The Parable of the Talents

Who are you, who am I, who are we?

Or should I say what are we?

Because I’ve heard that we are spiritual beings in a physical body.

But what does the Bible say we are?

Before we get there, in Mat. 25:18 it says “the servant who received one talent went and dug a hole in the earth and hid his Lord’s talent” so my question is, what does the earth represent? I would say “me”, what am I made of? Selfishness is what I think it represents, and selfishness if we think about it is not always about what we take from others, but also, it is about what we hide for ourselves or refuse to share.

So let’s think about the situation that we have in the world today, have you ever experience the power of God in a community where, the community cares for each other. Not just the where we kind of go and help each other when the events happen and stuff but where we share our time, not just our things but our hearts and our lives. The kind of community that becomes the hands and feet of Christ, where everybody is taken care of and is a continuation of the first few chapter in the book of acts.

How can we be more like Christ, if you saw instead of one Christ, because we call ourselves “Christian” that is to say we are His followers, we are “Christlike” we follow His example, but do we really?

Gen. 2:7 tells us what we are, we are “dirt”. In Gen. 3:19 we are “clay”, we’re “soil” “dirt”. Ecc. 3:20 says similar thing, we are unstable as soil, a little trial or rain comes it washes us away, and so we need to look to God for stability.

Isa. 64:8. If a potter makes a pot, who chooses what that pot is made for? Jer. 18:6, are we really in His hand? Or have we left His government and are under that of another one? That is what “selfishness“ is “Christ is no longer our Governor”.

In Matt 19:21 the rich young ruler was offered eternal life but chose the earthly security over surrender, his riches gave him a very stable life to were he would not have any worries, but the problem was, if he would give all to the poor, he would have to be selfless, he would have to depend on God, he would have had to be dependent on faith.

The question is, am I any different? Or do I do the same thing? His selfishness was in the way he buried his wealth, holding onto it instead of investing it in God’s kingdom.

The man with the one talent buried his treasure in the earth. He is “dirt” after all, isn’t he? The earth, dust or clay represents ourselves. We retain it for ourselves, and he chose his selfish desires over the desires of Jesus.

Jesus desire was that we all come together as a loving caring community, in the book of Acts you find this actually happened. They all came together and they all share with one another to the point were everybody was taken care of.

It’s also brought out in the Manna, some people gathered more and others less but they all had what they needed, nobody had too much nobody had too little. God’s riches are not for one to live a rich selfish lifestyle while another one doesn’t have enough food, this cannot happen in the body of Christ. It may happen in a church but that means that, that church is not the body of Christ, because Jesus could never do that.

Matt. 25:18 the talent was not meant to be buried or hoarded, it was meant to be used for God’s glory and for His kingdom, selfishness is hiding the blessings that God has given to us or retaining them for our own comfort, ease and pride.

If I know how to make money and I know how to run this business and make all the money, and I don’t want other people to learn the tricks of the trade that I know so that they have to work for me and can’t go start their own business.

That is the essence of the world’s education systems and corporations. That’s what trade marks, patients and all the other things like that are for. However, God’s education system says “ I will start a business, I will learn how to do all these things and then educate others to go and do the same so that nobody lives far above or far below.

Poverty is never gonna happen in the kingdom of God, but selfishness causes it. So we ought to be thinking about multiplying the souls for His kingdom, not multiplying our treasure in this world.

I went to a technical college for woodworking and about 90% was hands on, and it was only a year and I have the skill level to start my own business, but not the business education so I will be talking with others around me to get that. This could all be done by apprenticeship programs, and I want to do that for others, contact me if you are interested.

There are few ways that we can manifest this selfishness.

Philippians 2:3-4 “[Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others”.

That’s not very popular today, it did not say that you need to neglect clothing yourself family and what not and give it all away, it says care for everybody equally.

Now how about the earth? Matthew 6:19-21“19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.

A lot of people when they have something, we like to put it in our house and lock it up or put it on display and that makes it very vulnerable to thieves and decay. Or we have invested in mutual funds and bank accounts and what not, and this guy invested all his money and at the age of 60 or 65 just before he retired, he lost almost a hundred percent of his investments and had to work until he was in his 70s and after he retired he died 2 years after.

When I was in my twenties I met a young man one afternoon and that evening we were all going to get together around a campfire, but he never showed up. We later found out that he ran a stop sign and collided with another car going 55-60 mph. All three died. The other car’s occupants were an older couple that had retired for about TWO WEEKS!

So the riches of this world are not very enduring especially with a fiat currency and guaranteed death waiting for us all, that’s not what I would call stability or enduring no matter how many millions we have, or like some “billions”.

But “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” what are ways that we can lay up treasures in heaven​? Is it in giving things only? The reason I want to go and help (finish someone’s house) there in Arizona is because I believe that’s a part of this. I believe that is one way we are the hands and feet of God. I believe we should be there encouraging people who are down. It says “Where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt where thieves do not brake through nor steal for where your treasure is there will your heart or desires be also” and I’m gonna add “your temptations as well” because when somebody is on the verge of loosing their hoarded treasures, how does it feel to them? How much anxiety comes with financial disaster and stuff like that.

1 John 3:17, 17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels [of compassion] from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” This is so obvious, why do Christians not get this? One of the things that puzzles me is if you think about it, Christian nations have had slaves, how? Atheism in the Church as the only answer I have in unbelief.

James 3:16 “For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.” What is envying and strife? If it is not defending ourselves, our position, our doctrine, our idea, corporation, organization whatever it may be it’s men arguing to defend something, mostly self it is the thing that keeps the dead organization alive. If you think about it, a corporation must live for itself, and so without people protecting it and that’s why you’ve got a lot of churches that now have hired armed men in their congregation to protect the church in America, very interesting. “defending ourselves”.

You see Jesus on the other hand when He was brought before Pilate they couldn’t get Him to say a word but once they thought they had shut Him up forever and He is on the cross then He opened His mouth and said “Father forgive them”. So unlike this dirt, and I see this in me too, I’m not preaching to you only, it’s here, in me.

2Timothy 3:1-5 “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. ”

The point that I’m making is self serving and seeking to be served rather than sacrificing, this is the attitude of American Christians. Who are going to go get so involved in politics that they are going to make this people in this country obey the church. They are going to force the people of the United States “of the earth Revelations 13:14-17” the most worldly country in the world to obey the church (and we call that Freedom).

Christians otherwise wouldn’t love Hollywood, New York City and New Orleans or Vegas and we would not have these little tiny churches that hold thousands of people if the church was not focused on “pleasure” because the Bible say’s that there is few that enter in at a straight gate, how come the churches are so popular then?

Are we any different? We want it too, we go on facebook, youtube and other platforms, we want all this followers, we do the same thing. I wonder how many would be glad to swap their position with Joel Ostein or whoever else? When we argue and fight and try to become this popular guy or girl, that’s what we’re doing. And we try to overthrow others for self aggrandizement or for fame.

How many times is it simply to try reach a soul? How many times is it because we care, rather than because we want to win the argument. Now, we would never do that in church, I’m sure we have perfected it, “the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself” Luke 18:11-12, Isaiah says “you are smoke in God’s nose when you say “don’t come near me I’m holier than you”.

So these are just a few ways.

Mathew 25:24-25 “Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, [there] thou hast [that is] thine.”

He was given a responsibility by God to use for the benefit of others but he refused the responsibility, he did not want the hardship, he did not enjoy the sacrifice that comes in serving others, and so he said, I will serve myself instead. And so how many Christians hide their talent in that sense, we go to church but we don’t want any responsibility whatsoever that God may give us, and also, there’s another way this is now number

Proverbs 16:28 “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”

Why is it that there are so many schisms, divisions, denominations and splits in the churches throughout the Christian world? Because there’s a lot of froward people in the church. There’s a lot of selfish people that have nothing better to do than gossip. And gossip is one of the fastest ways to separate friends. Mathew 18 Jesus said we should forgive right? Peter says how many times, seven times? But Jesus clearly said in Mathew 6:14-15, “if you don’t forgive, your Father will not forgive you, if your forgive your Father will forgive you,” it’s a pretty straightforward transaction.

On the other hand, what is the solution?

What is the answer to all these selfish things?

This is the works of the flesh according to Galatians 5, you see, Galatians does not start with the fruit of the Spirit, it says in verse 14 for all the Law is fulfilled in one word even this, “thou shall love thy neighbours as thyself” and then it goes down to verse 22 “but the fruit of the Spirit is” all these things summed up in the Character of Christ in a charitable Christian, a cheerful giver, a kind hearted thoughtful person.

How would the earth look if there was, instead of one Christ, there’s a 144,000? scattered everywhere? What would happen to the world? What would happen to the medical system, what would happen to the theological system? And what would happen to the military corporations? If there was a 144,000 Christs or true Christians walking around. You would see the wrath of the enemy and the glory of God and the end would come quickly, just like that.

So, reflecting on God’s love, Acts 20:35 “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus teaches that it is better to give than to receive. When we give, we mirror God’s generous nature and character. For while we’re yet enemies or sinners, He gave His Son. So, instead of laying treasures on earth, it takes sacrifice, it takes patience, it takes hope, it takes moral conviction of something that you cannot see to lay up treasure in heaven.

You see, true giving builds up a community. It does not make people dependent. True education does not teach people to go get a job to get insurance, it teaches people to take care of themselves and others. So in the early church, the thing that happen from Acts chapter 1 to chapter 5 or 6 was life changing. A few months before, they were arguing about who was going to be the greatest in the Kingdom, who will get to sit on the right hand and on the left!

When in reality, they all became great after the cross, and nobody cared who was the greatest anymore. And this is not just revealed by charitable acts. A rich selfish person, remember the wicked Judge? Can and do help people without caring for that person.

This is a community of believers we can see God working. It’s not just in your acts, we are ALL, like a forest. When is the forest the most beautiful? In the fall, when you see all the colors. Every tree is unique. I wrote this down “a forest with many colors in like a community with many characters and earthly frailties, but Christ, working through us all. And remember Tabatha? Why was she raised from the dead? To show that God was working in her and through her, it wasn’t just for her benefit, it was for the benefit of the whole church.

Was she raised from the dead to suffer more? Is that the purpose? NO! She was raised to “SERVE AGAIN”! To glorify the character of the great Server Himself!

How many of us have been raised from the dead? When she died the community did not just mourn her passing, they wept and showed the garments she made for them reminding each other of the impact she had. Her life was the reflection of the blessing of giving and when she was brought back to life, it wasn’t just for her. It was a sign that God was alive and working in the community bringing life and healing through the selflessness of His people.

So what does it mean for the sons of God to be manifested​? The selfless character of Christ in His people. For me, the 144000 are the most real Christians you’re ever gonna see. They’re gonna look and act, just like Christ because He’s guiding their every step. But here’s the key, God is giving to each of us unique talents and gifts to build His kingdom and we’re called to use them for His glory. In the parable of the talents in Matt. 25 Jesus says to the ones who use their talents “WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT“!

Like the servant who multiplied his talents, we are entrusted with resources whether time, skills, generosity, and sympathy. We’re not just meant to hold on to this gifts. We’re meant to invest them in others in growing the kingdom. As we faithfully use our talents for God’s purposes. We become the living testimony of the blessings of giving, the ripple effect of love and grace throughout our community.

But turning from all lesser representations, we see God in Jesus. Looking to Jesus we see that it is the glory of our God to give. “I do nothing of Myself,” said Christ; “the living Father has sent Me, and I live by the Father.” “I seek not My own glory,” but the glory of Him that sent Me. John 8:28; 6:57; 8:50; 7:18. In these words is set forth the great principle which is the law of life for the universe. All things Christ received from God, but He took to give. So in the heavenly courts, in His ministry for all created beings: through the beloved Son, the Father’s life flows out to all; through the Son it returns, in praise and joyous service, a tide of love, to the great Source of all. And thus through Christ the circuit of beneficence is complete, representing the character of the great Giver, the law of life.

What’s the difference between saying in earth and in man? It’s the same statement. Romans 8:19 “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” And what will that look like? It will look like Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, it will be glorious, and do you know what it will cause? Wrath! The shaking, THE END OF THE WORLD, NOT AS WE KNOW IT, BUT THE END!

So quick question, who wants to be a part of it? I DO! So let me read about the colors again “the forest of many colors is like a community with earthly frailties, but Christ working through us all revealing to each one of us our own faults, not the faults of one another, so we can see why we have so little manifestation of the power of God so that the fall colors, the end of the plan of salvation can be revealed in the church, that’s what we’re waiting for, the manifestation of the fall colors of the sons of God, because when you see the fall colors in certain places it’s better than others right? Who has seen the fall colors in northern Wisconsin? Have you ever see anything that bets it? I know that the east gets very beautiful fall colors but Wisconsin is beautiful fall too, and there’s gonna be other places too, I wonder how many places around the earth that are actually better than even the east.

But first, that real beauty must be revealed in our hearts, we are the earthen vessel.

2 Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”