PENnED

Living Awake to What We’ve Been Given

Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:14–30

By Ed Fernandez

Some stories in Scripture don’t just teach—they wake us up. The Parable of the Talents is one of those stories. It’s not just about money or productivity. It’s about readiness. It’s about trust. It’s about knowing the Master—and being known by him.

Jesus tells this parable to help us understand what it means to live faithfully while we wait for his return. And he doesn’t give us a checklist. He gives us a story. A story about a master, three servants, and the difference between trust and fear.

The Master Goes Away

Jesus begins:

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them…” (Matthew 25:14)

The man in the story is clearly a stand-in for Jesus himself. He’s going away—but not forever. His departure points to his death, resurrection, and ascension. And his return? That’s the hope we live by.

This is the truth we proclaim every time we gather at the Lord’s Table:

“Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.”

That’s the arc of our faith—the sweep of salvation history. And we live in the “in-between”—between resurrection and return. In that space, we’re not called to wait passively. We’re entrusted with something. Something valuable. Something that belongs to the Master.

Serving the Master Is Not Optional

The servants in the parable aren’t given suggestions. They’re given responsibility. And not just any responsibility—they’re entrusted with the Master’s own property.

The Greek word used here for “slave” is δοῦλος¹ (doulos)—a bond-slave. Someone who willingly and wholeheartedly offers themselves to serve a chosen master. Strong’s Greek word studies says this term is used with the highest dignity in the New Testament—referring to believers who live under Christ’s authority as devoted followers.

That’s us. Jesus is our Master. We are his doulos. And serving him? Not optional. He owns everything. We own nothing. Everything we have—our time, our gifts, our breath—is his.

What Are We Entrusted With?

In the parable, the master entrusts his servants with talents.² These aren’t skills or abilities—though the word has come to mean that in English. In Jesus’ time, a talent was a weight of precious metal—gold, silver, or bronze—used as currency. So we’re talking serious value.

What matters most is what the servants *do* with those talents. That’s what reveals their trustworthiness.

“The one who had received the five talents went off and traded with them and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents.” (Matthew 25:16–17)

They doubled what they were given. That’s a 100% return. Pretty impressive, especially compared to today’s investment benchmarks.

But the point isn’t the percentage. It’s the faithfulness. The Master is pleased with both servants and says:

“Well done, good and trustworthy slave… enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21)

They didn’t just manage money. They honored the Master. They lived awake.

The Servant Who Buried His Talent

Now let’s talk about the third servant—the one who buried his talent like it was radioactive.

Why did he hide it?

“Master, I knew that you were a harsh man… so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.” (Matthew 25:24–25)

He didn’t know his Master. He misjudged him. And he tried to *judge* him. But that’s not the role of a servant. The Master is the judge.

Even if the Master reaps where he didn’t sow, he doesn’t keep the harvest for himself—he gives it back to the faithful. The buried talent is taken and given to the servant with ten:

“Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten talents.” (Matthew 25:28)

The Master doesn’t condemn him for failing to double the investment. He condemns him for doing *nothing*. He could’ve put it in a savings account with 4% interest. But instead, he buried it.

And so the Master says:

“You wicked and lazy slave!” (Matthew 25:26)

Lazy and wicked. And it all stems from not knowing the Master—not trusting his character, not believing in his generosity.

Judgment and Joy

“Throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30)

While the good and trustworthy servants are welcomed into the joy of their Master, this one is cast out—into sorrow and regret.

So we ask:

Does the Lord know me? Do I know the Lord?

This isn’t about working for salvation. It’s about relationship. Jesus says in Matthew 7:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven… I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21–23)

Being “known” by Jesus is the foundation. Work without relationship is just noise. But faith—faith that flows from knowing the Master—produces fruit.

The Joy of the Master

The fullness of the Kingdom—the joy, the celebration, the life made perfect—is found in his presence. And serving him isn’t just for his glory. It’s for our good.

He doesn’t need anything from us—but he delights in giving everything to us.

So let’s live awake. Let’s live ready. Let’s live faithful.

Maranatha! O Lord, come!

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