Parable of the Ten Servants

HTacianas

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In the book of Luke, chapter 19 verses 11 to 26.

What is the lesson?
I am not quite sure how it applies to me. Is it that we are sinning if we do not use any gifts we have been given? I do not even think I have any talents.

"Talent" in the new testament does not refer to our usage of the term, as in "a talented person". A talent in those days was a unit of measurement. The actual unit weight varied depending on its usage. A talent of gold was considered enough gold to fit in the palm of your hand, but a talent of stone could be as much as one hundred pounds.

The meaning of the story is that the master went away and trusted his servants to conduct business for him while he was away. The moral of the story is that you need to produce, i.e., good works, or you'll be in trouble.
 
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Strong in Him

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In the book of Luke, chapter 19 verses 11 to 26.

What is the lesson?
I am not quite sure how it applies to me. Is it that we are sinning if we do not use any gifts we have been given? I do not even think I have any talents.

It's true that a "talent" in those days was money.
But the point of the parable is using what God has given you, even if you believe it to be only a small amount. The wicked servant hid the money that his master had given him - and said it was because the master was a hard man; reaping what he did not sew. In Matthew's Gospel, the master did not repeat the servant's assessment of him as a hard man, which suggests that he did not accept it; it wasn't true. The servant could have put the money in the bank where it would have earned interest for the master. That action would have been very little effort for the servant - yet he couldn't even do that.

"Talent" today has come to mean "ability" or "gift", and everyone has at least one.
It may not be in the sense that some people use the word - "she is very talented", "that is a rare talent" - when someone does something at a young age, or performs something difficult/amazing. But I'm certain that everyone is good at something.
All gifts, and abilities, are given to us by God who made us all in his image.
 
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aiki

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In the book of Luke, chapter 19 verses 11 to 26.

What is the lesson?
I am not quite sure how it applies to me. Is it that we are sinning if we do not use any gifts we have been given? I do not even think I have any talents.

Luke 19:11-27
11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’
17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’
19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief;
21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’
25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’
26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Verse 11
establishes the context within which Jesus was speaking. To understand his meaning, keep this verse in mind. Jesus was specifically addressing the expectation that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately, correcting it through his parable. Both his disciples and the crowd following Jesus thought him the kingly Messiah they had been taught to expect, who would establish an earthly rule, in short order ridding the Jewish people of the yoke of Rome.

Instead, the nobleman (a figure of Christ) in the parable goes off into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself. And while he is away, his servants are given funds with which to serve their Master's will ("do business"). This wasn't the view held by Jesus's audience of what was to happen now that he, the Messiah, had arrived! But Jesus was sketching out to his listeners what would shortly come to pass concerning himself, though they didn't appear to realize it. Rather than establishing an earthly rule, Jesus would return to his heavenly throne and glory and his servants, his disciples, would carry on his "business," gifted by him with the means to do so in the Person of the Holy Spirit. And how they invested those "funds" given to them by him, how they carried out their Master's business, would have an important bearing on the nature of their reunion with their Master. This is the basic, general meaning of the parable.

In particular, the servants of the nobleman were to use their money to pursue his business. In the Person of the Holy Spirit, each born-again servant of Christ is gifted spiritually for the edification of Christ's Bride, the Church, first of all, and then for the furtherance of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:1-16). To whom much is given, in this respect, much will be required. All servants of Christ, however, gifted with much or little, are expected to use their spiritual gifting well, that is, fully, and to the benefit of the Church, carrying on the "business concerns" of their Master 'til he returns.

Hope this helps you to better understand the parable.
 
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