Re-examining the Parable of the Talents (#1029)
What if Jesus's parable of the Talents wasn't about money, giftings, or religious work? What if he was telling this story to show us how his love finds its way into the world? After a conversation about medical professionals taking a more holistic approach and how curiosity enhances relationships, Kyle and Wayne turn to this parable and how it is often misinterpreted in a way that goes against the New Covenant. But if love is the real treasure, then everything about this parable falls into place and invites us into the joy of passing on the love. Now we know why it always bears fruit and why not trusting his love diminishes who God wants us to be.
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Hi Wayne, Fred here. My wife and I had breakfast with you about 15 years ago in Boise as you had concluded a weekend meeting with some folks in the area. My wife, Jeannie, and I just finished listening to your discussion on the parable of the talents. We too have had many discussions on this particular parable in the past, and even now it comes up in conversations we have with one another when we see application to our own lives.
A few years back when we were reading the parable together we began to see the talents as opportunities to grow in our faith. We’ve found that those opportunities present themselves in many different ways. Sometimes, and mostly, they are rooted in love (agape), and practicing love, but other times we find that they are based on patience, trust, circumstances, and I think probably a whole lot of other things. Let me give you an example. A few years ago I was working in the back of my pasture on my 60 year old tractor, and suddenly the tractor just turned off. In the past my blood pressure would have hit the roof along with my stress level, but by that time in my life God had been teaching me to trust Him. In teaching me I had also been learning patience, how to remember to keep things in perspective, and how not to hold on to things very tightly. So, instead of getting mad or frustrated I calmly tried to figure out why the tractor stopped. When everything I tried didn’t work, I told the Lord that He was going to need to show me what I needed to do, and left the tractor out in the pasture, but was not frustrated or stressed. My wife and I then took our truck out and hooked the tractor up to be towed back to the barn. After hooking it up I decided to give the tractor one more try without doing anything else to it. It started right up as if nothing was wrong, and never did that again. My wife and I just looked at each other.
One might think that I just described an opportunity for God to show his faithfulness by fixing my tractor, but I’m not. I don’t know what was up with my tractor, and I never will. What I do know is that the situation presented an opportunity for me to respond with a heart that is abiding and trusting in my Fathers love, and not by a tractor that won’t run. The tractor situation was nothing more than a speed bump, or an opportunity, to grow stronger in faith for the next opportunity (talent).
We are finding that as we continually abide in our Father’s love that we are presented with daily opportunities to invest those talents, and be a light to each other, and to those around us.
P.S. After 60 years we’ve found the treasure in the field; the TOTAL surrender to God’s love – no more chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Hi Fred. Thanks for your comment and your story. I love how God has set you to rest in his love and the freedom it gives us not to fight against our circumstances but look for God’s light as we go through them. Blessings to you both!
Thanks so much Fred for sharing your story. Different circumstances for me but the same invitation to “rest” rather than circumstances being fixed. His calm in the middle of pressure leads to a different response. That reminder was encouraging. Sue
I love the thought of the “talent” representing love. Yes, it’s true that love is the one thing that can’t help but multiply in value. As we “invest” it by sowing it in the world, it comes back to us even greater than what we expended as well as the ripple effect of it going out beyond where we showed it. What an edifying thought!
It sounds like the religion both of you were brought up in taught that the “talent” literally meant your special gift, like we use that word in our language today. My religion taught that it represented our life, but the lesson was that you better not be selfish and just return to God the life that he gave you. You better do something profitable with it. In my religion, that meant personal sacrifice – laying your life down, taking up your cross – and the ones who sacrificed the most would have the greatest reward. This put us on a performance treadmill, and we exalted those who “gave up everything for the gospel’s sake”.
Your conversation unlocked the true meaning of that parable for me. It seems like love is always the lowest common denominator when you drill down to all of Jesus’ teachings.
Honestly one of the best podcasts I have heard in a long time.
Just a little addition regarding the mountain Chris mentioned … Jesus said: “… if you say to this mountain …” … it was about a specific mountain … they just came down from the mountain of transfiguration … so … if we have trust in the Father, every issue will somehow glorify Jesus and turn into an ocean of living water.
So good! Love (the love of God that He gives us) is the only thing you can give away and have more of! Thanks, guys!