Learn From the Illustration of the Talents

A MAN GIVES HIS SLAVES A LOT OF MONEY

Read Matthew 25:14-30. In the parable of the talents, Jesus talked about a man who went on a journey. In a similar parable, Jesus spoke about a man who went on a journey to become a king." (Luke 19:12) Our publications have said for  many years that in both parables this man refers to Jesus, who went to heaven in the year 33. But Jesus did not immediately become King when he went to heaven. He waited until 1914, when his enemies were "placed as a stool  for his feet." -Hebrews 10:12, 13. 

Jesus said that the man in the parable had eight talents. That was a lot of money.  (In Jesus' time, one talent was the amount of money a worker earned in 20 years. ) Before the man went away, he gave his this money to his slaves. He told them to use it to make more money for him. Just as the money  was very valuable to that man, there was something that was very valuable to Jesus. What was that? It was the work he did while he was on earth. 

The preaching work was very important to Jesus. As a result of his preaching, many became his disciples.  (Read Luke 4:43) But he knew that there was more work to do and  that more people would accept the good news. In fact, he told his disciples:  "Lift up your eyes and view  the fields, that they are white for harvesting." (John 4:35-38)  A good farmer would not abandon a field  that was ready to be harvested. Jesus had the same attitude. So just before he returned to heaven, Jesus commanded his followers:  "Go therefore, and make disciples." (Matthew 28:18-20) In this way, Jesus gave them a precious treasure, the important responsibility to preach. -2 Corinthians 4:7. 

Like a man who gave his money to his slaves, Jesus gave his anointed followers the work of making disciples.  (Matthew 25:14) So the talents refer to the responsibility to preach and make disciples.  

Jesus said that the master gave five talents  to the first slave, two talents to the second slave, and one talent o the third slave.  (Matthew 25:15) The master gave each slave a different amount of money for him. In the same way, Jesus expected his anointed followers to do their best int he preaching work.  (Matthew 22:37; Colossians 3:23) At Pentecost in the year 33, Jesus' followers began making disciples of people of all nations. And when we read the Bible book of Acts, we see clearly how hard they worked. -Acts 6:7; 12:24; 19:20. 

Next time: Learn From the Illustration of the Talents - THE SLAVES USE THE TALENTS IN THE TIME OF THE END

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015