Everyone got this Parable wrong!

[Tone]

This how Mary Magdalene received the highest commendation from our Lord

She only cared about listening for the Truth.

The other disciples were more concerned about the work and losing money.

None of these matters - abilities, effort, money, resources. You may use all these for God, win people for Christ....... But if you don't have all the Truth, more or less, you end up deceiving people as the Pharisees did. It's worthless...

This is why the Parable of Talent is NOT about these things, it's only about the Truth - the right context in Matthew 13:11-12.

Burn the money...hunt for the treasure.

 

[bèlla]

None of that matters if a person doesn't have all the Truth.

The trouble with truth is everyone believes they have it. Even those who are deceived. They believe they walk in light. I rely on the Holy Spirit to guide my steps.

 

[timewerx]

Well, I have understood that a talent is a measure of weight, and this can mean a weight of metal which is used for money. And money can have the ability to get various things done . . . not only one thing.

So, what in God's kingdom has the ability to get various things done, which God is able to do but humans can not?

It's not about the work (winning people for Christ for example, serving in church ministry, doing humanitarian work, etc). Things that would certainly require our abilities, skills, even money.

None of that matters if the message you spread doesn't have All Truth. You end up deceiving others despite your good intentions.

This what set Mary Magdalene apart from the others. The others cared more about the work. Mary only cared about the Truth and listened.

That is how the context of Parable of Talents is set according to Matthew 13.

Apart from the Truth, everything we do is worthless.

 

[timewerx]

The trouble with truth is everyone believes they have it. Even those who are deceived.

I'm not claiming that I have it though.

In this topic, I'm only saying everyone is wrong in one subject, particularly the Parable of Talents.

If you take a very close look using Matthew 13:11-12 as context. It makes a lot of sense. Because everything else is worthless if Truth is one thing you don't have.

You could even sacrifice your life, become a martyr for Christ. But if the message you bring doesn't have All Truth despite your best intentions, you actually end up deceiving others. You would have worked, and sacrificed your life in vain.

 

[timewerx]

Does anyone wishes to know the "Big Mistake" the servant who buried his "talent" did?

This one is very important as it concerns a lot of Christians today.

 

[timewerx]

Burn the money...hunt for the treasure.

You don't burn the money. Everything is for a reason.

Money can be useful in our quest for the Truth. Invest money for the sake of the Truth (the Lord).

But "give it back to Caesar". In other words, use it only for things that matter, NOT to indulge yourself with it.

 

[Toro]

The Parable of The Talents has NOTHING to do with money, nor our abilities, talents, etc....

It's all about how much we know of the TRUTH / Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.

It is knowledge that isn't revealed to everyone but only to those who have ears to hear.

The correct answer:

Matthew 13:11-12
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.…

I do agree with you that knowledge of the Lord is greater than the money or talents one may be blessed with.

However, I dont believe it is JUST one ir tge other, but in fact ALL things that are given, all are to be used as the Spirit leads on to do in obedience.

For example, IF God gave me eyes to see and ears to hear... I am to pass that on to those that will also have ears to hear and eyes to see.

I should also grow and become more like Christ in the use of that knowledge. (To reflect more of His light into this dark world.)

But I also believe that if one is blessed with gifts of talent or in wealth, it TOO should be used to further the Kingdom, not just wisdom, but finance and talents as well.

Colossians 3:17

In truth, in talent, in wealth, in patience, in wisdom... in ALL things is to be done in the Spirit and giving thanks to the Father.

To not use them as the Father intends them to be used, whatever it may be, is to bury that "talent"

 

[Strong in Him]

I'm only explaining this parable.

But you're not; you're just telling us that it's about something else, and you're the only one who has the correct interpretation.

 

[timewerx]

But I also believe that if one is blessed with gifts of talent or in wealth, it TOO should be used to further the Kingdom, not just wisdom, but finance and talents as well.

When the Lord says we must make disciples of all nations.

He meant real disciples. Not the way the Pharisees did it.

The Pharisees were only concerned about the work but lacked concern about the Truth. With the insufficient knowledge they have, they end up deceiving people despite their best efforts and even their best intentions. The value of the work is nothing compared to the Truth.

I'm sure some of you will tell me the Christians are different and also concerned about the Truth...

Perhaps, in the first few years of being a Christian. But after that..... They stop questioning, they stop investigating, they settle for the little truth that was given to them.

In other words, they buried the "little truth" that was given... Sounds familiar??

Is anyone seeing my point now??

 

[timewerx]

But you're not; you're just telling us that it's about something else, and you're the only one who has the correct interpretation.

The message of Matthew 13:11-12 is the best explanation of that parable.

It's rather hard to find reasons why it can't be.

Because without the Truth or just some of it, everything else we do is meaningless. Half the ways of God and half the ways of the world....You're paddling in the opposite directions. You won't be going anywhere in a boat. You won't be teaching anyone the real truth. It's only wasted effort.

Everything else is meaningless against the Truth.

 

[Toro]

When the Lord says we must make disciples of all nations.

He meant real disciples. Not the way the Pharisees did it.

The Pharisees were only concerned about the work but lacked concern about the Truth. With the insufficient knowledge they have, they end up deceiving people despite their best efforts and even their best intentions. The value of the work is nothing compared to the Truth.

I'm sure some of you will tell me the Christians are different and also concerned about the Truth...

Perhaps, in the first few years of being a Christian. But after that..... They stop questioning, they stop investigating, they settle for the little truth that was given to them.

In other words, they buried the "little truth" that was given... Sounds familiar??

Is anyone seeing my point now??

I didnt say anything even closely implying that the Lord wanted us to do any less than to create real disciples.

The Lord can use the physical AND the spiritual to further His kingdom as He sees fit.

It is NOT an either or case.

Just as the OT testiment dealt with the matters of God through the physical, and New testament deals with the spiritual.

Old Testament, God blessed people by physical means. In the New Testament, He blesses people with spiritual blessings.

It doesnt mean He can not use both to His will... it ALL belongs to Him.

 

[Strong in Him]

The message of Matthew 13:11-12 is the best explanation of that parable.

It's rather hard to find reasons why it can't be.

It's rather hard to understand why you think that something that Jesus said after telling one parable, can best explain another parable which he would not tell until maybe a year or so later. If Matthew 13:12 was at all relevant to the parable of the talents, Jesus would have repeated it after telling that parable.

Like I said before, no one had NO talents - the man with one was given ONE, and could have used it to make many more. He didn't, because he was afraid of his master, so he buried it, did nothing at all and then gave it back to his master.
The words "he who has nothing will have even what he has taken away from him", do not fit here. The only slight similarity is that the man had something taken away from him - but as it wasn't his talent to begin with, even that doesn't really work.

 

[sdowney717]

Parables do not reveal truth, they conceal it from those ho have not been allowed, permitted, authorized by God to know the truth. If HE told them plainly the truth they also would not believe in Him, and neither will they believe with parables spoken to them. You do not give to dogs and pigs what is HOLY.

Matthew 7:6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Mark 4
The Purpose of Parables
10 But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.


11 And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, 12 so that

‘Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ”


Matthew 13
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

 

[Strong in Him]

It's rather hard to understand why you think that something that Jesus said after telling one parable, can best explain another parable which he would not tell until maybe a year or so later. If Matthew 13:12 was at all relevant to the parable of the talents, Jesus would have repeated it after telling that parable.

Actually, I stand corrected; Jesus repeats these words in Matthew 25:29.

 

[helmut]

Then why call it a talent? Its meaning is established in Exodus 38:24 when describing the materials used for the tabernacle.

OT and NT talents are not the same. US$ is not HongKong $ ...

 

[bèlla]

OT and NT talents are not the same. US$ is not HongKong $ ...

But both are currency and that was the point.

 

[helmut]

The talent was the money minted by the Temple

A talent was not "minted", a talent was to great an amount to be put into one coin.

The Shekel was money minted by the government, and that was what was used to pay the government taxes to Rome

Nope. The Sheqel was an oriental coin, used in Canaan, in Babylon (under the name "teqel"), and in Judaea in the time of Jesus. There were Jewish sheqels, but there was no Roman sheqel.

Note the last two letters in the word "shekel". The letters "el" when they fall at the end of any Hebrew word refer to God's name, El.

The Hebrew word transcribed as "el", or more precisely 'el, consist in Hebrew of two letters, an Aleph (the ' in the more precise transcription) and a Lam (the l, vo course), vowels were not written (there are extra-signs for vowels, invented in the early middle ages). There is no Aleph (א) in sheqel (שקל), so what you notice is a coincident in English and has nothing to do with the original words.

And that's why Jesus responded when asked about the tithe :"Give to God what is God's..." because He knew that it was common practice for the tax collectors to "cook the books" so to speak when collecting the taxes.

In that incidence there was no sheqel involved, but a denarion (δηναριον, a Roman coin, the name survived in the form "Dinar" up to now in some countries). The denarion had the image of the Emperor on it, so it belonged to the Emperor who issued it.
But, was not the Emperor (as any human) the image of God?

Please stop issuing misinformation (out of ignorance, not of bad will, I suppose).

 

[sdowney717]

The parable of the talents (money) is a parable, so those who have been given more money you would naturally think are then going to have the greater heavenly rewards??

But Jesus says for rich men to enter heaven is hard, but not impossible.
So the story of the talents as money is not actually money.
Those who have been given talents could include money but also could be those with many Spirit given giftings, it is they who are blessed in this life and at the judgement and who will be rewarded with the wasted small gifts of God given to those who seem to be alive but are really dead..

Matthew 19:23-26 New King James Version (NKJV)
With God All Things Are Possible
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

 

[timewerx]

Actually, I stand corrected; Jesus repeats these words in Matthew 25:29.

No worries, my bad actually. I forgot to mention that verse earlier, could have helped clear things up.

 

[timewerx]

I didnt say anything even closely implying that the Lord wanted us to do any less than to create real disciples.

No, I'm not saying you did. I'm sorry if it came out that way.

It was a general reply, although I quoted your post, not meant to refute you on your post.