Talents, Truth, and the Parable of the Three Servants

The modern, worldly church has many false teachings concerning the Word of YHWH.  Their main false belief is that Yeshua wants His followers to worship Him on Sunday, the first-day sabbath; not the seventh-day sabbath that is commanded by YHWH (Exodus 20:8-11).  I’ve been thinking a lot about that lately, how such a simple, basic and (to me, anyway) obvious Truth as what day of the week we are to set apart – that is, make holy – for our Heavenly Father can be clouded, ignored, lied about, and forgotten.

I mention the modern church only because I’ve been considering the prophecy given by the prophet Amos regarding the Truth that is the Word of YHWH.   Amos, writing what the Heavenly Father told him to write, tells us; “‘days are coming,’ declares YHWH Elohim, ‘when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the Word of YHWH’” (Amos 8:11).  I believe that a famine of the Word is already occuring in the modern church.

I was pondering the prophetic meaning of that passage in Amos while I was reading the parable of the three servants in Matthew chapter 25, and then something “clicked” for me.  Please allow me to refresh our memories of that parable.  Yeshua is speaking about the kingdom of YHWH:

14 For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted  to them his property.

15 To one he gave five talents (a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages), to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability.  Then he went away.

16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.

17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.

18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, “Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.”

21 His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

22 And he who had the two talents came forward, saying,”Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.”

23 His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, “Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,

25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground.  Here you have what is yours.”

26 But his master answered him, “You wicked and slothful servant!  You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

28 So take the talent from him and give it to him that has the ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:14-30 ESV).

Talents Equal Truth

The obvious interpretation of this parable is that Yeshua is talking about money; investing in the kingdom via charity, gifts, and tithes.  I’m not saying that interpretation is incorrect, I’m simply saying that I believe that there is another, deeper interpretation.  I believe that Yeshua is equating talents with truth; specifically, His Truth as written in the Scriptures.

Yeshua tells us that the Scriptures are Truth.  When He sent out His disciples to spread the Good News, Yeshua prayed for YHWH to “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17).  He also tells us that YHWH will give wisdom generously to all who seek it (James 1:5), and we know from the Book of Proverbs that wisdom is Truth (Proverbs 2:6-7).    I believe that the parable of the three servants is Yeshua telling us that those who have the Truth, who have wisdom and understanding, will be given more if they are faithful to study the Word and increase the Truth they already have.  Conversely, I believe that Yeshua tells us that those who have Truth, but do not seek to increase it, will lose what little they have.

I’m not just making this up… I’ve actually seen this at work in the lives of two people I know.  One of those people is my beautiful bride.  As long as I’ve known her, she has loved and defended the Word of YHWH against all kinds of attacks.  I’ve watched my beautiful bride witness to the local Jehovah’s Witness!  Too many times I’ve seen her frustration, because she just couldn’t get through to a person that called themselves “Christian” but who refused to accept delivery of the Truth.

What does YHWH say about people like that?  ”By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.  The one who says,’I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of YHWH has truly been perfected” (1 John 2:3-5).  I know that my lovely wife loves the Truth, and I see her gaining wisdom and understanding of YHWH every day!  My beautiful bride is the epitome of the servant who was given the five talents, and I see daily that Yeshua HaMeshiach is perfecting His love in her.

Use It or Lose It

Conversely, I know another person, a former member of our assembly, that personifies the worthless servant who was given the one talent.  This person was in our assembly, so they knew enough Truth to keep the proper sabbath.  They wore the tzitziyot and observed the dietary restrictions.  On the surface, this person looked like a true believer.

Unfortunately, my former acquaintance “discovered” a new teacher on the internet, and became a devoted follower.  This teacher is of the Revelation 2:14 variety.  Shortly after following that teacher, this person stopped wearing their tzitzits.  Soon they began combing through the Scriptures; not looking for truth, but looking for “loopholes” in order to justify their pet iniquity.  The last time I saw my former acquaintance, they regaled me with the tale of their late-night munchie run to Wal-Mart.  I suppose I should be more specific.  The last time I saw this person, they regaled me with the tale of their late-Friday-night munchie run to Wal-Mart.  What little Truth they had appears to be gone.

There is one more point to consider.  The two good servants did what they knew would please their master.  The third servant knew the master, but did not act according to the master’s will.  A servant that will not do what their master wants is nothing but worthless, and will quickly be thrown out of that master’s house.

I truly believe that Yeshua HaMeshiach was giving us a glimpse not just into the kingdom of YHWH, but also into the spiritual condition of true believers and of so-called “believers”.  I know that Yeshua only spoke what the Father told Him to say (John 12:50), so maybe Father YHWH is giving a message for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.  Please join me in prayer for all those who call themselves believers but show no sign of the Truth, that they repent of their sins and keep YHWH’s Word, before they are thrown into the outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of their teeth.

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