Matthew 25:14-30, and Giving to Those Who Have the Most

newton3005

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From one angle, the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 has to do with the consequences of slothfulness and the rewards of hard work. But there seems to be a subliminal message as well: those who have the most will get more.

In a sense, the Parable of the Talents gives divine cover to those who get more, simply because they have more. It could explain why if people have money to invest, they may give it to Warren Buffett who as an investor has more money than most. It could also explain why some governments will give taxpayer money to corporations because they are “too big to fail,” despite the mishaps and blunders that put them on the brink of failure despite all the money they have. The government is not considering what they did to amass such money...they may have borrowed it, or they may have sacrificed the golden goose for things which don’t have a chance...the government just considers how big they are.

The Parable of the Talents may also have to do with luck and making the most of it. It may also have to do with making use of resources given to you.

What of the Parable of the Talents? A man plans to go on a journey and entrusts to servants his property. To one he gives five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he goes away. The one who had received the five talents goes at once and trades with them, and he make five talents more. The one who received the two talents makes two talents more, doing the same thing as the one with five talents. But the one received the one talent goes and digs in the ground and hides his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants comes and settles accounts with them. He tells the one who got five talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” He tells the one who got two talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The one who only received one talent says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.”

What was he afraid of? Commentators say he was afraid of losing the one talent he had by venturing to invest it and then lose it, lest the wrath of of his master be aroused. Reminds one of the expression “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” but in a sense it also plays to the adage that the less a prudent person has, the less likely he would risk losing it.

Bur how does his master react? He says “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.” The master told him to do what a prudent man would also do, which is to the extent he didn’t have much to lose, he should have invested it in something safe. He wouldn’t have gotten as much return on his investment as the others got with theirs, but in putting the one talent in a bank he would have gotten something.

What else does the master say? He says, “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Sounds like taking from the poor to give to the rich. Isn’t that what some governments do, giving tax credits to the wealthy while taxing the poor in full?

Perhaps there is a divine basis for this Parable. God in Genesis commanded man to be fruitful. Those who become fruitful have fulfilled what God wants from them. The contrast between gain through fruitfulness and gain through sloth can be illustrated by what Cain and Abel each give God as an offering...Whereas Abel offers a sheep from the flock he raised, Cain offers a root from the ground, that he had nothing to do with growing except perhaps to plant the seed. Unlike Abel with his sheep, Cain didn’t give it daily care.

God praises Adam, but He castigates Cain, saying to him in Verse 7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” That is, if he applies himself more, would God not praise him like He did Adam?

Adam made himself more useful; Cain did not. The man with the five talents made himself more useful; the man with one talent did not. Would the man with one talent act as the man with five talents if he had them? Probably not, since the Parable states that each was given according to their ability. The fact that his master has him start out with five times as many talents as the man who had just one, is that not a qualifier in his otherwise Horatio Algiers-like rise, to some extent?

Seems that under God, hard work does pay off, and so does getting a boost!
 
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SkyWriting

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From one angle, the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 has to do with the consequences of slothfulness and the rewards of hard work. But there seems to be a subliminal message as well: those who have the most will get more.

The message is in the open, those who have more, are liable for more. More is expected.
The poor child with no food who dies has few obligations under Gods laws.
Those who know and fail to feed children are obligated.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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From one angle, the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 has to do with the consequences of slothfulness and the rewards of hard work. But there seems to be a subliminal message as well: those who have the most will get more.

In a sense, the Parable of the Talents gives divine cover to those who get more, simply because they have more. It could explain why if people have money to invest, they may give it to Warren Buffett who as an investor has more money than most. It could also explain why some governments will give taxpayer money to corporations because they are “too big to fail,” despite the mishaps and blunders that put them on the brink of failure despite all the money they have. The government is not considering what they did to amass such money...they may have borrowed it, or they may have sacrificed the golden goose for things which don’t have a chance...the government just considers how big they are.

The Parable of the Talents may also have to do with luck and making the most of it. It may also have to do with making use of resources given to you.

What of the Parable of the Talents? A man plans to go on a journey and entrusts to servants his property. To one he gives five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he goes away. The one who had received the five talents goes at once and trades with them, and he make five talents more. The one who received the two talents makes two talents more, doing the same thing as the one with five talents. But the one received the one talent goes and digs in the ground and hides his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants comes and settles accounts with them. He tells the one who got five talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” He tells the one who got two talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The one who only received one talent says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.”

What was he afraid of? Commentators say he was afraid of losing the one talent he had by venturing to invest it and then lose it, lest the wrath of of his master be aroused. Reminds one of the expression “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” but in a sense it also plays to the adage that the less a prudent person has, the less likely he would risk losing it.

Bur how does his master react? He says “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.” The master told him to do what a prudent man would also do, which is to the extent he didn’t have much to lose, he should have invested it in something safe. He wouldn’t have gotten as much return on his investment as the others got with theirs, but in putting the one talent in a bank he would have gotten something.

What else does the master say? He says, “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Sounds like taking from the poor to give to the rich. Isn’t that what some governments do, giving tax credits to the wealthy while taxing the poor in full?

Perhaps there is a divine basis for this Parable. God in Genesis commanded man to be fruitful. Those who become fruitful have fulfilled what God wants from them. The contrast between gain through fruitfulness and gain through sloth can be illustrated by what Cain and Abel each give God as an offering...Whereas Abel offers a sheep from the flock he raised, Cain offers a root from the ground, that he had nothing to do with growing except perhaps to plant the seed. Unlike Abel with his sheep, Cain didn’t give it daily care.

God praises Adam, but He castigates Cain, saying to him in Verse 7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” That is, if he applies himself more, would God not praise him like He did Adam?

Adam made himself more useful; Cain did not. The man the five talents made himself more useful; the man with one talent did not. Would the man with one talent act as the man with five talents if he had them? Probably not, since the Parable states that each was given according to their ability. The fact that his master has him start out with five times as many talents as the man who had just one, is that not a qualifier in his otherwise Horatio Algiers-like rise, to some extent?

Seems that under God, hard work does pay off, and so does getting a boost!
The parable has to do with growing the Kingdom of God while the king is away. We know the King is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. We know His servants are those who follow Him. Each has been given gifts , through the Holy Spirit, to grow the Body of Christ. Some have an abundance of gifts others a few gifts. Some work hard , some do not. This parable has to do with witnessing to the nations and the fruit garnered from each one who was given the investment symbolized by the giving of talents. Be blessed.
 
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Joyous Song

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From one angle, the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 has to do with the consequences of slothfulness and the rewards of hard work. But there seems to be a subliminal message as well: those who have the most will get more.

JS: I do not agree. Large companies get pay outs and rich get richer because they buy the election and use the media to get unwise voters to support their gluttony, arrogance and power grabbing spirit. Christ was not pro business and stood for the poor, and disenfranchised.

Its about investing in ones gifts which comes from HaShem brings more gifts. This is conformed by science, those who sing will grow stronger and better at singing, but those who refuse to will loose this ability in time. Indeed most talents are grounded in us in our teen years. If we ignore them they will fail,


[QUOTE="newton3005, post: 75779467, member: 420650": What of the Parable of the Talents? A man plans to go on a journey and entrusts to servants his property. To one he gives five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he goes away. The one who had received the five talents goes at once and trades with them, and he make five talents more. The one who received the two talents makes two talents more, doing the same thing as the one with five talents. But the one received the one talent goes and digs in the ground and hides his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants comes and settles accounts with them. He tells the one who got five talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” He tells the one who got two talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The one who only received one talent says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.”

What was he afraid of? Commentators say he was afraid of losing the one talent he had by venturing to invest it and then lose it, lest the wrath of of his master be aroused. Reminds one of the expression “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” but in a sense it also plays to the adage that the less a prudent person has, the less likely he would risk losing it.

JS: I believe it fear of failure that causes people not to take risks using their G-d given gifts.


[QUOTE="newton3005, post: 75779467, member: 420650":Bur how does his master react? He says “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.” The master told him to do what a prudent man would also do, which is to the extent he didn’t have much to lose, he should have invested it in something safe. He wouldn’t have gotten as much return on his investment as the others got with theirs, but in putting the one talent in a bank he would have gotten something.

What else does the master say? He says, “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has more will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Sounds like taking from the poor to give to the rich. Isn’t that what some governments do, giving tax credits to the wealthy while taxing the poor in full?

This also fits. When I first started to sing I often went flat. I could only sing well sing in alto. My sisters always teased me and told me not to sing but I ignored them thinking, G-d gave me this voice, He can have it back.

Years later I not only to sing in tune I was able to reach four octaves. More had been given indeed. The same is true of everything He gives us. If we cling to our gifts, possessions, and calling, it will start to fad. But If we love giving freely, it will grow and our ministry will grow as well.

Lastly I agree: "Seems that under God, hard work does pay off," however that boost comes from working really hard.
 
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Mr. M

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Seems that under God, hard work does pay off
The parable is about faithfulness, of knowing and doing The Will of The Father.
The servant knew the master's will.

The one who only received one talent says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.”
The parable is proceeded in the narrative by these instructions.
Matthew 24:
45
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household,
to give them food in due season?

46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master is delaying his coming,
49 and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards,
50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour
that he is not aware of,

51 and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites.
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.


This is consistent with the Lord's teaching throughout, to know and do His Father's Will.
Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.

Matthew 7:
21
Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he
who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name,
cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?

23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness!


Not defined by hard work, but abiding and being faithful with what we are given.
Romans 12:
3
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think more
highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly,
as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them:
if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence;
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God
abides forever.
 
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Kenny'sID

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From one angle, the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30 has to do with the consequences of slothfulness and the rewards of hard work. But there seems to be a subliminal message as well: those who have the most will get more.

In a sense, the Parable of the Talents gives divine cover to those who get more, simply because they have more. It could explain why if people have money to invest, they may give it to Warren Buffett who as an investor has more money than most. It could also explain why some governments will give taxpayer money to corporations because they are “too big to fail,” despite the mishaps and blunders that put them on the brink of failure despite all the money they have. The government is not considering what they did to amass such money...they may have borrowed it, or they may have sacrificed the golden goose for things which don’t have a chance...the government just considers how big they are.

The Parable of the Talents may also have to do with luck and making the most of it. It may also have to do with making use of resources given to you.

What of the Parable of the Talents? A man plans to go on a journey and entrusts to servants his property. To one he gives five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he goes away. The one who had received the five talents goes at once and trades with them, and he make five talents more. The one who received the two talents makes two talents more, doing the same thing as the one with five talents. But the one received the one talent goes and digs in the ground and hides his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants comes and settles accounts with them. He tells the one who got five talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” He tells the one who got two talents more, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” The one who only received one talent says, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.”

What was he afraid of? Commentators say he was afraid of losing the one talent he had by venturing to invest it and then lose it, lest the wrath of of his master be aroused. Reminds one of the expression “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” but in a sense it also plays to the adage that the less a prudent person has, the less likely he would risk losing it.

Bur how does his master react? He says “You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.” The master told him to do what a prudent man would also do, which is to the extent he didn’t have much to lose, he should have invested it in something safe. He wouldn’t have gotten as much return on his investment as the others got with theirs, but in putting the one talent in a bank he would have gotten something.

What else does the master say? He says, “So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” Sounds like taking from the poor to give to the rich. Isn’t that what some governments do, giving tax credits to the wealthy while taxing the poor in full?

Perhaps there is a divine basis for this Parable. God in Genesis commanded man to be fruitful. Those who become fruitful have fulfilled what God wants from them. The contrast between gain through fruitfulness and gain through sloth can be illustrated by what Cain and Abel each give God as an offering...Whereas Abel offers a sheep from the flock he raised, Cain offers a root from the ground, that he had nothing to do with growing except perhaps to plant the seed. Unlike Abel with his sheep, Cain didn’t give it daily care.

God praises Adam, but He castigates Cain, saying to him in Verse 7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” That is, if he applies himself more, would God not praise him like He did Adam?

Adam made himself more useful; Cain did not. The man the five talents made himself more useful; the man with one talent did not. Would the man with one talent act as the man with five talents if he had them? Probably not, since the Parable states that each was given according to their ability. The fact that his master has him start out with five times as many talents as the man who had just one, is that not a qualifier in his otherwise Horatio Algiers-like rise, to some extent?

Seems that under God, hard work does pay off, and so does getting a boost!

Great food for thought.
 
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SkyWriting

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Isn’t that what some governments do, giving tax credits to the wealthy while taxing the poor in full?

I dunno. The first $12,400 is not subject to income tax.
So "fully taxed" is not a good description.
And grocery food has no sales tax.
 
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