Based on Matthew 25:14-30 Isn't it amazing how God can reveal new things to us through the same scriptures we've read over and over in the past?  I've read and taught on Matthew 25 so many times over the past seven years that I was surprised when, in my morning Bible study, I noticed something I had never noticed before... adventure.

Based on Matthew 25:14-30

Isn't it amazing how God can reveal new things to us through the same scriptures we've read over and over in the past?  I've read and taught on Matthew 25 so many times over the past seven years that I was surprised when, in my morning Bible study, I noticed something I had never noticed before... adventure.

When we read the Parable of the Talents, we often focus on the wicked and lazy servant.  The one who, out of fear, wastes the master's money.  The one who is cast out and there is “weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

But what about the other two servants?

What has eluded my thoughts all of these years is the great sense of adventure that these two must have felt.  Think about it for a moment!  Their great and wonderful master of whom they greatly loved was leaving on a long journey.  That alone probably brought an element of fear to their souls.  The one whom they trusted and relied upon on a daily basis was going to be gone a long time.

The conversation that the master had with them before leaving must have made it even more intense.  To one servant, he gave five talents!  Ok, that may be hard to get excited about because most of us don't know the value of a talent.  A talent in those days was the largest measurement of money.  After doing some research, opinions vary as to whether Jesus was referring to talents of bronze, silver, or gold, but most agree that this was a significant amount of money.  Many believe that one talent was equivalent to about 20 years of wages for a common laborer(1).  So, five talents might be worth 100 years of wages!  That’s a lot of money!

Before the master leaves, he instructs the servants to use the money wisely for the master's gain.  What a tremendous responsibility!  Seeing all that money must have given them a great sense of joy at first, but the realization of the responsibility that came with it must have given them a sinking feeling in their stomachs.  I'm sure each servant thought to himself, "What if I make poor decisions and lose my master's money?  What if he isn’t pleased with how I use it?"

Here is where the great adventure began.  Two of the servants took on the challenge.  They had to think strategically, weigh out the risks, and put a plan into action.  They had to step out on faith and try to wisely use the money in a way that would bring gain to their master.  They knew that one day they would be held accountable for their decisions.  They pushed their fears aside, moved forward, and must have had an amazing adventure doing so.

Many years later, when the master returned, they were able to rejoice with their master.  I'm sure they shared stories of how the money was used and how lives were touched and their efforts were blessed.  Seeing their master pleased must have given them a great sense of joy and accomplishment.

Not only that, but the master still had one incredible surprise left for his servants.  He told them they had been faithful over "little..."  Little?  Are you kidding?  One hundred years of wages was "little?"  Well, I guess it was "little" to the master! "Since you were faithful with little," the master said cheerfully, "I will put you in charge of much, much more!"

Imagine their surprise at such a promise!  The master had given them a ton of money to manage while he was gone, they got to experience wonderful adventures while managing his wealth, and now he gives them even more when he returns!

But then there was the third servant.

We know the story.  He was cast out for being wicked and lazy.  He never got to experience those same adventures.  He didn't receive more.  What he had been given to him was taken away.

Let’s not misinterpret these scriptures.  God isn’t about making money.  God is about faithfulness.  The moral of this story is that we are to use the resources God provides for His glory, not ours.  These resources may or may not be financial. As you read through the scriptures, you’ll see that God is honored when we provide for our family’s needs, enjoy what God gives to us, give to church and charity, and more.  God is pleased if we use what he gives us in a way that meets the plans He has for us.  Whether given a little or a lot, God wants our obedience.

Some practical questions we must ask ourselves after studying these passages in God's Word...

1. I am one of these servants.  Which servant am I?
2. Have I tried to discern God's will with the money He has entrusted to me?
3. Am I enjoying the "adventure" of handling God's wealth?
4. Have I invested into God's Kingdom or my own kingdom?
5. Will I meet my Lord with great joy one day and hear him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" or will there be weeping and gnashing of teeth?

May God grant you with the knowledge of His perfect plan for your life.  May He show you how to "invest" His money, time, and abilities that He has entrusted to you in a way that will bring Him glory.  May we always remember to encourage one another toward Heavenly treasures instead of worldly trash.  Let's push fear aside and discover the great adventures God has for us.

1. William Hendriksen, The Gospel of Matthew (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1973), p. 879.