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The Parable of the Talents: Life in Anticipation - Johnny Unger

Aug 2, 2026  •  Johnny Unger

The parable of the talents comes after Jesus has entered Jerusalem, cleared the temple, and spoken about the temple being destroyed. Jesus is answering the disciples’ question about his coming and the end of the age, but he does not give them a calendar. The disciples ask when it will happen, and Jesus shows what faithful servants should be doing while they wait. Jesus makes the point plain: the master goes away, gives resources, returns after a long time, and settles accounts.


The word “talent” does not first mean being naturally gifted or impressive. A talent is money, something entrusted to a servant by a master. The master gives five, two, and one, “each according to his ability,” which means the master knows his servants. The master knows what each one can and cannot work with, so comparison is not the point. The five-talent servant and the two-talent servant do the same faithful thing with different amounts. The difference in amount does not matter nearly as much as the faithfulness of the work.


The Lord has given more than most people realize. Life, breath, the gospel, and the Holy Spirit are already worth more than piles of gold. The servant who thinks he is a “half talent guy” still has something real to work with. The master gives resources, and the master gives responsibility. Faithful work is required, but the Lord does not demand more than he has equipped a servant to do.


Faithful work should not get stuck in fear over results. The Holy Spirit guides the servant, so faithful work cannot finally be fruitless in the kingdom, even if it does not turn out the way the servant imagined. The risk of service is real, like a businessman taking money into the marketplace, but hiding the gift is worse. The one-talent servant sees only danger, buries what was entrusted to him, and comes back with nothing but an accusation against his master.


The master’s return brings generous reward and real judgment. Jesus does not run a retirement plan. The faithful servants are not told to sit on a beach and never lift another finger. They hear, “Well done,” enter the joy of the master, and receive more work because the joy is in the work. The buried gold becomes a picture of faith hidden away until it is useless. The final call is simple and serious: accept the gifts, stop comparing, work with what the master has given, and be found faithful when he returns.