Atta Boy!

Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

   

    ¹⁴ "For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' ²¹His master said to him, '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.' ²²And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, 'Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' ²³His master said to him, '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.' ²⁴He 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, ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' 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? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Have we multiplied what we've been given? Have we used our talents to bring forth multiple blessings to others, praises to God, or lives to Christ?

Well if you are like me in anyway, its probably easy to say "no" to those questions. I try... But I admit that I also slack off a bit. It's pretty easy to look at the task at hand and say, "Maybe some other time." Much like the servant with one talent we might say something like, "Why should I even try? These guys have so much more than me. Plus, if I fail I'll look ridiculous (or in the stories case, judged/killed (whatever a "hard man" would do))."

So know this, it does not matter how many talents you have. Or even what talents you have. Jesus gave you those talents, and they are to be used in a way that glorifies him. Because if we fail to use or even practice our talents (i.e. put in bank) we will have them taken away.

So try to be like those who doubled their talents and receive an "Atta boy/girl!"

Blake J.