Got Any Talents?

"For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Matthew 25:29 NAS95

Have you ever considered Matthew 25:29? Michael asked. Since I am not a walking verse by verse repository, I had to look it up. Then I got disturbed that Jesus would say such a thing, and then disturbed because as I looked at people I knew I could see this verse played out in their lives.

I had to do some research on what Jesus meant when He said this, and why. The context of this verse is the parable of the Talents. If you don’t know the whole story you should read it. It starts in verse 14 and ends with verse 30.

The story is quite simple, the landowner gives his servants a total of eight talents to take care of while he is gone on a journey. Eight seems like a small number, until you realize what each talent was worth on August 1, 2022. Each talent, if valued in today’s dollars, was worth $1,876,625.52. So, the guy with five talents gets $9,383,127.60 to work with, the guy with two talents gets $3,753,251.04. The third servant gets just one talent to work with, and he goes and buries it. By now you should know the first two guys double the money, now worth $26,727,757.28. The last guy doesn’t even get interest on the money.

In our world we often complain that those that have get and those that don’t have do not get anything. There is a huge truth in this reality. Jesus was noting that if you take what you have, whether it be musical talent, financial talent, physical talent/abilities, intellectual talent/abilities, writing abilities or anything you were given by birth, and put it to work, you will gain more of that talent. Jesus was encouraging “talent” responsibility, not just fiscal responsibility.

What does not get rewarded in any culture is sitting on your butt and doing nothing. Everyone has something they can do excellently! The world is full of examples of people with limited capabilities being excellent at something. I can’t paint a picture that anyone would want to look at, but I can write a blog, paint a house, spray paint a car, repair a car, and… anything else I would say is just bragging.

I have written before that along with Paul the Apostle I declare:

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 NAS95

One author I read on this subject suggested that the three levels of money given were to express exceptional talent, ordinary talent, and lack any desire to develop talent. This past week a thirteen-year-old young woman entered Medical School. That is exceptional talent., Hundreds of other young men and women also entered medical school, they may be just ordinary talent. That saddest part of life is thousands of kids will drop out of high school this fall because they do not want to do the work.

Today millions of people will give to the poor, some will give exceptional amounts out of the blessings in their lives, others will give little out of the blessings of their lives. Even a widow’s offering can be an expression of an exceptional gift.

A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent. Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on." Mark 12:42-44 NAS95

There are many ways of growing our “talents.” Way too many for a short musing. We need to think of “trading” with the talents we already have, continuing to “grow” them and know that the returns will be rich. I don’t know what talent you possess, but I do know this, you need to use your talent to keep from losing it.

I think of a friend from years past. He had an incredible gift for music and was one of the finest baritones I have ever heard sing. He could have been anything he wanted musically. He had a degree in music, but chose to put his music aside and do nothing with it after college. He took a mediocre job, and died young of throat cancer. I wonder what would have been different if he had used that talent and his gift, for others, and the Glory of God.

Once again, I am challenged to use what I have, to the best of my ability, for God’s glory, lest the talent I do have is taken away. Are you using the God given talent you have? Or, are you sitting on your (I really want to say “butt” again) talent?