The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "BURYING YOUR TALENTS?" for Thursday, 6 October 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30

The Upper Room Daily Devotionals in Nashville, Tennessee, United States "BURYING YOUR TALENTS?" for Thursday, 6 October 2016 with Scripture: Matthew 25:14 “For it will be like a man about to leave home for awhile, who entrusted his possessions to his servants. 15 To one he gave five talents [equivalent to a hundred years’ wages]; to another, two talents; and to another, one talent — to each according to his ability. Then he left. 16 The one who had received five talents immediately went out, invested it and earned another five. 17 Similarly, the one given two earned another two. 18 But the one given one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time, the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. 20 The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the other five and said, ‘Sir, you gave me five talents; here, I have made five more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Excellent! You are a good and trustworthy servant. You have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master’s happiness!’ 22 Also the one who had received two came forward and said, ‘Sir, you gave me two talents; here, I have made two more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Excellent! you are a good and trustworthy servant. You have been faithful with a small amount, so I will put you in charge of a large amount. Come and join in your master’s happiness!’
24 “Now the one who had received one talent came forward and said, ‘I knew you were a hard man. You harvest where you didn’t plant and gather where you didn’t sow seed. 25 I was afraid, so I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here! Take what belongs to you!’ 26 ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ said his master, ‘So you knew, did you, that I harvest where I haven’t planted? and that I gather where I didn’t sow seed? 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would at least have gotten back interest with my capital! 28 Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 29 For everyone who has something will be given more, so that he will have more than enough; but from anyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless servant, throw him out in the dark, where people will wail and grind their teeth!’
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I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.[Matthew 25:25 (NRSV)]
Our interim pastor recently preached a sermon on the Parable of the Talents that helped me realize its fuller meaning. Because I had always looked at this parable only in terms of money, I could not understand why the master was so angry at the servant who hid his talent. After all, this servant did not lose the money. But this sermon reminded me that “talents” can be our God-given gifts, not just money.
My new understanding of the parable made me think of Jesus’ disciple, Andrew. He was an average, everyday fisherman. But he used what he had to bring new people to Jesus. He brought his brother, Simon [Peter], to meet Jesus (see John 1:41) and found the young man with the five loaves and two fish the day Jesus fed five thousand people. (See John 6:7-9.)
Thinking about the parable in this new way, I began to see that we can use our God-given gifts for furthering God’s kingdom, no matter how small they may seem. God can magnify any small talent into something wonderful.
The Author: James C. Seymour, Jr. (New York, USA)
Thought for the Day: Where can I use my talents for God?
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gifts and talents you have given us. May we put them to good use to your glory. Amen.
Prayer focus: OUTREACH MINISTRIES
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