OceanSide church of Christ

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THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

Matthew 25:14-30

Victor M. Eskew

 

III.       THE DAY OF ACCOUNTABILITY (Matt. 25:19-30)

 

I.           The Promise (Matt. 25:19)

 

After a long time the Lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them

 

A.   There is a day when the Lord will return.  It is a day of reckoning.  It is a day of accountability.

 

B.    Acts 17:31

 

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

 

II.         The Productive (Matt. 25:20-23)

 

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, Thou deliverest 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.  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, Thou deliveredst unto me two talents:  behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.  His lord said unto him, 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.

 

A.   Achievement

1.     Both men doubled their talents

2.     Both men returned more than what had been given.

 

B.    Assessment:  “Well done.”

1.     A pleased master

2.     A joy-filled servant

 

C.   Award:  “I will make thee ruler over many things:  enter thou into the joy of the lord.”

1.     All the labor and toil and sacrifice will be worth it.

2.     There will be no regrets.

3.     They will enjoy the rewards of eternal bliss.

 

 

 

 

 

III.       The Paralyzed (Matt. 25:24-25)

 

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.

 

A.   Apprehension

1.     Perception:  “an hard man”

a.     Hard:  tough, harsh, severe, stern

b.    We do know the following:

1)     High expectations

2)     Hold servants accountable

3)     Consequences

4)     NOTE:  He was not unjust in his dealings

2.     Emotion:  I was afraid

a.     Fear is a negative emotion.

b.    If one does not allow faith to conquer fear, fear will paralyze.

1)     The example of king Saul

a)     Goliath challenged the armies of Israel (I Sam. 17:8-10).

b)     Saul and Israel was filled with fear (I Sam. 17:11).

c)     The army of Israel was paralyzed (I Sam. 17:16).

2)     Fear gripped the one talent man.  He, too, was paralyzed.

 

B.    Action:  “went and hid the talent in the earth”

1.     Instead of using his talent, he hid it.  Instead of increasing it, he hid it.

2.     When he appeared before his maser, he had not lost the talent.  He had not stolen the talent.  He gave it back to his lord, saying:  “Lo, there thou hast that is thine.”

a.     He seemed pleased and satisfied.

b.    What about the pew-sitter?

 

C.   Assessment of the master (Matt. 25:26-30)

1.     Reprimand (Matt. 25:26)

 

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.

 

a.     Two words describe the one talent man:

1)     Slothful:  to be slow

2)     Wicked

a)     We do not think of a lazy, slothful person as wicked

b)     The word means “hurtful, derelict, and harmful.”

-        This man was harmful to his master.

-        He was derelict in his duties

-        He committed sin when he did not perform.

b.    How many wicked servants are in the church today?  Sadly, they do not realize the wickedness of their inactivity.

 

2.     Requirement (Matt. 25:27)

 

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

 

a.     Exchanger:  one who exchanges money for a fee, banker, broker

b.    Receiving a little interest on the talent was the lord’s minimum requirement.

c.    God expects a return on his investment.

1)     This cannot be done by being stagnant.

2)     God’s children must work and bring something additional back to God.

3.     Removing (Matt. 25:28-29)

 

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

 

a.     The one talent man now possesses nothing.

b.    The ten talent man now has eleven talents.

c.    God will take our talents if we do not use them and will give them to someone who is productive.

d.    The principle is simple (Matt. 25:29).

 

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.

 

4.     Rejection (Matt. 25:30)

 

And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:  there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

a.     We are given another description of the servant, “unprofitable.”

1)     Strong:  useless

2)     Thayer:  good for nothing

b.    This place of outer darkness could have been a dungeon within a prison.

1)     The light of the sun could not shine in that place.

2)     Hell, too, is a place of outer darkness.  God, who is light, will not reside therein.

c.    There is also weeping and gnashing of teeth.

1)     The cause of the weeping:  memory, lost opportunity, and the realization that punishment is eternal.

2)     His cries and the cries of others echo off the prison walls.  There is no silence in this place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   There will be a day of reckoning for all of God’s servants.

 

B.    We will hear one of two sentences:

1.     Well done.

2.     Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness.

 

C.   Which will you hear?  The answer will be predicated upon how you use your talents.