Money and Talents

Mike Corthell, Editor

The Parable of the Bags of Gold*

This lesson, taught by Jesus of Nazareth, is about money and its management. It is also about your abilities and how you use them. But more important is that this is about the Kingdom of Heaven.

This teaching is one of the 'master keys' to success.

''Each of you should use whatever gift you have received[from God] to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.'' - 1 Peter 4:10

• Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.
  
• To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,each according to his ability.
  
• Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.
  
• So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.
  
• But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
  
• After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
  
• The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ''Master,'' he said, ''you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.''
  
• His master replied, ''Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’'
  
• “The man with two bags of gold also came. ''Master,'' he said, ''you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.''
  
• His master replied, ''Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!''
  
• Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ''Master,'' he said, ''I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.''
  
• His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
  
• ''So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.''
  
  *Matthew 25
  
  When I consider how my light is spent
  Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
  And that one Talent, which is death to hide,
  Lodg'd with me useless, though my Soul more bent
  To serve therewith my Maker, and present
  My true account, lest he, returning, chid
  
  - John Milton