One of the
many parables said by Jesus of Nazareth is the parable of the talents. This
parable though simple, but it’s loaded with critical life lessons. According to
the book of Matthew 25:14-30 of the English standard version (ESV) of the
bible, the story goes does.
For it will
be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them
his property. To one he gave five talents to another two, to another one, to
each according to his ability. Then he went away.
He who had
received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five
talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he
who had received the one talent went and dug the one talent in the ground and
his master’s money.
Now after a
long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents
more, saying master, ‘master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have
made five talents more. His master said to him, ‘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.’
And he who had
two talents came forward, saying master, you delivered to me two talents; here
I have made two talents more. His master said to him ‘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 also who
had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘ 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 hide your talent in the ground. Here you have
what is yours.’
But his master answered him, you wicked and slothful servant!
You knew that I reap where I have not sown and where I scattered no seed? Then
you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, at my coming, I would
have received what is mine with interest. 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, what he has will
be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that
place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I interpret the master in this passage as the
universe, God, nature, or
life. The servants constitute everyone in the world, while the talents are the
things life offer individuals, both positive and negative. How each servant
handles his talents is interpreted as how we respond to what life offer us. The
following life lessons can be derived from this parable.
1. We are equally born but not equally endowed: It is a fact that we are all born into
this world, but not every one of us is equally endowed. Some are born with a
silver spoon while some are born into abject poverty, some are born genius
while some are born mentally retarded, and some are highly talented while some
are not. Having known this, it is our responsibility to accept the things life
has endowed us with and create the kind of life we desire from it.
2. Do not compare yourself with others: The master in the parable of the talents gave each
servant talents according to their abilities. The one with five talents traded
and gain more five, making his total to be ten, while the one given two talents
traded with his own talents and gain another two making his own total to be
four. One big mistake we often make as individuals is the habit of comparing ourselves
with others. We always seek to be at the same level with those we think are
better than us in some ways and if possible to even out-shine them. When we
don’t meet up with this expectation then we begin to see ourselves as failure, when
in reality we are not, provided we are doing our best, and I mean the best. The
servant that was given two talents gained more two, but his total was four,
while the servant that was given five talents had ten as his total. By
comparison the man with four will be perceived as a failure, when his total
talents is compared to the servants with 10, in ratio 4:10, which is the
world’s standard of measuring success, but judging based on where they both
started from, they are both equal in their achievement. That your current level
of achievement is far below that of your mates doesn’t mean you are lazy, most
often it is because of the resources that was available to you when you
started. Sometimes what makes the difference might be one’s family background,
education, right information at the right time, being at the right place and
doing the right thing, level of motivation, the intensity desire and so on. We
are not equally endowed with these things. However, no matter how small you are
today in certain area of your life, if you keep working on improving it, you
will definitely grow bigger in the fullness of time.
3. You must start where you are with what you have: The men with five and two talent
respectively didn’t consider the value of what they had to be too small to begin
a particular kind of trading. They both look for businesses they could do with
the money as soon as possible and began trading with their talents. As at the
time of the return of their master, they have multiplied their talents. The man
with one talent probably concluded in his mind that such amount was too small
for any form of business, and was afraid of losing it, so he decided to bury
it, knowing that whether he likes it or not, he must give account to his master
when he returns. It is so unfortunate that his decision was a foolish one. We
must know that there is no perfect time for anything, and no amount of money is
too small to begin the journey to financial freedom. With wisdom, hard work and
some level of luck, nothing shall be impossible. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
EVERY MAN TO BEGIN WHERE HE IS AND WITH WHAT HE HAS.
4. If you don’t use what you have you will lose it and vice-versa: It is no news that what is not used
will be lost. The man with one talent refuses to appreciate what he was given,
instead of trading with it, he buried it. At the end, his one talent was given
to the servant with ten, what a loss. IN LIFE THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS
OVERNIGHT SUCCESS. Most of the people who are highly successful today started
small, gain experience, learn and grow to what they are today. THE LADDER OF
SUCCESS CAN ONLY BE CLIMBED ONE RUNG AT A TIME. The initial rung gives room to
the next. The small engagements and opportunities of today are the doors to the
big opportunities we desire to experience. The master in the parable promised
to put the servants with two and five talents respectively in charge of greater
things for being faithful in small things. This is exactly how it works in real
life. Do not despise the days of little beginning.
James Allen in his book from poverty to power
validated this simple truth by saying ‘’ be sure by first of all that you are
the best of what you have. Do not delude yourself into supposing that you can
step into greater advantages while overlooking small ones, for if you could, it
would be impermanent and you would quickly fall back again in order to learn
the lesson you have neglected……………before you can have greater good which you so
desire, must you faithfully employ that which you already posses.’’
5. You must reap what you sow: One of the most powerful laws that govern life is the law
of sowing and reaping. Some experts refer to it as the law of cause and effect.
This law is the iron law of destiny. This is the one law given to man via which
he can create his own destiny. I have seen so many persons who engage in all
sort of evil acts, and sometimes things that are detrimental to their future in
the name of being smart. If you are such a person, sorry, you are not smart,
you are actually foolish and the fruit of your actions of today will prove it
to you when they become fully ripe. The three servants were given talents
freely but the master didn’t tell them what to do with it, but it was certain they
will all give account when he returns.
One thing that is constant in life is outcome.
In other words, for every action there will be an outcome. Knowing that
outcomes are constant, it is in your hands to determine the kind of outcome you
want, because if you fail to determine outcome, outcome has a way of
determining itself. Each of the servants in the parable of the talents
determined their outcome by what they choose to do with the talent their master
gave to them. What has life given you?
Life, good health, intelligence, suffering, wisdom, talents, money,
power, and fame you may include yours in the list. Always have it in mind that
what you do with these things has a way of determining your future. You create
your destiny every second by the thoughts you choose to entertain and the
action you take. You may not see the result of your actions yet, that does not
mean you are smart. The day of reckoning is inevitable.
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