The Parable of the Three Servants is also called the Parable of the Talents. It all depends on which English translation you read from. Compare the difference in Matthew 25:14-15.
ESV: 14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.[1]
NLT: 14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip. [2]
What is a Talent?
The talent (talanton) was originally a measure of weight and is variously estimated at 50 to 75 pounds.[3] As time passed, it came to mean a unit of money that weighed a talent. 1 Kings 10: 14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.[4]
Scholars think that a talent at the time of Jesus was worth between fifteen to twenty years of wages.[5] Jesus made the man in His parable very generous. Five talents or bags of silver would amount to more than a lifetime’s worth of wages. Even one bag of silver would have been an extravagant gift. Because we aren’t familiar with the terminology, we may miss this when reading the parable.
Over time, because of this parable, talent has come to mean gifts or skills God has given an individual.[6] God gives us many resources: our health, abilities, time, skills, finances, friends, and family. We can see from this parable that God gives in proportion to the abilities He has given us. In addition, God expects us to use these for His glory.
Talents for a Purpose
From this parable, we can see that God is a generous God. He gives gifts in proportion to the abilities He has given us. Since God is our creator, He knows exactly how He made us and what is best for us. Ephesians 2: 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.[7]
So, we can understand that God has given us gifts and abilities to fulfill the plans He has for us. We don’t all get the same gift but get what fits God’s design. Don’t be envious of others’ gifts; appreciate them. We are to use our God-given gifts for good and to bring Him honor and glory.
How are you using your talents? Find out more about the Parable of the Talents here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/parable-of-the-three-servants
[1,4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). Crossway Bibles.
[2,7] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.
[3] Turner, D., & Bock, D. L. (2005). Cornerstone biblical commentary, Vol 11: Matthew and Mark (p. 326). Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 92). Victor Books.
[6] Wright, T. (2004). Matthew for Everyone, Part 2: Chapters 16-28 (pp. 137–138). Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.