Have you discovered your Gift?

The Parables of Jesus

April 8, 2022

Have you discovered your gift?

Matthew 25:14-30

I enjoy watching the television show “America’s Got Talent.”

ASGT could be called a variety show. But it’s much more than that. We live in a world that recognizes the talents of actors and actresses, singers, and sports stars. But where do you celebrate the accomplishment of line dancers, magicians, acrobats, and mimes?

ASGT celebrates all sorts of gifted people from every walk of life. Yes, ASGT does feature some singers. But it’s a special show where an 11- year-old female ventriloquist can win the grand prize of one million dollars. (Check out Darci Lynee on YouTube.)

People from various walks of life, all with different gifts, hmmm, that sounds like a Parable.

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The Parable of the Talents

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, (25:15 Greek five talents… two talents… one talent; also, throughout this Parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.) each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

 “After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So, I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So, you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest.

 “‘So, take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have, will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

A lot is going on in this Parable. The basic idea behind it is something I wrote about in several of my earlier Parables devotions. It’s about utilizing the gifts God gives you. But, it’s also about the consequences of not using them.

A man going on a journey (Jesus) calls His servants together (that’s us). He gives each of them talents (money). These talents are also Spiritual gifts that we are given while Jesus is gone.

You’ll notice that each servant received a different amount of money to watch over, each according to their ability. Jesus understands that each and every one of us is different. So, the Holy Spirit gives us gifts according to what we can handle.

Two of the servants doubled their master’s money, while the other did nothing. Those two were rewarded, with their master saying the same thing to both.

‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The third servant had the gift He was given taken away from him. He was thrown out of the master’s property (Kingdom).

As I mentioned earlier, each of us is given at least one Spiritual gift by the Holy Spirit to use. That gift might be teaching, preaching, caring for others, or even hospitality. Please understand this, if we do not utilize our God-given gift(s) to further God’s Kingdom, it will be taken away from us. That gift will be given to someone else to use. God will, will be done, with or without us.

Did you happen to notice what is missing from the Parable? A deeper conversation about how we should handle money. I believe there is an underlying meaning when we read that two of the servants had doubled their master’s money.

We are to be good stewards of all of God’s creation. And that includes the money he allows us to have. We are good stewards when we purchase groceries for our family, give to the poor, and tithe at church.

Every God-given gift leads to one thing. Spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ across the globe. So use your talents to do just that, don’t waste them.

Dear Lord. Your Holy Spirit has bestowed gifts upon each of us according to our ability. Whatever our gifts may be, let us always use them to glorify your name by spreading the Gospel. Amen.