The Parable of the Talents.

(ON MOUNT OF OLIVES.)

(c. xxv. 14-30.)

"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.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

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

And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst 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.

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. 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? Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have

received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 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. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing

of teeth.

This Parable is peculiar to Matthew.

Luke records the Parable of the Pounds, which in its general features resembles that of the Talents. The following are the chief points of difference between the

two:

The Parable of the Pounds was spoken to the multitude as Christ was nearing Jerusalem, to correct their ideas "that the kingdom of God should immediately appear," and to teach them the awful judgments that would fall upon them, at His return, if they rejected Christ.

The Parable of the Talents was delivered to the Twelve after Christ's arrival at Jerusalem, and was intended to teach them the necessity of earnestly and believingly working on for Christ, until called to their account.

General Scope of the Parable of the Talents ;

To all Christ's disciples is given the ability, in various degrees, to work for Him. This He expects them to do, while waiting His coming. When He comes, He will call all His professed servants to account: those who have laboured for Him to the best of their ability He will reward according to their work; while those who have idly awaited His coming, shall not only lose all reward, but be deprived of the religious privileges they have hitherto possessed, and be punished eternally.

Thus, this Parable forms a fitting sequel to that of the Ten Virgins. In the latter is taught the necessity for Christian vitality and watchfulness,-in the former, of Christian work. We are thus taught, that Faith must go hand-in-hand with Works, and vice versa.

Particular Interpretation ;

"The kingdom of heaven,"-see preceding Parable. 66 A man," "-Christ.

"Travelling into a far country," refers to Christ's withdrawal to heaven after His Resurrection, until His Second Advent.

"His own servants,"-Christ's disciples, (or, as some say, the Jews generally, who were "His own" people.)

"Delivered unto them his goods,"-i.e., Christ has left with His disciples the Holy Scriptures, wherein they may discover what duties and labours He expects of them.

=

"Five talents."-A talent of gold = £5475; of silver £342, 3s. 9d. It does not appear from the text which of these talents is here meant.

The "talents are the opportunities and advantages Christ gives to His disciples to labour for Him, in accordance with the precepts laid down in the Scriptures.

"To every ability."-It is not expected that each shall do an equal amount of work for God; but all are required to labour for Him, as far as their "ability" as to understanding, position, time, means, &c., will admit. "Went and traded with the same,"-i.e., made diligent use of his opportunities and advantages, in working for Christ. "Digged in the earth money."-This man is a type of those who, because they appear to have little or no opportunity of working for Christ, do nothing for Him, thinking it sufficient to do no positive evil.

"Saying."-Each "servant is allowed to give account of his conduct; whence we learn that, at the Last Day, we shall be partly judged from our own mouth.

"I have gained beside them five talents more,"-i.e., “I have, guided by Scripture, made as full use of all my opportunities, as my abilities would allow."

Or, it may signify that those who work for God, by the light of His word, to the best of their ability, will find themselves blessed with a "double portion" of Christian attainment.

"Well done."-In the original, this expression is one word, used by public assemblies in the sense of our "Bravo"!

Joy" "An hard man .

also, feast.

strawed,"—" a hard-hearted, unreasonable, man, expecting of your servants more than they can perform.'

Such an excuse, doubtless, will be heard at the Last Day from many who have neglected their opportunities. They will profess that God exacts impossibilities from them, and attempt to lay the blame of their sins on the Almighty.

"I was afraid,"-i.e. "lest I should lose the money, in trying to use it, and thou shouldst demand from me its restitution."

So, many will plead to Christ, that they feared to attempt to employ for Him what little opportunities they had, lest they should use them so as not to please Him, and then be actually punished for trying to do His will.

66

Wicked," because "slothful."

"Thou knewest

strawed."-This should read

as an ironical query, "Didst thou know . . . strawed "? The whole of the lord's speech, then, as applying to the "unprofitable servant" of the Parable is,-"So you knew I was a hard man, did you? Well then, that was all the more reason why you should have tried to make some exertion to satisfy me. If you were afraid of losing the money by embarking in trade, you might, at least, have deposited the talent with some money-changer for, in that case, the principal would have been as safe as it was in the ground, and I should have received some interest from it." As applying figuratively to one who has not improved his opportunities of working for Christ, the text means, as uttered by our Judge,- You say I am unreasonable in my demands, do you? All the more should you have striven to satisfy me, and though you might not have acted up to your advantages, you could not have failed to discover some little to do for me, which would have rendered you less blameworthy."

66

(The "exchangers,"-not only exchanged foreign money for Jewish, as before stated; but they also acted as bankers.)

"Unto every one," &c.="When any one does not properly use gifts bestowed, even these are taken from him; but to him who rightly employs them, more are given, as rewards of his good management,"

Christ pictures the Last Judgment, in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats.

(ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES.)

(c. xxv. 31-end.)

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom_prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.