Parable of talents

 Parable of talents

 

Matthew 25:14-30 『For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods his. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several abilities; 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 similarly he had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and dug 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 to 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.』

The Bible mostly speaks in parables because it is not easy to understand the kingdom of God without using parables. The Bible specifically says that the mystery of God's kingdom is a secret hidden from the creation of the world, and that it is revealed through parables through the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Therefore, through parables, believers must carefully examine not the superficial contents of the Bible, but the hidden contents within the Bible.

『When a man goes to a far country』, a man refers to Jesus. The words 『traveling into a far country』 mean that he ascended to the kingdom of God after being in this world. Jesus was born under the law, died on the cross, fulfilled the law, and took all the sins of the world from those who repent. When Jesus went to a foreign country, there was something he left behind with his servants, and that was the gospel of 『The Death and Resurrection of the Cross』. Matthew 28:19-20 says, 『Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.』What Jesus commanded was the death and resurrection of the cross.

Jesus' command is to spread the word of God. Jesus described spreading the word of God as a trade. He said, “He gave him five talents of gold to every man according to his several abilities.” The phrase “to every man according to his several abilities” does not refer to human talent, but is a Greek word. It is called dunamis (power, ability), and according to the power of Jesus (healing the sick and causing various miracles), it makes something that does not have resurrection life into one that has resurrection life.

In the five talents of gold, the expression gold is not found in the Greek Bible. Talent developed from the Greek word talenton (Hebrew kikar: loaf of bread). Five talents means five round loaves. It means that the words of God are five, and this symbolizes the Pentateuch (Law) of Moses. The law is the word of God, but it is not the true image, but a shadow. Since the law (promise) is a shadow, the true image is Christ, the resurrection life. Hebrews 10:1 says, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” The sin offering in the Old Testament is a shadow of the cross of Jesus Christ. Those who become perfect are those who have resurrection life.

In Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” This means that the law is a schoolmaster leading to Christ (the death and resurrection of the cross). The five talents mentioned above refer to the Pentateuch, which promises about Christ, but this means that people do not come to meet Jesus Christ. Two talents are also like two loaves of bread. The law is a shadow of the good things to come. The law is a promise and a prophecy. The Pentateuch makes us look to Christ. Jesus Christ said that resurrection life is bread (Hebrew: kikar). The two loaves of bread refer to the death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross.

Those who received one talent refer to those who are in the law. When the words of prophecy and the words of prophecy are fulfilled and come true, they are one. In Acts 15:15-17, “And to this agree the words of the prophets; As it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.』

This statement says, “If believers believe that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected together, he will give them heavenly life, resurrection,” which means that although they received the prophecy and its fulfillment at the same time, they do not know the meaning of death on the cross and resurrection. .

Five talents and two talents add up to seven talents, and the number seven is a complete number. It means that everything that has come before is over and we enter into rest. In Chapter 2 of Genesis, everything was finished and there was rest, and similarly, it means that those who have resurrection life enter into rest. God has made it known through the words of promise and the fulfilled words, so why do you not know? The reason is that even though he had received one talent, he hid it in the ground. The earth (body) is a chaotic and empty place. They are in the dark. They think of resurrection as something that happens after the body dies. So they are trapped in the body.

Those who received five talents and two talents left money by doing business. ‘Doing business’ means ‘doing something that lasts for eternal life.’ In Genesis, “to work” means to cultivate the land (abbad). Sowing seeds is spreading the word of God.

The Israelites asked Jesus a question. What is the work that allows eternal life (Elgazomine)? Jesus answered, “I believe in the Son whom God sent.” In John 5:17, “My Father has been working until now, and I also work.” Doing God’s work means “doing business.” The saints took five loaves of bread and did God's work of giving life. The phrase, “I made people believe in the one whom God sent” means that the truth revealed in the law was clearly explained, explained, and taught so that they could look to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the bread of resurrection life. If a believer preaches Jesus Christ to people well and enables them to receive resurrection life, then the believer has done a good job. Those who received five and two talents can be said to understand their meaning well. And he can be said to be someone who can do God's work. Those who realize what has been accomplished through the law can do business with their talents, that is, the work of God. “He buried and left behind” means that he made disciples of Jesus of resurrection life.