Parable of the Talents in Context

The parable of the talents begins with the phrase 

14…the kingdom of heaven is as…

The gospel of Matthew as a whole, puts a lot of emphasise on this kingdom.

In chapter 13 there are precisely 7 parables describing it.

Matt. 13

24…The kingdom of heaven is likened unto…

31…The kingdom of heaven is like…

33…The kingdom of heaven is like…

44 Again the kingdom of heaven is like…

45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like…

47 Again the kingdom of heaven is like…

The number seven represents completion. 

Genesis 2

2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made…

I believe Matthew 13 gives us a complete picture of the kingdom of heaven from beginning to end.

The parable of the sower lays the ground work, it deals with the individual. It deals with the heart. Only in an honest and good heart can the Word (seed) take root and bare fruit.

The parable of the wheat and tares however is more big picture. It deals, not with the individual but the collective. It deals with Christ coming at the end of the age to judge and reward all men according to their works.

In between these two parables Jesus said to his disciples…. 

Matthew 13

11…it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Who did he mean by “them”?

Well let’s look at the last chapter of Acts for a clue.

Acts 28

17…Paul called the chief of the Jews together…

23… he expounded and testified the kingdom of God…from morning till evening. 

25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed…

In Matthew 13 Jesus quoted the same portion of Isaiah…

14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:

15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed…

Jesus was describing the “chief Jews”, chief- protos first in rank, influence, honour.

The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven were not “given” to them because their hearts were fat, their ears dull, their eyes closed.

Jesus went on to say… 

 12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

For a long time this verse puzzled me.

The very same verse is found at the end of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.

Matthew 25

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one…and straightway took his journey.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them…

20 And so he that had received five talents came saying Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21…Well done, thou good and faithful servant…enter thou into the joy of thy lord…

24…Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man…

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth…

26…Thou wicked and slothful servant…

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.

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

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. 

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

In this parable the Lords money was taken from the wicked, slothful servant and given to his good and faithful servant with the words….

29…unto every one that hath shall be given…but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

At this point it may help to compare the parable of the talents to the parable of the vineyard in Matthew 21.

Matthew 21

33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard…and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

43 Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Let’s list the similarities between the parable of vineyard in Matthew 21 and the parable of the talents in Matthew 25.

• In Matthew 21 a householder entrusted his vineyard to husbandmen before traveling into a far country. 

• In Matthew 25 a man entrusted his “goods” to servants before travelling into a far country.

• In Matthew 21 the householder expected to receive fruit from his vineyard. 

• In Matthew 25 the man expected to receive the profit from his servants investments.

• In both parables we see wicked servants, who did not do as their master expected.

The parable of the vineyard was clearly aimed at the “chief priests and pharisees”.

Matthew 21

45…when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

Therefore the “wicked and slothful servant” who was cast into “outer darkness” also represents the “chief priests and pharisees”.

What were they entrusted with and what was (or would be) taken away? What does the vineyard represent? What do the talents represent?

Put simply, The kingdom of God. 

In Matthew 21 Jesus said to the chief priests and pharisees “the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof”.

The religious leaders of those days were not given the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven because their hearts were fat, their ears dull, their eyes closed. Furthermore that which they did have, the Kingdom of God itself, was about to be taken away.

It was taken from them at the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and given to a spiritual nation, bringing forth good fruit.

Which is why John the Baptist warned the “pharisees and sadducees” to “bring forth…fruits meet for repentance” in order to “flee from the the wrath to come” because “the kingdom of heaven” was “at hand” (Matthew 3:2,7,8&10).

In conclusion

The parable of the talents begins with the phrase “the kingdom of heaven is as” and ends with…

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.

The few talents that the slothful servant had, were taken from him and given to the faithful servant.

Who does the slothful servant represent? What do the talents represent?

Matthew 13 and 21 answer these questions.

The slothful servant represents the chief priests and pharisees.

The talents represent the kingdom of God which was taken from them and given to a spiritual nation at the end of the Jewish age. 

In my next post I’ll address the parable of the sheep and goats, comparing it to the parable of the wheat and tares. 

Until then let us each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. God bless.