20 Lessons from the Parable of the Talents

What are the lessons we can learn from the Parable of the Talents? In this post, you will discover the life-changing lessons of this parable and how we can apply them in our daily lives.

What are the lessons we can learn from the Parable of the Talents?
What are the lessons we can learn from the Parable of the Talents?

One of the most popular parables of Jesus Christ is the Parable of the Talents. For a lot of people, the parable sounds like a story about having a talent and what you do with your talent.

However, a closer look at this parable will give you astonishing life lessons that if applied, will change the way you live and what you consider as your priorities.

Thus, in this blog, let us go through the Parable of Talents and see what it really means for all of us today.

In this blog, here are the things you will learn about the parable of the talents:

  • What is the Parable of the Talents?
  • What is a talent in the Bible?
  • Parable of the talent summary
  • Lesson no. 1: The Gospel is about the Kingdom of God
  • Lesson no. 2: The master is Jesus Christ
  • Lesson no. 3: We have a work to do
  • Lesson no. 4: We are the servant of God
  • Lesson no. 5: We all can contribute something
  • Lesson no. 6: Everyone has a different level of conversion
  • Lesson no. 7: Jesus didn’t simply leave us with nothing
  • Lesson no. 9: Christ’s gift is highly valuable
  • Lesson no. 10: We are expected to be productive
  • Lesson no. 11: Doing nothing is unacceptable
  • Lesson no. 12: Judgment will come
  • Lesson no. 13: Your faith is proven by your works
  • Lesson no. 14: The reward of the righteous will be great
  • Lesson no. 15: Stop blaming God
  • Lesson no. 16: Fear will not save you
  • Lesson no. 17: Don’t be lazy
  • Lesson no. 18: God will take away what we don’t value
  • Lesson no. 19: There will be a time when it is too late
  • Lesson no. 20: Let’s endure until the end
  • Learn the 20 lessons of the Parable of the Talents

What is the Parable of the Talents?

The parable of talents is a parable given by Jesus Christ or properly known as Yahshua the Messiah. This parable is narrated in Matthew 25:14-30. A similar parable can also be found in Luke 19:11-27. However, there are some differences in the two parables that some suggest were given on two different occasions.

The Parable of Talents was given by Jesus after speaking about the time of the end. The entire chapter of Matthew 24 is dedicated to the prophecy about what will happen in the future.

After discussing the parable of the wise and foolish virgin in the earlier verses of Matthew 25, Christ went on by speaking about the Parable of the Talents. Yahshua’s main focus here is still the Kingdom of heaven.

Jesus used the Parable of the Talents to illustrate how we should behave as His followers as we wait for the establishment of God’s kingdom here on earth. The parable gives us an idea of what God expects from us.

Here’s a video presentation of the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25:14-30.

For the purpose of this blog, let us focus on Matthew 25:14-30. We read:

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

What is a talent in the Bible?

Before we proceed, it is a must that we define our terms first.

So, what is a talent in relation to Matthew 25:14-30?

The word talent came from the Greek word “talanton.” It basically means “a balance.” It is like a term used to measure something. Thus, we say, “a talent of weight.”

Shekels of silver that might be the same money mentioned in the parable of the talents.

In the Old Testament, one talent contained 3,000 shekels of the sanctuary. However, in the New Testament, the meaning has changed. Even today, some scholars can’t agree with themselves on how much a talent would cost.

Nevertheless, some estimated that one talent is equivalent to 20 years of wages for a common worker back in the day of Yahshua.

So, you can just imagine how much money the master gave to his servants. Imagine, being given 5 talents, which can be equivalent to 100 years’ worth of wages!

Of course, we can’t really tell for sure how much a talent would cost today. One thing we can be sure of is that it is a huge, huge amount of money.

Parable of the Talent Summary

In Matthew 25:14-30, we read the Parable of the Talent. It is a parable used by Yahshua to illustrate the kingdom of heaven.

In verse 14, we read the opening words, “For the kingdom of heaven is…” Christ, at the start of the parable set the topic of this parable.

So, the parable talks about a man who travels to a far country. Before leaving, he called his servants and gave them talents according to their abilities.

There are three servants mentioned in this story. The first servant reserved five talents. The second servant received two talents, and the other received one talent.

After assigning certain talents to his servants, the master went on to his journey.

Parable of the talents: the master giving talents to his servants
The master giving talents to his servants in the Parable of the Talents

A long time has passed and now it’s time for the servants to present themselves to the master and show what they have made with the talents they were given.

The first servant increased his talents by 100%, gaining five more. In total, he now has 10 talents.

The second servant increased his talents by 100% as well. His two talents now grew to four talents.

Both of these servants received commendation and praise from the master. Their rewards were as follows:

21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ (Matthew 25:21, 23).

Now, the time for the third servant came. The third servant failed to increase his talent. Instead of growing the talent, the servant became afraid and hid the talent in the ground.

He didn’t lose the talent, but he didn’t increase it as well. His excuse was simple. He became afraid of his master because he believed his master was a hard man. Therefore, instead of looking for ways to increase his given talent, he hid in the ground.

As a result, the master reprimanded the third servant. He was called wicked and lazy. His talent was taken away from him and given to the one who has 10 talents.

The unprofitable servant, the third one, was then cast out into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

With this in mind, let us now go deeper into this mind-provoking parable and discover its deep meaning. Here are the 10 powerful lessons from the Parable of the Talents.

Lesson no. 1: The Gospel is about the Kingdom of God

In the opening words of the parable of the talents, we read the words:

“For the kingdom of heaven…”

While the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is a huge part of the Gospel, it is actually NOT the main topic of what the Gospel really is!

Over and over again, in the teaching of Christ, the main topic of His teaching is always about the Kingdom of God. In the four Gospels alone, the “Kingdom of God” and “Kingdom of Heaven” phrases were mentioned almost 100 times combined!

Read some of these verses and see how the gospel revolves around God’s Kingdom:

  • Matthew 4:23 – 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 
  • Matthew 9:35 – 35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
  • Mark 1:14-15 – 14 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” 
  • Luke 4:43 – …He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
  • Luke 8:1 – ​1 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him…
  • Luke 16:16 – “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached [beginning with Christ], and everyone is pressing into it.

As you can see, the center of Christ’s message wasn’t about His life. It wasn’t about the sacrifice He was about to make. It wasn’t about how to conduct ourselves as Christians. While all those are important, Christ’s main focus was to preach the COMING KINGDOM OF GOD!

Christ’s teaching revolves around the Kingdom of God. He taught us how to be part of that Kingdom. He taught us how our thoughts, words, and actions should always be aligned in God’s kingdom.

What He wants for all of us is to be part of that Kingdom and that’s what His main message was when He walked on this earth.

Lesson no. 2: The master is Jesus Christ

We read in Matthew 25:14:

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

The man and master in this story represent Yahshua or Jesus Christ. This parable reminds me of the great commission Christ gave to His Disciples in Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations in my Name,” [omit the added trinitarian words] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

So, Yahshua was alluding to the time that He will return to our Father. However, before leaving, He left us a work to do and this is represented by the “talents” He gave us.

Lesson no. 3: We have a work to do

The parable of the talents gives us the strongest indication that the life of a Christian was never passive. It is not enough to simply accept Christ in your life and do nothing afterward.

There’s work we must do.

When Jesus returns here on the earth, He expects us to be working and accomplishing the mission He has given us. We must be diligent, industrious, and effective in doing His work.

We are called in the Body of Christ not to simply become a social club. We are not to just warm our seats every Sabbath service. We should always be about our Father’s business.

Lesson no. 4: We are the servant of God

The Apostle Paul refers to the followers of Christ as the “Servant of the Lord” (II Timothy 2:24). So, it is not farfetched to say that the three servants in the Parable of the Talents represent us.

When we are called into the Body of Christ and when we have accepted Christ’s sacrifice through repentance and baptism, we have become a servant of God. Notice in Matthew 25:14, it says that the master calls us.

I Corinthians 6:20 tells us that we are bought with a price. Thus, it is not us who live, but Christ lives in us (Galatians 2:20).

With this in mind, our main priority in life isn’t about what we want, but what God wants. Everything that we think, say, and do must be in accordance with God’s will and purpose in our lives.

Lesson no. 5: We all can contribute something

In Matthew 25:15, we read:

“And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.”

Notice how the master decides how much talent he will give to the servants. His decision was based upon the ability of his servants.

Now, what lesson can we derive from this?

It means that no matter who you are, whether you are rich or poor, male or female, young or old, healthy or sick, God can still use you. He can still give you talents that you can use to fulfill His purpose for you.

Don’t ever believe the lie that Satan tells you. That you are no good. That you can’t do anything right. That you are useless.

The truth is, when we submit our lives to Yahweh, He can turn our lives around and help us achieve his goal for us.

The parable of the talents teaches us that we can all be useful when we allow God to work in our lives.

Lesson no. 6: Everyone has a different level of conversion

Let’s read Matthew 25:15 once again:

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 

Notice, the master didn’t give everyone the same amount of talent.

It means that everyone has their level of conversion. Some are more spiritually mature, while others need more growth. Some just started their Christian walk while others are well ahead of them.

This means that you shouldn’t compare yourself to others. Don’t feel proud when you know more than others. Don’t feel bitter when you see others being more knowledgeable or experienced than you.

We all have our own race to run. Our main focus should be what we must do with the talent God has given us and not to be busy checking what others are doing with their talent.

Lesson no. 7: Jesus didn’t simply leave us with nothing

So great is the love of God and His Son toward us that they make sure that we have all that we need once Yahshua was taken up in heaven.

In this parable, the master was to travel to a far country (Matthew 25:15). However, before he left, what did he do? In verse 14, it says that he called on his servants and gave them talents.

In the same manner, Christ, before leaving us physically and ascending into heaven, left us with the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but He left us His teachings. He left us His examples. He left us with all the things that we need so that we will survive our Christian walk.

We must also not forget that Yahshua left us with a work to do. He didn’t simply leave us and do nothing. We are not to simply sit around and lazily wait for His second coming.

The work that Christ left us is to preach the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God and prepare ourselves and others for the establishment of that Kingdom on this earth!

Lesson 9: Christ’s gift is highly valuable

Earlier, we have seen how much value a talent is worth. As was mentioned, one talent is equivalent to a 20 years’ wage. Even if you say the value is less than this, you still can’t deny how big the amount of money or wealth the master has given to his servants.

Now, here’s what we need to remember: what Christ has given us is super valuable. In the parable of the talents, Christ could have simply used a smaller amount of money. He could have simply said one mite, but He chose to use the measurement of talent.

Christ is making a point here. He isn’t simply saying that the master gave money, but rather, he gave a HUGE amount of money. Its value is so big that we must take it seriously.

Imagine, if you are given one talent, you don’t have to work for 20 years because that one talent can sustain you for a long time.

Yes, not everyone is indeed given the same amount of talent. But the point we must understand is that EVERYONE was given a talent.

This means that if God gives you something, He gives liberally. He isn’t stingy. He is generous in what He gives us.

So, don’t ever think that you lack anything because God has given you ALL that you need to fulfill His purpose in your life.

Lesson no. 10: We are expected to be productive

Now, here’s the main point of this whole parable:

We must be productive spiritually.

Yes, we should also be productive physically, but our priority is the spiritual aspect of our lives.

Jesus said:

16 “Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also” (Matthew 25:16-17).

The first two servants didn’t simply sit down, but they both “went and traded.” They put into good use the money they were given. They didn’t simply keep them somewhere.

Both of the servants have increased their given talents but 100%. They were able to gain twice what they had initially been given.

As you can see, we all should be spiritual businessmen. A businessman must be industrious. He needs to know his craft. He must be willing to learn and acquire more wisdom or training to ensure he has the skills to run his business.

He must wake up early and if needed, will sleep late. He always does accounting. He knows the state of his goods.

In short, we must be responsible, reliable, and diligent spiritual businessmen. We must make it a point that whatever God has given us, we can multiply. It is NEVER enough to simply receive something from God and not put it to good use.

The parable of the talents teaches us that we must continually grow, not just physically, but also spiritually.

Lesson no. 11: Doing nothing is unacceptable

I hear some Christians saying, “At least I’m not sinning.” This is what they tell themselves when they feel satisfied with the spiritual state that they are in.

Let me tell you:

Avoiding sin is not enough.

It should only be the initial step, but we must continue improving ourselves.

Take a look at what the third slave did with the talent given to him. We read:

18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money” (Matthew 25:18).

The third slave didn’t squander the talent. He didn’t use it for gambling. He didn’t use it for selfish gains or ambition. He didn’t use it for his pleasure.

However, is that enough?

Of course not!

Notice, Jesus Christ specifically mentioned that the servant hid his “lord’s money.” It wasn’t his money at all. It was entrusted to him for a good reason.

He was expected to do something about the talent, to grow it and ensure it is put to good use.

The Bible is clear that doing nothing is equivalent to sin.

We read in James 4:17:

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

The third servant sinned for not using the talent for good.

As a matter of fact, he was called a “WICKED servant.”

The same condemnation was given to the brethren in Laodicea. They were neither hot nor cold. They were not really sinning, but they were also not doing something good.

As a result, Christ told them:

16 “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16).

The Laodicean brethren were given talents by Jesus in the same way that the third servant was given a talent.

These people didn’t see the need to be productive and diligent in doing God’s work. Thus, they will all face the same judgment.

Lesson no. 12: Judgment will come

In Matthew 25:19, we read:

19 “After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.”

While God is the God of mercy, he is also the God of justice. He has committed all judgment to the Son:

22 For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son” (John 5:22)…

Like the master in the Parable of the Talents, Christ will also return after a long time. This doesn’t mean that Christ is late. It only means that Yahweh and His Son have a timetable that they follow. It may be long for us humans, but it is still according to God’s perfect timing.

Now, here’s what we must remember:

There will come a time when all of us will come before the Judgment Throne and give account to what we have done. We have to explain to our Master whether we have increased our talent or not.

Yes, we are given multiple chances to do good. We have been given a lot of chances to change, repent, and live the life God wants us to live.

Nevertheless, time will come when it is too late for us to change. So, don’t wait for that day when you finally come to the end of your life and you look back, you haven’t really managed God’s talent properly.

Lesson no. 13: Your faith is proven by your works

So many Christians today mistakenly assume that all they have to do is simply believe in God or Jesus Christ. Yes, believing is part of our salvation process, but it SHOULDN’T stop there.

There’s a reason that the master gave an incredible amount of money to his three servants. They are people whom he has called to do a work.

They were not simply called, but they have answered God’s calling. In short, they have become a part of Christ’s body of believers.

The Bible makes it clear that we must couple our faith with our works. Notice what the master said to the two servants:

“Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:23).

The master called them faithful servants not because of receiving the talent, but by what they have done with the talent.

However, what did the master say to the third servant?

“You wicked and lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26).

The three servants all received talents, but the main difference was what they did to the talents. It was their ACTION that made the big difference.

The two were called faithful while the other one was called wicked.

This shows us that it is not enough to simply believe and accept Christ, but we must also prove our faith through the works we do. We don’t earn salvation through our works, but rather we have works as proof of our faith.

Lesson no. 14: The reward of the righteous will be great

We all come through trials and challenges in life. We know how the life of a Christian can be difficult at times.

So, what can keep us going? What can motivate us to stay on the course? What can help us become focused?

The answer is remembering the reward that has been prepared for us.

Look at the words of the master to his profitable servants in Matthew 25:21:

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 

Notice, the master praised the servants by saying, “Well done.” These servants go through life’s difficulties to ensure that they are profitable.

As the Apostle Peter wrote:

6 “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Peter simply confirmed what Christ was teaching here. Those who will endure until the end will be praised, honored, and glorified.

Now, notice the rewards of the righteous:

“I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

Have you ever wondered what we will do once we are given eternal life? Do you think that we will simply strum strings in heaven and look at the face of God forever? Not at all!

We have a great job to do!

God will not simply grant us eternal life doing nothing.

We will not spend eternity by lazily passing time.

In the parable of the talents, Jesus taught that those who will be saved will become rulers over many things.

Let’s read Revelation 5:10:

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

What do kings do? They rule!

That’s exactly what we are going to do once we are in the kingdom of God ruling with Christ and His saints.

Notice that our rulership will be here on the earth. We will not just be kings, but we will also be priests. We will teach the rest of humanity of God’s way of life.

Finally, aside from being praised by Christ and becoming rulers, what did Christ say?

“I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.”

We will enter into the joy of Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah). It’s not the joy of other people. It’s not the joy that you will find in this world. Rather, it’s the joy of our Lord and Master!

It’s the type of joy that only God can give us.

This reminds me of Psalms 16:11:

11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 

Our joy will finally be full. It will not be achieved by our own effort. But will be given to us by Yahweh and His Son.

Lesson no. 15: Stop blaming God

Sometimes, when we go through trials, it seems that we are quick to blame God for all the bad things that happen to us. Instead of honestly looking at our situation, assessing the past, and planning for the future, we blame God and think it was all his fault.

This is also the attitude of the lazy and wicked servant. He said in Matthew 25:24-25:

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

Did you notice the intent of the servant here? He was blaming his master. He was saying that because his master is a hard man, he simply hid the talent in the ground.

In short, he blamed the master for the actions he took.

He is like Adam who blamed Eve for breaking God’s command or Eve blaming the serpent for tempting her to eat the forbidden fruit.

Blaming others is never a good idea. Above all, blaming God would definitely be a poor response to the difficulties you are having in your life.

God only wants the best for you. If there’s anyone you should blame, it would never be God who even offered His only begotten Son for us and has made the ultimate sacrifice!

The parable of the talents teaches us that we must not let the present circumstances make us bitter, but rather better.

Lesson no. 16: Fear will not save you

In the Parable of the Talents, the wicked servant’s excuse was that he became afraid as we can read in Matthew 25:25:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 

Now, we can see here that fear will not save you rather it is faith.

Fear has a unique way of paralyzing and tormenting us. It doesn’t produce the right spirit of obedience and love in us. Thus, if you let fear reign in your heart, guess what, you’ll eventually put out the fire of faith in your heart and you’ll eventually die spiritually.

Lesson no. 17: Don’t be lazy

As a result of not doing the work expected of him, the wicked servant was also called lazy (Matthew 25:26):

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

When we don’t follow God, when we don’t do the job He has given us, we are being lazy. There’s a great difference between those people who are being lazy and those who are just resting. Lazy people simply are unproductive. They would rather avoid work and stay sedentary.

God can’t use you if you are lazy.

God can’t use you if you don’t have the heart to do the work.

God can’t use you if you lack the zeal and passion for His will and purpose.

Instead of being lazy, the Bible tells us:

17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

This means we must do our best because the work we are doing isn’t for any human being. It is for God.

Lesson 18: God will take away what we don’t value

Let’s now look into the consequences of the actions of the wicked and lazy servant:

“So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.”

“For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:28-29).

There’s no doubt that the talent the master gave to the master is super valuable. It has a lot of potential in it.

The problem is that the lazy servant didn’t see the value of what was given to him.

As a result, what he has, was taken away from him.

How about you?

Do you value what God has given you?

Do you value your natural gift, your knowledge, wisdom, biblical understanding, and the life God has given you?

Are you putting them to good use and being profitable?

Or, are you simply being lazy and not seeing the great value of God’s gift to you?

If you don’t value the gift of God, it will eventually be taken away from you.

This reminds me of the sobering warning found in Revelation 3:11:

11 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”

We must be diligent in our work so that no one will take away our crown.

Lesson no. 19: There will be a time when it is too late

As part of the punishment for the wicked servant, we read this in Matthew 25:30:

“And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The unprofitable servant will be thrown in the outer darkness. Darkness is the opposite of light. God is light and in his presence there’s brightness. 

What this is telling us is that the lazy and wicked people will have no part in God’s presence. They will be put away and will not enjoy the company of God.

As a result, these people will weep and gnash their teeth in pain and regret. These people may regret as much as they want. They may weep bitterly like Esau. However, there will come a time when everything will be too late.

Yes, God gives us a lot of chances to change, but let us not abuse God’s mercy and love. Because God is justice and He will serve justice and punish the wicked.

Lesson 20: Let’s endure until the end

Enduring is part of our Christian walk.

Our life as Christians will not always be rainbows and cupcakes. It will not always be smooth sailing.

We are called to do a work. It won’t be easy, but it is the right thing we must do.

As this might be the case, we are left groping in the dark. We have been promised that God will be with us.

We read in Hebrews 13:5-6:

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say:

“The LORD is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”

Yahweh will be our Helper. Let us not be afraid. Let us not be lazy.

The work that is put in front of us may be difficult and overwhelming. Yes, by our strength, we can’t complete it.

Thankfully, we are not simply to do the work by ourselves. We don’t rely on ourselves. God will help us.

This is the main reason that we can have the confidence that we can and we should endure until the end.

So that when we finally stand in front of the Great White Throne, we can finally hear the words:

Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

Learn the 20 lessons of the Parable of the Talents

These are the best lessons you will ever learn from the Parable of the Talents. I hope this blog has given you a deeper understanding of what the parable is all about and how it can dramatically improve your life.

May these lessons not just stay in your heart and mind, but also let them be seen in your daily life.

If you have questions, comments, and suggestions, let me know. You can leave your message below the comment box or send me a private message via joshuainfantado@gmail.com.

10 thoughts on “20 Lessons from the Parable of the Talents

    • Thank you Joshua, you have explained the parable of the talent so well, like no one else has done before. I have a deep understanding of this parable now. I have copied it down on my journal that I believe will be useful for sharing in my Bible study group. It so happen that we are studying this parable right now. God bless you and your family 😊

  1. Thank you Josh, This is an amazing drill down of this parable. You have expounded the “Word” so beautifully, in a simple, practical and easy to understand manner.
    I found your teaching extremely valuable.
    God Bless you richly and abundantly.

  2. Thank you Josh for expounding this parable so beautifully, in simple, practical and easy to understand steps. I found it tremendously valuable.
    God Bless you richly and abundantly.
    Janet S. Anthony
    India.

  3. I like your presentation. Can I use part of this as reference in my sermon? Thanks very much. God bless your ministry

  4. Josh you did an excellent job until you confused salvation with works and not understanding rewards. Please study Lordship salvation, Ideally every saint should recognize the Lordship of Christ from the moment of salvation ( simply believing in Jesus the object of our faith),but there is a great difference between being a Saint and a disciple. It costs absolutely nothing to be a Christian. It costs everything to be a disciple. See Luke chapter 14 where the Lord distinguishes between salvation and discipleship while teaching 2 parables side by side. Luke 14:16-24 He relates parable of the great supper into which entrance is free and unrestricted for all who followed the invitation. In Luke 14:25-33 Christ taught that discipleship was only for those that gave all. Being a Christian means following the invitation. Being a disciple means forsaking all ! To confuse these 2 aspects of the Christian life is to confound the grace of God and the works of man, to ignore the difference between salvation and sanctification! The gospel of grace is scriptural, the gospel that adds works of man to salvation is a counterfeit gospel. We Christians will all be judged on how we lived our lives after we were saved not before. The parable of the talents is referring to rewards in how we live our lives as a believer in Jesus Christ, where we will be judged at the Bema seat of Christ. We will lose our reward during the millennial kingdom when Christ rules and reigns from the seat of David in Jerusalem for a 1000 years. If we do not allow Jesus to rule in our lives now as a Christian how can he let us rule with Him during the 1000 year reign where there will be some sort of loss of reward but certainly not our salvation which we can never lose. Why does the gospel of John refer to believing in The work of Jesus Christ the object of our faith for eternal life, salvation some 98 times. John 6:47 among many more.
    Paul clearly states salvation in 1 cor 15:3-4. The topic Lordship salvation is simply applying scripture in an inconsistent manner, adding works to salvation.
    Rom 11:6. See Charlie Bing web site with many articles concerning free grace theology or chuck swindell.
    Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough article except please examine the topic of Lordship salvation for yourself. Maybe I’m wrong but finally read Watchmen Nee’s book Gospel of God.
    God bless you and keep you ! 😍

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