TALENTS, MINAS, STEWARDSHIP, REWARD & JUDGMENT
By Tuese Ahkiong
Matthew 25:13-33 TALENTS
13 WATCH THEREFORE, FOR YOU KNOW NEITHER THE DAY NOR THE HOUR.
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five TALENTS, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five TALENTS went at once and traded with them, and he made five TALENTS more. 17 So also he who had the two TALENTS made two TALENTS more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five TALENTS came forward, bringing five TALENTS more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five TALENTS; here I have made five TALENTS more.’ 21 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.’ 22 And he also who had the two TALENTS came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two TALENTS; here I have made two TALENTS more.’ 23 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.’ 24 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, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten TALENTS.29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. BUT FROM THE ONE WHO HAS NOT, EVEN WHAT HE HAS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. 30 AND CAST THE WORTHLESS SERVANT INTO THE OUTER DARKNESS. IN THAT PLACE THERE WILL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING OF TEETH.’
V13 Christ is speaking to His disciples/Apostles that they should watch and be prepared for Christ’s return in the first century. They did not know the day or the hour but they did know the generation (Matt 24:34), their “this generation.” See my article “WHEN YOU SEE/ HEAR, The day and the hour, THIEF, stay awake, WATCH”
V14 The man who goes away on a journey is Christ. He entrusts His property which is The Gospel – The Word of God to His servants.
V15 The Talents represent the master’s property, The Gospel and Word of God.
V19 Notice the master returns in the lifetime of the servants and not in 2 millennium plus years. The long time was that 40 year generation. Christ returned in judgment to settle accounts in bringing judgment or reward.
V20-23 Two good and faithful servants were rewarded.
V24-27 The wicked servant is condemned. He did nothing with what he was entrusted with, neither did he invest it.
V28 The talent is taken away from the wicked and given to him who has the ten talents.
V29 The good and faithful servants will be given more as we see in verse 28.
V29 The wicked have their talent taken away.
V30 The wicked worthless servants were the apostate Jews. They were unfaithful, disobedient and lazy. They were judged in 70 A.D. The kingdom was taken away from them and given to a people producing God’s fruit, The Christians.
Luke 19:11-27 PARABLE OF THE MINAS
11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12 So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. 13 And he called TEN OF HIS SLAVES, and gave them ten MINAS and said to them, ‘DO BUSINESS WITH THIS UNTIL I COME BACK.’ 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, AFTER RECEIVING THE KINGDOM, HE ORDERED THAT THESE SLAVES, TO WHOM HE HAD GIVEN THE MONEY, BE CALLED TO HIM SO THAT HE MIGHT KNOW WHAT BUSINESS THEY HAD DONE. 16 The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten MINAS more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ 18 The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five MINAS.’ 19 And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Another came, saying, ‘MASTER, HERE IS YOUR MINA, WHICH I KEPT PUT AWAY IN A HANDKERCHIEF; 21 FOR I WAS AFRAID OF YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE AN EXACTING MAN; YOU TAKE UP WHAT YOU DID NOT LAY DOWN AND REAP WHAT YOU DID NOT SOW.’ 22 He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’24 Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten MINAS already.’ 26 I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 27 BUT THESE ENEMIES OF MINE, WHO DID NOT WANT ME TO REIGN OVER THEM, BRING THEM HERE AND SLAY THEM IN MY PRESENCE.”
V11 The “they” in this passage is Yeshua’s disicples and the people around. They supposed the kingdom was going to appear immediately because Yeshua was near by.
V12 The nobleman who went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself and then return was Yeshua.
V13 The nobleman called 10 of His slaves and gave them 10 MINAS to do business with until He came back. Notice that the nobleman would come back in the lifetime of his slaves and not their great great great great 2 millennium great son slave’s lifetime.
V14 The citizens who hated the nobleman were the apostate Jews.
V15 Christ returns in 70A.D. after receiving The Kingdom from The Father.
Matthew 24:30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
In Matthew 24:30, Jesus refers to Daniel 7.13-14, which is a vision of the ascension of Christ and His seating at the right hand of the Father see also Matt.26.64. {Notice which direction the son of man is going in
Daniel 7:13-14 13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Matt 26.64 64”Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”}
**The Son of Man’s coming on the clouds of heaven is NOT towards earth but UP TO THE FATHER TO RECEIVE THE KINGDOM WHERE HE IS GIVEN AUTHORITY, GLORY, SOVEREIGN POWER.
The slaves in the parable are the 1st century Christians entrusted with The Gospel. Scripture teaches Christians are slaves of God/ Christ:
Romans 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bond slave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
1 Peter 2:16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond slaves of God.
The nobleman settles accounts with His slaves.
V16-19 The nobleman rewards the good and faithful slaves who increased their MINAS with authority over cities.
V20-24 The wicked slave is judged. His minas are taken away and given to the one who has 10.
V25-26 The good and faithful slave is GIVEN MORE MINAS.
Those who do not have are the wicked apostate Jews, even what they do have was taken away. The Kingdom of God was taken away from them and given to the Christians.
V27 The enemies that did not want Christ to reign over them were the wicked apostate Jews who were slain in the presence of Christ at His coming in 70A.D.