19 “Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:19–23 (ESV)
Following an indefinite but lengthy period of time, the master of the three servants returned from his journey. Upon his return, he settled accounts with all three. Jesus did not provide a reason for the long absence of the master. The focus was rather on the stewardship of the master’s servants with his finances in his absence.
“A faithful servant in the ancient Near East often became a steward over his master’s household (for example, Joseph; Gen. 39:1–6a) and could be entrusted with enormous resources This is the background for the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-18); even the servant who is given one talent is entrusted with much as one talent is equivalent to twenty years of pay for a first-century day laborer (Matt. 25:15),” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.
The master proceeded to meet with each servant. The first slave entrusted with five talents came forward with the increase of five more saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.” The master was pleased and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”
Note the following. First, the master was pleased with his servant. Second, the master commended him by saying “well done” or “excellent job.” What servant would not want to hear such a statement from their master? Third, the master, after commending the servant for his good work, praised him for being superior in his trustworthiness, dependability, commitment and honor to the master. Fourth, the master entrusted the servant with even more responsibilities. Finally, the master commanded the servant to experience the happiness from his master. The extended principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout this scene (Gal. 6:6-10).
The same scene is repeated with the servant entrusted with two talents from the master. The master amply rewarded the second faithful and wise servant for his stewardship of the master’s finances.
“We can picture a party at which the three—the master and these two good and faithful servants—tell each other what has happened, rejoice because of the business enterprises that have been carried forward so successfully, but especially share each other’s joy. Each man is happy because so are the others,” comments Dr. William Hendricksen.
“Our Creator has blessed everyone in Christ with spiritual blessings above and beyond our undeserved salvation. Even those who have comparatively fewer gifts are rich in Him and must put their time and talents to work. God sovereignly determines our gifts and graces (v. 15), and, whether we have many or few, He mandates their profitable use,” states Dr. Sproul.
Each believer in Christ is God’s workmanship. God justified us by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone to faithfully serve Him (Eph. 2:10). We do so with the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit has sovereignly entrusted to us (I Cor. 12:11-12). Let us be faithful in the Master’s service.
Soli deo Gloria!
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