Bible Background

From now until mid-January, we will be examining the various parables from the New Testament.

Jesus taught people with parables. A parable is a story that teaches a lesson. These stories included examples from everyday life that offered clues that helped the listener understand what Jesus was teaching.

This parable is about talents, or large sums of money.

The Silver Pieces
Matthew 25:14-29

Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven is like this.

A man was going on a journey. So he called his slaves and asked them to watch over his property for him while he was away. He divided his money among the slaves according to each one’s ability. To one slave he gave five talents. To another he gave two. And to another he gave one talent.

The slave who received five talents went off and traded with them. He made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had two talents made two more. But the slave who had only one talent dug a hole and buried it in the ground.

After a long time, the master returned. The master was pleased with the slave who turned five talents into ten and the slave who turned two talents into four.

To the slave who had one talent the master said, “You wicked and lazy slave! I will take your talent away and give it to the slave who has ten. To all those who have, more will be given. From those who have nothing, everything will be taken away.”