IDEA: "Talents" aren't talents TEXT: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents beside them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' " (Matthew 25:14-23).

PURPOSE: To help listeners think about what Jesus means when He talks about talents.

What's the largest amount of money you have ever had in your hand at one time?

Suppose someone gave you a million dollars in large bills. What would you think about doing with it?

I. In Matthew 25:14-23, Jesus tells a parable about a businessman who distributed a huge amount of money.

It would take an ordinary person about 20 years to earn a talent. That would make a talent roughly half a million dollars in today's money. This businessman gave one man five times that amount (2-1/2 million dollars). He gave the second man twice that amount (a million dollars). And he gave a third man a half-million dollars.

What does this tell you about the businessman who left town on a long journey?

He would be wealthy and powerful.

Do you think he was the kind of man who threw money around indiscriminately?

What would his expectations have been?

What does this tell you about the two servants who were given money to work with and made a profit?

What does this tell you about the third servant who buried his talent?

This third man wasn't working with a trivial sum of money. Half a million dollars is a lot of money to bury in the ground.

This man is cheating his employer out of the profit that half a million dollars should have brought in through investments or interest.

II. What does the term "talent" in this parable tell you about how we will have to apply this parable to us?

Whatever Jesus is talking about, He's talking about something very valuable.

Jesus is talking about something that should be invested wisely.

There is something wicked about burying something of great value