Expert: Pastor Kimberly Lemler - 1/14/2007

Question
How is it known that the man who hid his talent in the ground was fearful? I
think he could have simply not seen the need for more money, and is this
sinful? The investments of the others could be interpreted as greed. It's unfair
to judge those three men when they were not told at the beginning of the
story on what grounds they would eventually be judged.
When the Bible says the poor should/will be looked after/loved/praised (I
can't quote directly), does it exclude those who have had opportunities and
wasted them? Even if they repent? Or if they do not use their talents but do
not ask for any outside help after?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Can you explain the parable of the talents? Matthew says : " For unto every
one
that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath"
- which I was not expecting (I thought it would say something happy about
charity and/or people being nice to each other). So, isn't that un-Christian?
-----Answer-----
Dear Kie,

  The answer to your question is, no, this is not un-Christian. People have
different ideas about what Christianity is all about. Our plumbline is the Word
of God and our ideas need to revolve around it.

 The parable of the talents basically says this: God gives us all a
responsibility to take his gifts that He has given us and use them. If we take
his gift and bury it in the sand, then we are not using His gift, thereby not
fulfilling our calling. For example, if God gives me a gift of singing and out of
fear, I choose not to bless the other people in the church with my gift of
song, then I am not fulfilling my potential. I am wasting my gift. If I continue
to waste my gift, I will probably lose it. Another example... God gave me arm
muscles. If I choose not to use my arm and stimulate my muscles, eventually
this would atrophy and I would lose the use of my arm. But if I exercise that
muscle, eventually I would get stronger and stronger. Look at the body
builders...they use their muscles and they increase...

If we do not develop what abilities and talents we have in the service of the
Lord in this life, we shall not be competent to discharge the added
responsibilities in the world to come.

The man who received one talent and hid it in the ground represents earthly
pleasures, earthly possessions, earthly ambitions, earthly friendship. All
things of the world. The man had a FEAR...and so he hid his talents. The Bible
says that fear is of sin. What he did was sinful.

If we look at the world around us...why are rich wealthy? Do they take their
money and bury it? They cannot increase if the take what they have and bury
it. They invest it, they multiply it in some way. This is the law of use.  Why are
the poor of this world poor? They take what little they have and keep it. They
don't invest it or try to multiply it in any way.

The Bible teaches about sowing and reaping. What we sow, we will reap. If we
literally sow our coins to the soil, nothing will grow from that. But if we sow
our money into a ministry or church or something else that is worthy, then
the Bible tells us that we will reap manyfold. It is a spiritual principle.

At first glance the parable seems unfair. Despite our notions about social
injustice, God's law of use controls the ultimate distribution of wealth. We
must be willing to take the world as He made it and live in it to the fullest. For
He says, in fact, that if we are willing to do this...if we are willing to use what
He has given us...we will have more. But if we are not willing to use what He
has given us, we will lose it.  It's not mean...it's God's way, and His way is the
opposite of what the world teaches.

Do you understand this now? Please let me know. Thank you for writing...

In His Service,
Rev. Lemler

Answer
Hello Kie,

This is a parable which is designed to teach us a moral lesson. The moral lesson is that we are to use the talents that God has given us in this lifetime, or we may lose them.

The man was fearful, as found in Matthew 25:25. He had an instruction and did not obey it.

This parable also has a deeper meaning to it. It has a reference to salvation. Those who do what God has asked will be rewarded (come and share your master's happiness, v.21), but those who do not will be cast into the darkness (reference to hell). (Matt. 25:30.)

The men were servants. They already knew what their master expected of them, even though it is not stated. We can see the implication of this in the other the verses. They were entrusted with their master's money (v.14). The two were not greedy, they were humble. They wanted to do right by their master. They were being obedient.  The man who put his money in the ground was the greedy one. He was in fear and the master called him wicked and lazy.

We should most definitely give to the poor. Those who are in real need. Absolutely!! God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.  But how long do we give? The welfare system is set up today so that people can sit on their rears and do nothing. So many welfare reipients are lazy.  They have no motivation to go out and work. The Bible says that we do not eat if we do not work.  Yes, give to the poor and teach them and help them to be self-sufficient so that they can care for themselves and eventually be able to help others.

God put us all on this earth for a reason...he gave us talents. His intention was for all us to be born again, and spirit filled and living for the kingdom. Those who are Christians are considered the body of Christ...we are his arms and legs and eyes and arms to do His will on this earth.  He did not intend for us to waste the talents that he gave us. If we don't use these gifts from God that were planned to help us live prosperous and victorious lives, then how can we prosper, if God set it  up this way?

Are you a Christian?

In His Service,
K. Lemler