------------------------------------------------------------ Jesus and the Kingdom of God E-Mail Bible Study ------------------------------------------------------------ Week 9 - Matthew 25:14-30 SERVING IN THE KINGDOM The Parable of the Talents ------------------------------------------------------------ One more week after this.... By a happy accident of the English language the word "talent" seems to have a double meaning in this parable. In fact our English word "talent" (meaning "ability") apparently entered common use as a transliteration of the Greek word talanton (measure of weight) by means of this very parable! As we discussed in a previous lesson, a "talent" was a measure of weight, about 75 lbs., and was the way large sums of money were referred to. At a current price of $4.42 per Troy ounce, a talent of silver would be worth nearly $4,000. Instead of placing his money with a banker or money-lender to earn some money in his absence, the property owner in this parable entrusts the money to his slaves or house servants to provide seed money for small business enterprises. In a similar form of this parable in Luke 19:11-27, vs. 13 reads "Trade with these till I return" (RSV) or "Put this money to work until I come back" (NIV). KJV "Occupy till I come" doesn't convey they idea well to modern readers. MONDAY ------ ------------------------------------------------------------ LEVEL 1: OBSERVATION QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY? ------------------------------------------------------------ 1.1 What kinds of small business ventures of Jesus' time can you imagine that could bring a substantial return? What kinds of risks might be involved with such business enterprises? 1.2 Was it a realistic or an artificial touch to have the money entrusted to household slaves? TUESDAY ------- ------------------------------------------------------------ LEVEL 2: INTERPRETATION QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES THE TEXT MEAN? ------------------------------------------------------------ 2.1 The two types of servants' actions are contrasted both by the narration (vss. 16-18) and by the master's evaluation (vss. 21ff, 26). List two or three word pairs which show this contrast. (A word pair is a pair of words like "dark- light.") 2.2 Do you think the faithful servants saw their master as a "hard man" (vs. 24)? 2.3 What motives do you see in the two faithful servants? Does fear figure in, do you think? WEDNESDAY --------- 2.4 What motives do you see in the unfaithful servant? Do you see an incipient Marxism in his words (vss. 24-25), or is this just my imagination? How would you describe his attitude toward his master? 2.5 Vss. 28-29 don't seem fair. Is this fair? Is it right? Is it true-to-life? 2.6 Why is there such a severe penalty for unfaithfulness here (vs. 30) and in Luke 19:27? THURSDAY -------- 2.7 Sum up the point of Jesus' parable in Matthew 25:14-30 in a sentence or two. 2.8 EXTRA CREDIT FOR BIBLE HOT-DOGGERS: No doubt Jesus used different forms of his parables with different audiences to make slightly different points. Compare and contrast the similar parables in Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. How do the differences make the point of the Matthew passage slightly different from the point in the Lucan form? ------------------------------------------------------------ LEVEL 3: APPLICATION QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ME? ------------------------------------------------------------ 3.1 How do laziness and resentment creep into our hearts unnoticed? 3.2 Why is faithfulness so difficult when the Master's return seems delayed? FRIDAY ------ 3.3 In Matthew's Gospel the currency of "business" was silver. What "currency" has the Master given you to advance the cause of His Kingdom? How are you doing in being faithful to that? ------------------------------------------------------------ Copyright 1997, Ralph F. Wilson, all rights reserved. Joyful Heart is a trademark of Joyful Heart Ministries. For reprint permission contact pastor@joyfulheart.com