.
— God’s grace empowers us to increase and advance beyond our natural abilities.
4. The Consequences of Inaction.
The Risk of Playing It Safe.
— The servant who buried his talent thought he was playing it safe, but in reality, he was jeopardizing his future.
— Inaction is often the greatest action of all—and not for the better.
— This is a cautionary tale against letting fear and complacency hold us back from our divine destiny.
The Loss of Opportunity.
— When we fail to invest what we’ve been given, we miss out not only on potential gains but also on the opportunity to prove ourselves faithful and capable of handling more.
— This is a call to make the most of every day!
— We must embrace the grace to lay hold of the opportunities God places before us.
— If we don’t, there are consequences for inaction!
5. The Overflow of Inner Beliefs.
I may talk more about this one tomorrow.
The Power of Mindset.
— Our actions are a direct reflection of our inner beliefs.
— I often say, “Your legs will never take you where your soul has never been!”
— If we see God as harsh and demanding, we’ll likely be paralyzed by fear, unable to step out in faith.
— We must renew our minds to see God as a loving, caring, and sharing Heavenly Father.
The Cycle of Faith and Blessing.
— When we act in faith, we position ourselves for blessing, which in turn strengthens our faith for the next challenge.
— The one who had 5 talents and provided the master a 100% return, doubling them to 10, was given MORE!
— The one who had 1 talent and did nothing with it, lost even the 1 he had.
— When you are faithful to God, it becomes a virtuous cycle of blessing!
— The Blessing of the Lord leads to a life of impact and fulfillment.
That’s enough for today. Tomorrow, I will continue our recap. I pray you are enjoying the life lessons we can glean from this parable.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me! I boldly declare:
I embrace my role as a steward, not an owner, of the talents and gifts You’ve given me. I am accountable to You for how I use them. I live responsibly, knowing that one day I will give an account for my actions and inactions.
I am committed to finding, following, and finishing my purpose before I die. I understand that my success is measured in fulfilling my purpose, not in material gains. I am committed to multiplying the talents You’ve entrusted to me.
I live with a constant expectation of Your return. I make the most of what I’ve been given, fulfilling my divine assignment with excellence. I recognize the urgency of now and act on what You’ve given me, so I don’t miss my season of blessing.
I acknowledge that my actions reflect my inner beliefs. I renew my mind to see You as a loving, caring, and sharing Heavenly Father.
I embrace the cycle of faith and blessing. When I act in faith, I position myself for Your blessing, which in turn strengthens my faith for the next challenge. I understand that faithfulness leads to more blessings and opportunities to impact the world for Your glory.
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
