One of Jesus’ most popular parables is The Parable of the Talents.

A wealthy man is headed out of town for an extended period of time and he entrusts a significant amount of money to three of his servants. The amount he assigns each one is based on their ability to manage it. To the first man, he entrusts five talents. The second man receives two talents. The final man receives one talent.

How Much Is It?
The significance of this parable depends on how much a talent is worth. If a talent is enough to buy dinner at a 3-star restaurant it means one thing. If it is enough to purchase a car you would see that as being more significant. 

In some versions of the Bible, a talent is described as a ‘bag of money’. Well how big of a bag is it? Is it a garbage bag? Is it a sandwich sized bag? Is it a small bag, like a velvet bag used for a ring? A bag of money isn’t as descriptive as it sounds.

Actually, a talent is equal to 15-20 years of wages. So, if someone is making $50,000 a year, one talent would be equal to between $750,000 and $1 million dollars. So the first servant was given five talents, which would be almost $4 million dollars ($3,750,000). The second servant received two talents, $1.5 million. The last servant, who just received a single talent, received about $750,000. So each one, even the final servant, was entrusted with a significant amount of money.

So What Happened?
The wealthy man returns and, of course, he wanted to know how the men did with his money. He calls in the first man who tells him that he went out immediately and was able to double his  investment, so he has almost $8 million for his boss. The boss is impressed and he says, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” and he invites him to celebrate his success. The second man gives his report, he turned his two talents into four. So, he turned a million and a half into $3 million dollars. The manager is equally pleased with him.

When the third man comes in, he starts with an excuse. He says he knew he was a hard and demanding boss, so he, out of fear, did nothing with the money. He buried it. The boss is NOT happy. This hard man said at least he could have put the money in the bank where it would have at least earned interest.

He calls him a “wicked and slothful” servant. Then, he took his one talent and gave it to the first servant, who now had 10 talents. Then he kicked him out all together

That’s Not Fair … or Is It?
The poor third guy only had ONE talent and he was scared (cue the small violins). One could make the argument that the ones with more money were taking a greater risk and had more to lose. Still they went out and worked. What did the third servant do, “he buried the money and then did nothing.” The first servant proved his worth. The wealthy man knew that he knew how to turn that talent into more. 

The Bible rewards effort and hard work. “If any will not work, neither let him eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10). The first and second servants showed their worth. The third showed that he was slothful and unworthy.

Being a Good Steward
Being a good steward, when it comes to finances means being responsible and prudent. If you loaned someone $100 and they told you they didn’t have it but went on a $1,000 shopping spree, you would be within your rights to question their stewardship. Like the wealthy man was within his rights to be disappointed, or even angry, with the servant who did nothing with his money, God is not going to be pleased with those of us who consistently make poor decisions.

We are often given the chance (chance after chance) to learn a lesson. If we don’t learn it, easily; we will learn it the hard way. It could be that this is the final straw for the slothful servant. And all of the sudden he was cast out and left with no money. Talk about a sobering and eye-opening experience!

Talents?
Jesus talks about money in this parable. But he could have been talking about any talent, skill, ability, or passion. And like that third servant, are you hiding your talent? Wasting it? Coming up with excuses for why you aren’t using yours?

Each of us have been blessed with talents, abilities and passions. When we look at talents, it is important to realize that talents are not always artistic endeavors. They could be interests, skills we excel in or passions we have. My best friend is a nurse and that is an effective use of her skills and passions. I have had a career in learning and development and learning has been a passion of mine and so has public speaking and writing. The combination has made me an effective trainer and impressive instructional designer.

How do you use your talents?
The men who received the talents were given a specific number of talents based on their ability. The man who received five talents was expected to do more with his talents than the one who had received one. If you have been given an abundance of talent or skill, then you are expected to use it but even if you have just a little talent, you should still be a good steward of what you’ve been given.

Luke 16:10 says “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” This played out with the servant with one talent and it can also be played out with our individual talents. Do something with your talent, don’t just bury it and walk away.

If you have been blessed with a beautiful voice, that does not mean you are the next Mariah Carey. Maybe you are but maybe being a soloist in your church choir is more your speed. You are still using your talent and sharing it with others. If you want the fame and the money but your dream of being Mariah Part II hasn’t worked out, so you decide to do nothing, would you consider yourself a good steward?

Consider your dreams and consider your motives. The man with a single talent was motivated out of fear. The Bible commands people to not be afraid over 300 times. Do you think that would be a reasonable excuse to use? Would your frustration with not being the next Mariah be a good excuse for not sharing the singing talent you have been blessed with.

Here’s a challenge
This challenge has two parts. The first part is to find your talent, skill or ability. If you know it, part two, find a way to use it. One of my talents (and you can have more than one) is cooking. I love to cook. I watch a ton of cooking shows, too! I joined a group at my church who sought to provide comfort to those having a hard time. Some offered prayer, others companionship and several of us offered food. If someone had a death in the family or a loved one was hospitalized, I would prepare something that would last for a day or two. 

How can you use your talent, skill, ability or passion? You have it. Now, be a good steward and use it!