Monday 15th March 2021
The Parable of the Talents
Pastor Soong Kok Kee

Matthew 25: 14-30

The above parable can be divided into 4 parts:

a. How a businessman, about to go abroad, distributed his talents among his servants (verses 14-15).

b. What use they severally made of them (verses 16-18).

c. The reckoning that took place when the “master” returned (verses 19-27).

d. The lesson here taught (verses 28-30).

The master “entrusted” to each of his 3 servants five, two and one talent “each according to his ability”. God has given ALL of us time, gifts, and other resources according to our abilities. 1 Pet 4:10 says “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” No Christian can say he has not been given anything. True, some less and some more, but all have been given.

At once the servant who had received five talents went and put them to work and gained five more. So also the servant who had two gained two more. But the servant who received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

When the master returned, a reckoning took place. The servant who had received five talents came forward, brought five additional talents, and said, “Master, five talents you placed in my hands; look, an additional five talents I have gained!” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Over a small amount you have been faithful, over much I am going to put you in charge; come, share your master’s happiness.” He who had received the two talents also came forward, and said, “Master, two talents you placed in my hands; look, an additional two talents I have gained.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Over a small amount you have been faithful, over much I am going to put you in charge; come, share your master’s happiness.”

But the servant who had received the one talent came forward and said, “Master, I always knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter; so, being afraid, I went away and hid your talent in the ground. Look, here you have what is yours.”

But the master answered and said to him, “You wicked and lazy servant! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and upon my return I would have received what was mine plus interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For to everyone who has shall more be given, and he shall have plenty; but from him who does not have, even what he has shall be taken away.”

What we can learn from this parable is that all of us should be “faithful” in using whatever our Lord has given to us. The one who had earned two talents had the same praise from his master “Thou good and faithful servant”. I am sure if the servant who had been given one talent had earned another one, he would have had the same praise from his master. It’s not the amount earned that matters, it’s being “faithful” in using all that our Lord has given to us. Doing the “best” we can with what our Lord had “entrusted” to us. That’s faithfulness.

The apostle Paul lived that kind of life and that’s the reason at the end of his journey he could say “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Tim 4:7-8.

PRAYER: Lord, help us to be faithful in living our lives here on earth before you call us home. To live our lives for your glory and honor. Help us not to short change or cut corners with our lives but to live it honestly and faithfully to the very best we can. In the name of our precious Lord Jesus we pray, AMEN.

每日灵粮
星期一，2021年3月15日
标题：按才干受托的比喻
讲员：宋国基牧师
翻译：郑振隆弟兄

马太福音25:14-30

以上比喻可分为四个部分：

a.一个即将往外国去的商人如何在他的仆人之间按才干分配他的家业(第14-15节)。

b.他们各自怎么样使用它们 (第16-18节)。

c. “主人” 回来后和他们算账 (第19-27节)。

d. 这里所教导的功课(第28-30节)。

主人 “按着各人的才干” “委托” 他的三位仆人，分别领受了五千、二千和一千银子。上帝根据我们的才干给了我们所有人时间、恩赐和其他资源。彼得前书第4章10节：“各人应用所得的恩赐服事他人，以各种形式忠心管理神的恩典。” 任何基督徒都不能说他什么都没有得到。是的，有些领受较少的，有些领受较多的，但都已分配给所有人了。

领受了五千的仆人随即拿去做买卖，另外赚了五千。 那领二千的也照样另赚了二千。但是，那领受了一千的仆人，去掘开地，把主人的银子埋藏了。

主人回来时，和仆人们算账。那领五千的，带着那另外的五千来，说：“主阿，你交给我五千银子，请看，我又赚了五千。” 主人对他说：“好，你这又善良又忠心的仆人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要派你管理许多的事，进来享受你主人的快乐！”。那领二千的仆人也来，说：“主阿、你交给我二千，请看，我又赚了二千。” 主人对他说：“好，你这又善良又忠心的仆人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要派你管理许多的事，进来享受你主人的快乐！”

可是，那领了一千的仆人进前来说：“主阿，我知道你是忍心的人，没有种的地方要收割，没有散的地方要聚敛。我就害怕，去把你的一千银子埋藏在地里，请看，你的原银子在这里。”

但是主人回答说：“你这又恶又懒的仆人！你既知道我没有种的地方要收割，没有散的地方要聚敛，就当把我的银子放给兑换银钱的人，到我来的时候，可以连本带利收回。 夺过他这一千来，给那有一万的。因为凡有的，还要加给他，叫他有余；没有的，连他所有的也要夺过来。”

我们可以从这个比喻中学到的是，我们所有人都应该 “忠心” 地运用主所赐给我们的一切。那个赚了二千的仆人，得到了他的主人同样的赞扬：“你这又善良又忠心的仆人”。我可以肯定，如果那被赋予一千的仆人又赚了另一千，他也会得到主人给予他同样的称赞。这与赚取的数量无关，而是我们是否 “忠心” 地使用我们的主所赐给我们的一切。运用我们的主所 “托付” 给我们的，尽我们所能做到 “最好”，这就是 “忠心”。

使徒保罗就是过着这样的生活，这就是为什么他可以在人生旅途结束时说：“那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了。从此以后，有公义的冠冕为我存留，就是按着公义审判的主到了那日要赐给我的，不但赐给我，也赐给凡爱慕他显现的人。”（提摩太后书4:7-8）。

祷告：主啊，在祢召唤我们回天家之前，求祢帮助我们忠心地活在世上；为祢的荣耀和尊荣而活。帮助我们不亏待人或走捷径，而要尽我们所能真诚而忠实地生活。奉主耶稣的宝贵名祷告，阿门。