Of Pounds and Talents

The parables of the pounds and talents have sobering lessons for any one with ears to hear.

The parable of the pounds begins with a nobleman going into a far country and giving equal amounts of money to his servants. This obviously refers to Christ going into heaven. The equal amounts of money symbolize the Bible since very soon after Jesus Christ went to heaven the saints have all had access to all sixty-six books of the Bible. We must do something with the Bible to have the Word of God grow in our hearts.

In contrast, the parable of the talents has different amounts of money given to each servant. Here the money symbolizes the ability of the servant to manifest God through wisdom.

One of the servants kept his money laid up in a napkin. He did this because he feared the nobleman. (Lk. 10:20-1) Perfect love casts out fear. (1 Jn. 4:18) It is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom. (Lk. 12:31-2) Hence we see that the one pound man had a poor attitude. This was the first reason he was condemned.

The one pound man said the reason for his fear was, “because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.” (Lk. 19:21). Here he is being a false accuser, or diabolos. This is the second reason he was condemned. Everlasting fire is prepared for the diabolos and his messengers. (Matt. 25:41) This shows us the importance of knowing God’s attributes through the money, or Bible, He gave us.

In the parable of the talents the rejected servant is called unprofitable, (Matt. 25:30) This is the third reason he is condemned. An unprofitable servant is one who does only what is required of him to do. (Lk. 17:10) He is like the Christadelphian who does the daily readings, comes to the memorial service, and avoids gross sin, but that is all. He is unprofitable because he only does what is required of him.

There is a minimum amount of service that one must have. “Wherefore then gavest not my money into the bank, that at my coming 1 might have required my own with usury?” (Lk. 19:23 see also Mtt. 25: 27) Another meaning is, “You should have put food on the food table, so that when I returned I would have received my own with offspring.” This means the least service we can get away with is preaching the Truth, for the Bible is spoken of as food. (Heb. 5:12) Offspring are the converts, which are born by the food, the Word of God. (1 Pet. 1:23).

If that is the least we can do in serving God, what is the increase of the other servants? They gave clothes to the naked, visited the sick and in prison, gave food and drink to the hungry and thirsty. (Mtt. 25:34-40).

The lesson from these parables is that it takes more than an average unprofitable Christadelphian to inherit the Kingdom. We must have a good attitude towards God, and in the very least, preach the Truth. There is work for all to do with the money Christ gave us. Let us not hide our money in a napkin.