The Word This Week
Matt 25:14…
As the Olivette Discourse continues, Jesus continues to give explanation of exactly His expectation of what it means to be, “watching and waiting” for the Rapture of His Church.
He next tells the Parable of the Talents. (Remember, each parable Jesus tells is to lay a spiritual truth alongside a common life example, so the spiritual truth may be readily understood by anyone willing to take the mental effort to understand the spiritual truth being illustrated.)
In this case, a ‘talent’ is a large sum of money, measured by weight. All the talents belong to the landowner, not the servants. Based on the landowner’s understanding by his observation of the abilities and gifts of each servant, he provides each an amount (talent(s)) commensurate with his observations of their lives.
(This is no slight; it is an honest assessment of each man’s ability based on their known makeup as a person.)
After giving each man the number of talents judged by the landowner each is capable of handling, the landowner departs for an unknown period of time. (Again, this only speaks of a Pre-tribulation Rapture – as no one can know the day or hour when the landowner will return – only that he will return.)
Upon his sudden return, the landowner calls each man to give assessment of his accomplishment while the landowner was away.
Each man has demonstrated his belief in the landowner, and his submission to the landowner by his individual actions while the landowner was gone.
Two of the individuals were found faithful, and one was not found faithful at all.
This parable is not about profit or gain, or striving to earn the Lord’s favor, it is about what we accomplish for the kingdom of heaven with the spiritual gifts we have each been given by God based upon how He has made us – while we watch and wait for Jesus to return. Only those who truly know Jesus will desire to serve Jesus based upon their love for Jesus.
Pastor Bill
As the Olivette Discourse continues, Jesus continues to give explanation of exactly His expectation of what it means to be, “watching and waiting” for the Rapture of His Church.
He next tells the Parable of the Talents. (Remember, each parable Jesus tells is to lay a spiritual truth alongside a common life example, so the spiritual truth may be readily understood by anyone willing to take the mental effort to understand the spiritual truth being illustrated.)
In this case, a ‘talent’ is a large sum of money, measured by weight. All the talents belong to the landowner, not the servants. Based on the landowner’s understanding by his observation of the abilities and gifts of each servant, he provides each an amount (talent(s)) commensurate with his observations of their lives.
(This is no slight; it is an honest assessment of each man’s ability based on their known makeup as a person.)
After giving each man the number of talents judged by the landowner each is capable of handling, the landowner departs for an unknown period of time. (Again, this only speaks of a Pre-tribulation Rapture – as no one can know the day or hour when the landowner will return – only that he will return.)
Upon his sudden return, the landowner calls each man to give assessment of his accomplishment while the landowner was away.
Each man has demonstrated his belief in the landowner, and his submission to the landowner by his individual actions while the landowner was gone.
Two of the individuals were found faithful, and one was not found faithful at all.
This parable is not about profit or gain, or striving to earn the Lord’s favor, it is about what we accomplish for the kingdom of heaven with the spiritual gifts we have each been given by God based upon how He has made us – while we watch and wait for Jesus to return. Only those who truly know Jesus will desire to serve Jesus based upon their love for Jesus.
Pastor Bill