Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25 Vs. 15

 The Parable of the Talents

Matthew 25:15 “And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.”

gave five talents... At $600,000 each for talents of gold, 5 would be worth $3 million.

to another two... $1.2 million.

to another one... $600,000.

There are two definitions of Talents. One was a former weight and unit of currency, used especially by the ancient Romans and Greeks. And the other is our general intelligence or mental power and ability in a field or activity.

We’ll begin by saying this parable extends far beyond financial investments, but God has given each person a variety of gifts, and he expects each of us to employ these gifts Talents, in his service. It is not acceptable for us to ignore what we have been given as the man who received one. Like the three servants mentioned, we are not given gifts of the same degree. The return God expects from each of us is equivalent with the gifts we have been given by Him.

several ability (ἰδίαν)

Lit., his own or peculiar capacity for business.

The talents signify ability and opportunity. We must beware of using the word in any limited or conventional sense. In ordinary conversation the word is generally applied to abilities above the average, as, for example, when a man of more than ordinary ability is spoken of as a man of talent, or a talented man. The word ability, indeed, is used in the same way. A man of ability, an able man, means a man able to do more than most people can; whereas, properly speaking, and in the sense of the parable, a man who is able to do anything-to break stones, to write his name, to speak a sentence of sense-is an able man. He is not generally so called, but he really is a talented man, for God has given him, as He has given to everyone, certain ability, and according to that ability is the talent for service with which Christ entrusts him. At first sight this phrase according to his several abilities seems invidious, as if suggesting that Christ was a respecter of persons and dealt more liberally with the strong than with the weak. But the talents are not merely gifts, -they are trusts involving responsibility; and therefore, it is simple justice to graduate them according to ability. As we shall see, there is no respect of persons in appointing the awards. But as respects the talents, involving as they do the burden of responsibility, it is very evident that it would be no kindness to the man of less ability that he should be made responsible for more than he can easily undertake.

The gradations of five, two, one, appropriately correspond to what we speak of as superior, ordinary, and inferior ability. At this point occurs the main distinction between this parable and the similar one of the pounds, spoken at a different time and with a different purpose. Here the servants all differ at first, but the faithful ones are alike in the end, inasmuch as they have done equally well in proportion to their ability. There the servants are all alike at the beginning, out the faithful ones receive different awards, inasmuch as they have differed in the degree of their diligence and faithfulness. The two together bring out with striking clearness and force the great thought that not success, but faithfulness is what the Lord insists on. The weakest is at no disadvantage; he may not only do as well as the strongest, but if the measure of his diligence and faithfulness is higher, he may even excel him.

It is in keeping with the difference in the scope of the two parables that in the one the sums entrusted should be large (talents), in the other, small (pounds). In the parable which has for its main lesson, Make the most of the little you have, the amounts entrusted are small; while the large sums are fitly found in the parable which emphasizes what may be called the other side of the great lesson, To whom much is given, of them much shall be required.

The master went on a journey and gave each servant a specific amount of money, talents.