1 Matt. 25:20-23--"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."
Luke 19:12-19.--"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a
far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And
he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said
unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent
a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign
over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having
received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called
unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how
much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying,
Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him,
Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very
little, have thou authority over ten cities. And the second came
saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise
to him, Be thou also over five cities."
Matthew 24 exhorts us to watch and wait for Christ's coming;
chapter 25 shows us how we may obey this exhortation. Chapter 25
illustrates to us, in the parable of the Virgins (vv. 1-13) the
necessity of caring for the inward spiritual life; while the parable
of the Talents (vv. 14-30), emphasizes the necessity of activity
for Christ while awaiting His return.
While both parables deal with the matter of the rewarding of
the saints, they nevertheless present the subject from different
viewpoints. The parable of the Pounds was delivered before the entry
into Jerusalem; that of the Talents, three days after; the Pounds,
to the multitudes; the Talents, to the disciples. The Pounds was
given because the people thought that the kingdom would immediately
appear, hence the idea of a long journey. In the Pounds there is
opposition to Christ; in the Talents, none. In the Talents unequal
sums are multiplied in the same proportion; in the Pounds, equal
sums in differed proportions. The parable of the Pounds was uttered
to repress impatience; that of the Talents, to stimulate activity
until Christ should return.
The talents are distributed not capriciously but according to each
man's ability to handle them. He who had five talents was able to
use five, and was therefore held responsible for the use of this
number; so with the two, and the one. The question is not so much
"How many talents have I received," but "To what use am I putting
them?" The rewards for faithfulness are the same in each case--"Be
thou ruler over many cities." In the parable of the Pounds it is
different. All start out with the same number of pounds. As men
differ in their use of them, in their fidelity, zeal and labor,
so they differ in spiritual gains and rewards (ten cities, five
cities). The reward of the believer will be in proportion to the
faithfulness of his service for God with the use of the talents
with which God has endowed him. The rewards therefore will differ
according to the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of our service and
life.
Faith in Jesus Christ saves the believer, but his position in the
future life together with the measure of his reward will depend
upon his faithfulness in the use of the gifts with which he has
been endowed by God. Thus it comes to pass that a man may be saved
"yet so as by fire," i.e., saved because of his faith in Christ,
but minus his reward. See 1 Cor. 3:10-15--"In discharge of the
task which God graciously entrusted to me, I--like a competent
master-builder--have laid a foundation, and others are building
upon it. But let every one be careful how and what he builds. For
no one can lay any other foundation in addition to that which is
already laid, namely, Jesus Christ. And whether the building which
anyone is erecting on that foundation be of gold or silver or
costly stones, of timber or hay or straw--the true character of
each individual's work will become manifest. For the day of Christ
will disclose it, because that day is soon to come upon us clothed
in fire, and as for the quality of every one's work--the fire is
the thing which will test it. If any one's work--the building which
he has erected--stands the test, he will be rewarded. If any one's
work is burned up, he will suffer the loss of it; yet he will
himself be rescued, but only, as it were, by passing through the
fire." (Translation from _Weymouth's New Testament._) While
this passage has its primary reference, probably, to Christian
teachers and preachers, and touches the matter of doctrines that
are taught, it nevertheless has a fitting and true application to
the life and work of every believer.