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Context Matters: The Parable of the Talents

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Perhaps you’ve heard that your talents are a gift from God, and that he wants you to dedicate them to his service. Maybe you can sing or teach. You might be good at volleyball. Perhaps you enjoy setting up chairs or planning baby showers. I can play the trombone, and I’m pretty good with numbers and accounting. But in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25:14-30, all these things are beside the point.

Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled inspirational stories—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages don’t actually mean what we’ve always assumed.

Lars Hammar (2012), Creative Commons

Part of a Single Speech

When we come to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14, we ought to look closely enough to ask an obvious question:

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

You see it, don’t you? I mean this literally: You see “it,” don’t you? “For it will be like a man going on a journey…” Perhaps, to understand this parable, we first need to grapple with what “it” is. What is it, exactly, that will be like a man going on a journey?

In studying this parable, we should see that it’s only one small part of a long lecture given by Jesus on a single occasion. This lecture, starting in Matthew 24:4 and continuing to Matt 25:46, is his answer to his disciples’ questions in Matt 24:3. When will the temple be destroyed? What is the sign of your coming? What is the sign of the end of the age?

We could even probably include Matthew 23 as a part of this discourse, as it provides the setup for the the judgment pronounced in Matt 24:1-2. But even if we consider only chapters 24 and 25 as making up this speech, we’ll be off to a great start.

So, now that we’ve realized this parable is merely one point in a longer speech, what help can we get from the rest of the speech about what “it” is?

Working Backwards

The immediately preceding paragraph tells another parable, also about two groups of subordinates, one faithful and the other unfaithful—just like the parable of the talents. And this preceding parable begins like this:

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (Matt 25:1)

So we have the same set up, except there is no “it.” The subject, the thing which “will be like” the story that follows, is: the kingdom of heaven. So far, so good. But what does he mean by “the kingdom of heaven,” and how it will be like a man going on a journey?

Backing up further, the next paragraph speaks of a faithful and wise servant who receives a reward (Matt 24:45-47) in contrast to a wicked servant relegated to a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 24:48-51). This is very closely connected to what happens in the parable of the talents. And Matt 24:45-51 uses more straightforward language than what we find in the parable of the talents. The difference between the faithful servant and the foolish servant lies in how they each treat their Master’s household. For the one who treats the Master’s people and other servants well, there is a reward of greater responsibility over “all his possessions.” For the one who beats his fellow servants and abandons his duties, there is an assurance of removal, destruction, and torment.

Backing up even further, the next earlier paragraph highlights the fact that the Son of Man will return at an hour his own followers do not expect. Because of this uncertainty, they must always be ready for him (Matt 24:44).

So we can draw a few conclusions:

  1. The IT in Matt 25:14 is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. The parable continues the theme of the Master’s return at an unexpected time.
  3. The Master’s judgment of his servants is based on how his servants treat his people.

So What are My Talents?

So when Jesus tells a story about a man going on a journey, calling his servants, and entrusting to them his property, we must understand that his property, the “talents” he leaves with them, is the people of his kingdom. In Jesus’ day, a “talent” was a very large sum of money. The NIV translators had good reason to translate the Greek term “talents” as “bags of gold” (Matt 25:15, NIV). These people are valuable to the Master.

These “talents” are a metaphor of the people of God. The members of God’s household. Our fellow servants and co-heirs in the kingdom.

In telling this parable, Jesus is not primarily concerned with whether you use your personality traits and unique skill sets to help the Christian community. He is much more concerned with how you treat the people themselves. Are you investing in them or burying them? Are you putting them to good use? Are you putting them to work so they can help recruit even more people into the kingdom, or are you making decisions from fear of losing the people you already have? Are you multiplying their efforts for the sake of his glorious kingdom?

Do this, and great will be your reward when your Master returns and calls for accounting. Fail to do this, and your fears will find you out.

If you see yourself more in the latter class than the former, what is your way out? Remember who your Master is. He is not hard and demanding (Matt 25:24-25), but gentle and lowly in heart, showing you the narrow way of rest (Matt 11:29, 7:13-14).

Confirmation From the Following Context

And lest you think I’m completely crazy in reading the parable of the talents in this way, consider where Jesus goes next, in the conclusion to his speech. What is the only observable difference between the sheep and the goats, between those who find eternal life and those sent to eternal death?

Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. (Matt 25:40)

Jesus’ most precious possession is his people. Make sure he returns to find you treating them well and multiplying their efforts.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… (Matt 28:19)

Context matters.

Context Matters: The Widow’s Mite

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Perhaps you’ve heard of the widow who put her last two copper coins into the offering box. It was all she had to live on, and Jesus praises her for her faith, trusting God to provide despite her poverty. It’s a lovely story, which tells us that we, too, should be more generous. If we give all we have (or at least a little more than we’re comfortable giving), God will surely bless us as he did that sweet woman. Right? Wrong.

Context matters. If we learn to read the Bible for what it is—and not as a collection of independently assembled inspirational stories—we’ll discover that some of our most familiar passages don’t actually mean what we’ve always assumed.

The Section’s Context

In Mark’s gospel, the story of the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41-44) occurs at the climax of the most significant set of controversies in the book. Ever since Jesus rode into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-10), he’s had his sights set on the temple and what takes place there. He inspects (Mark 11:11). He finds no fruit on a fig tree (Mark 11:12-14, 20-25), which Mark uses as a sandwich-symbol of the corrupt temple system (Mark 11:15-19). The chief priests, scribes, and elders refuse to reckon with Jesus’ authority, which is closely connected with John’s (Mark 11:27-33). Jesus then recounts the story of Israel (Mark 12:1-11, cf. Isaiah 5:1-7), a vineyard that continues to produce no fruit—not merely from arboreal illness but on account of a hostile takeover. And the hostile takers-over know exactly how Jesus has now called them out (Mark 12:12).

Now enters the steady stream of assaults from the insurrectionists attempting to discredit their prosecutor. Pharisees with Herodians (Mark 12:13-17) and Sadducees (Mark 12:18-27) all take their cheap shots, which ricochet right back on their own heads. An onlooking scribe speaks up (Mark 12:28-33) and receives remarkably high praise from Jesus in this arena: “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:34).

Then Jesus puts his finishing move on his contenders. The most critical question must focus on the identity of the Messiah. Nobody answers, but the crowds go wild (Mark 12:35-37).

Notice how we can’t read each of these episodes in isolation from the others. Mark is telling a story, building a case, and making a point. Like the angelic incursion into Sodom, searching for evidence of righteous people (Gen 18:20-21), Jesus’ inspection of his Father’s vineyard seeks evidence of holy fruit, yet without finding any. That’s the main point of the entire section of Mark 11 and 12.

The Immediately Preceding Context

Jesus is almost ready to pronounce sentence. But first, he has a cautionary word for the courtroom. He doesn’t want them to miss what’s about to take place; their lives may depend upon learning from the poor example of others.

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Mark 12:38-40)

Instead of caring for God’s vineyard (the people of Israel), they have treated it as their own. Instead of cultivating it to bear fruit for the Lord, they have commandeered its resources for themselves. Instead of leading people to recognize the Son for who he is, they have seized all the goods for the sake of their own public expressions of pomp.

They take the best for themselves. They live for honor. Their prayers are not genuine. And they have devoured widow’s houses. For these reasons, their condemnation will be far greater than that which they’ve extended to others.

Still not convinced of Jesus’ perspective? Time to prove his last set of charges.

Karthikeyan (2017), Creative Commons

Our Passage

So Jesus makes a calculated move: He plants himself within line of sight of the offering box. He sits there for a time, watching and waiting (Mark 12:41). He watches the wealthy do their thing until that poor widow comes along with her two copper coins.

Read this in light of what’s come before, and you can’t escape a clear conclusion. The point is not so much that she put in both of her only remaining coins. The point is that she had been devoured to the point of having only two copper coins (Mark 12:42)!

Here now is evidence of the fruit Jesus has been looking for. Evidence of faith in Yahweh, maker of heaven and earth. Evidence of justice, compassion, and love for God and neighbor (Mark 12:29-31). Evidence of hope outside of oneself, longing for the rescue that comes only from the promised Messiah.

Jesus must ensure his disciples get a load of this. Because of these things, the widow “put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box” (Mark 12:43). This dear woman has been supporting this temple and its corrupt system with her perseverance in true faith, despite having been ravaged by that very system. But now she’s put in “all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44). Time is up. There is no more support for this corruption and defilement.

The Succeeding Context

So Jesus is finally ready to pronounce sentence.

Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down. (Mark 13:2)

Mark does not intend this widow to be an example of more generous giving. He intends her to be the final proof that the old wine must go so the new wine can come in (Mark 2:22). It’s time to wipe out the wicked tenants so sons and daughters can finally enjoy the fruit of God’s vineyard.

Thanks to this poor widow, most of you reading this have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Your church is probably not exclusive to Jews. You have a seat at the table, a place to call your own, a Father who dotes over you.

The larger context of Luke 20:45-21:6 nuances this sequence a little differently, but Luke uses the widow to make the same fundamental point. Please don’t miss it, just because the widow gets a large black number (a chapter division) at the front of her scene.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Access to the Full Series of Bible Studies on Exodus

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I’ve created a page to serve as a table of contents for the complete series of Bible studies through the book of Exodus. You can reach it through the menu (OIA Method > Examples > Who is Yahweh: Exodus). Or you can just click this link. If you’d like to see an interpretive outline of the book at a glance, or if you’d like to revisit any of the studies, you can easily have at it!

And now that I’ve finished the study of Exodus, I’m open to suggestions about what to blog about next. I have a few one-off posts I’d like to write on various topics. And then I’m thinking about doing an occasional series on Bible verses we’re so familiar with that we fail to understand their true meaning in context. I’m compiling a list of verses to tackle, including:

  • A bruised reed he will not break
  • The widow’s mite
  • Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
  • And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
  • Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.
  • We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.
  • The parable of the talents
  • The faith hall of fame
  • Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you
  • God will not give you more than you can handle

Do you have other ideas of familiar verses you suspect may be commonly misused or divorced from their contexts? I do not plan to cover Philippians 4:13, Matthew 18:20, or Jeremiah 29:11, as I’ve seen them each covered adequately many times over in other places.

And are there any other topics you’d appreciate seeing on this blog to help you in your Bible study?

When Sprinkling is Not Enough

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On his blog, Russell Moore wonders whether Bible quoters have replace Bible readers. By these terms, he refers to those who use the Bible as an encyclopedic reference book with wise sayings and quotable verses to support their perspective. Moore laments a generation of Christians that rarely read a Bible book from beginning to end and are unable to follow a narrative arc or train of thought.

I’m delighted to see this situation turn around in part through the readers of this blog. In fact, it gives me some ideas for what to write on this coming year.

If you’re currently blasting your way through the whole Bible, I hope you’re having a terrific time. Keep pressing on! Some days, it feels like you’ll never finish, but that’s not true. Stay the course for only 45 minutes a day, and you’ll finish in about 70 days.

As Moore writes in his post:

To engage with a narrative requires…not just a sprinkling but an immersion in the text.

Check it out!

What We Might Miss When We Discuss the Bible’s Context

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Writing for the Logos Talk blog, Michael Heiser makes an important point about the Bible’s context. When we study the Bible “in context,” we tend to focus on the literary context (surrounding passages) and historical context (what was going on in Israel’s culture at the time).

But another context is just as important, yet often overlooked: The socio-religious context. In other words, what was going on in the surrounding nations at the time? What did those nations believe about their gods and how to serve them, and how does the true God’s revelation to Israel relate or stand out?

The profound contextual overlaps between Israel and her pagan neighbors was a wise theological tactic on God’s part. When divergences in Israel’s theology appear in the text—and there are some dramatic, stark points of contrast—they scream for attention on the part of the ancient reader. Unlike the pagan deities, Israel’s God could not be cajoled like an idol; Yahweh could not be brought down to earth and tamed. Laws about sacrifices were set in specific covenant contexts, giving them a unique theological dimension. Yahweh would rather have faith and loyalty than sacrifice.

We can miss the punch of what the Bible says when we don’t grapple with how it would have sounded to the ancients in their social context. Heiser gives a number of examples of the similarities and differences that help our interpretation.

Check it out!

Why Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?

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No matter how you gather the essentials of the Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus is on that list. Many scholars have written many pages on this topic, in no small part because the biblical authors give it such weight and importance.

James Emery (2007), Creative Commons License

Peter speaks about the resurrection prominently in his first sermon (Acts 2:24, 31–32). Paul writes that the resurrection “declared” that Jesus was the Son of God (Romans 1:4). Later in that same letter, we read that our justification is tied to Jesus’s resurrection (Romans 4:25) and that Jesus’s new life gives us newness of life (Romans 6:4). Paul considered the resurrection a central belief needed for salvation (Romans 10:9), so much so that if Jesus had not been raised from the dead, our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17–19). Jesus is the “firstborn from the dead,” so those who believe in him will follow him in bodily resurrection (Colossians 1:18).

But what about the writers of the Gospels? These men who wrote first-hand accounts of the life of Jesus—what did they think of his resurrection? What did Jesus’s resurrection say about his work and his identity, and what did it mean for his followers?

Let the Gospel Writers Speak

Over the next six weeks, we’ll try to answer these questions here at Knowable Word. Peter and I (Ryan) will each be looking at two of the Gospel accounts of the resurrection and trying to understand the authors’ intentions.

We have published a series like this in the past on the feeding of the 5000. In that series, Peter discussed the themes of each Gospel before placing the feeding of the 5000 within the structure of each book. We will be referring back to those posts in this series on the resurrection, so I’ve collected links to them here for your reference: The Feeding of the 5000 according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Peter also wrote a summary article to tie that series together.

Against Harmonization

Because the resurrection of Jesus is essential to the gospel message, some Christians are eager to see the different accounts of this event reconciled. They want one, definitive story—a narrative timeline that weaves together the details offered by each of the original writers. This is called a harmonization of the Gospels.

While there is a place for understanding the chronology of this historical event, a harmonization is not what we are attempting. In fact, we are attempting just the opposite.

Each Gospel author wrote at a specific time to specific people for a specific purpose. Divinely inspired, these men made choices about what details and events and conversations to include and exclude. They aimed to persuade and teach their audience something specific about Jesus, but the Gospels are all different. This is one reason God has preserved four distinct Gospels for 2000 years; the context in which each author lived and into which each author wrote makes each perspective unique and important. We hear slightly different messages about Jesus in each Gospel. In our series, we hope to connect each author’s account of the resurrection with his purpose in writing his book.

How to Prepare

We hope you’ll enjoy this series, and as you find it valuable we hope you’ll share it with your friends at church and around the internet. We plan to model good Bible study practices and focus our attention on Jesus.

You can prepare for our future articles by reading and studying the relevant passages: Matthew 28:1–10, Mark 16:1–8, Luke 24:1–12, and John 20:1–18. As you read, consider what the writer was intending to communicate through his account of the resurrection. That intention will likely align with the writer’s purpose in writing his Gospel.

Finally, here’s one note regarding observation. Technically, none of the Gospel authors wrote an account of the resurrection. That miracle happened behind the stone, inside the tomb. The Gospels record the discovery of the resurrection!

Over the next six weeks, let’s read the text carefully and discover why Jesus rose from the dead.

Beware the Instagram Bible

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Jen Wilkin makes a critical point about context and reading, when she writes of “The Instagram Bible” at her blog. Here is a taste:

Beware the Instagram Bible, my daughters – those filtered frames festooned with feathered verses, adorned in all manner of loops and tails, bedecked with blossoms, saturated with sunsets, culled and curated just for you.

Beware lest it become for you your source of daily bread. It is telling a partial truth.

I saw in my vision by night, and behold, I dreamed of a world in which every copy of the Bible was gone, except those portions we had preserved on Instagram. Consider this Bible, my daughters, if you will:

Its perfect squares are friend to the proverb, the promise, and the partial quote, leaving laws, lists, land-allotments, and long-stretching lessons to languish off-screen.

It comforts but rarely convicts.

It emotes but rarely exhorts.

It warms but rarely warns.

It promises but rarely prompts.

It moves but does not mortify.

It builds self-assurance but balks at self-examination.

It assembles an iconography whose artists, by spatial necessity, are constrained to choose

brevity over breadth,

inspiration over intellect,

devotion over doctrine.

Beware its conscribed canvas, where calligraphy conquers context.

Beware.

Click here to see the full post. And please take this to heart as you post verses, share verses, or even memorize verses. All such verses are but a nibble of a larger passage, a broader argument. If we don’t get that argument, we misuse the verse.

Check it out!

Who is The Servant of the Lord?

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Imagine driving by your child’s school and spotting a fire truck next to the building. If you recall the fire safety assembly scheduled for the day, you’ll look forward to hearing all about the brave firemen. But if you forget this event, you’ll view that truck in a different light.

Poghia (2006), public domain

Poghia (2006), public domain

In Bible study as in life, context matters. We’ve covered this topic before at Knowable Word. But with the popularity of word studies and the indiscriminate use of cross-references and search engines, we all could use a reminder.

The Servant of the Lord

In the book of Isaiah, interpreters often understand the term “Servant of the Lord” to refer to the Messiah. Beginning in chapter 42 and continuing through the end of the book, the prophet describes the coming Christ in sweeping terms—what he will be like, what he will do, why he must come and suffer. Isaiah 42:1 serves as a preamble:

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.

But read further in the chapter, and you might hear the proverbial record scratch when you hit Isaiah 42:18–20.

18 Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19 Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,
or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 He sees many things, but does not observe them;
his ears are open, but he does not hear. (Isaiah 42:18–20)

Say what?

Are we reading here that the Messiah is the chief example of one who is blind and ignorant of God’s word? How do we explain this? It doesn’t match what we know of—or what we need from—the Savior.

The Servant Israel

When we read further in Isaiah 42, we see the last half of the chapter addresses God’s people and their failure to respond to God. We see the people in caves and prisons in Is 42:22. Isaiah writes about Jacob and Israel in Isa 42:24, explaining that God “gave up Jacob to the looter” because they weren’t willing to walk in his ways. God brought drastic measures (battle and fire) against them but they “did not take it to heart” (Isa 42:25).

God referred to Israel as his servant (twice!) in Isa 41:8–10, so if you’ve read chapter 42 in context, the reference to the blind servant of the Lord makes a bit more sense. Israel is God’s servant.

So here’s the better question: why should “servant” in Isa 42:1 not refer to Israel? If Israel is God’s servant both in Isa 41:8 and Isa 42:19, why should the reference in Isa 42:1 be different?

A Better Servant

Our understanding of the “servant of the Lord” as the Messiah is sharpened and filled out in later chapters of Isaiah. But there’s an important lesson about salvation in chapter 42.

When God calls attention to his servant in Isa 42:1–4, he has big plans in mind. This servant “will bring forth justice to the nations.” The word “justice” appears three times in those four verses.

Much of Isaiah 42:5–17 describes God’s involvement in this justice mission. He will hold the servant by the hand (Isa 42:6). God’s glory and his name are at stake (Isa 42:8). He will prevail like a warrior (Isa 42:13). He will shame those who trust in idols (Isa 42:17).

Thus, when we see Israel described as a blind and deaf servant in Isaiah 42:19, we naturally wonder—how can such a sinful servant accomplish God’s justice?

The logical answer is, he can’t. It will take a better, holier servant of the Lord to accomplish this momentous task. Considering the “servant of the Lord” in context shows us the need for a greater servant than the world had yet seen.

The Word Study Fallacy

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Writing for The Master’s Seminary, William Barrick explains the problem of over-occupation with word studies (scroll to page 19 of the doc):

Study of the words alone will not present us with a consistent interpretation or theology. This is one of the misleading aspects of theological dictionaries/wordbooks. One learns far more about obedience/disobedience or sacrifice and sin from the full statement of a passage like 1 Sam 15:22–23 than he will from word studies of key terms like “sacrifice,” “obey,” or “sin” in the text.

He explains briefly why word studies are easy and popular. But he shows with a few good examples that they simply will not do. We do far better to learn how to study passages than to study words.

Check it out!

Best Advice: Never Read a Bible Verse

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Writing at the Stand to Reason blog, Greg Koukl explains what he believes to be the most important skill for Bible-believing Christians:

If there was one bit of wisdom, one rule of thumb, one single skill I could impart, one useful tip I could leave that would serve you well the rest of your life, what would it be? What is the single most important practical skill I’ve ever learned as a Christian?

Here it is: Never read a Bible verse. That’s right, never read a Bible verse. Instead, always read a paragraph at least.

Koukl goes on to explain a simple method for clarifying the meaning of any verse: paraphrase it in your own words, then read the surrounding paragraph with the inserted paraphrase. Demonstrating this method, Koukl debunks popular but false readings of quotable verses:

  • John 1:3 – “Apart from him” cannot mean “With the exception of Jesus.”
  • Colossians 3:15 – “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” cannot mean “Let feelings of peacefulness in your heart be the judge about God’s individual will for your life.”
  • John 12:32 – “If I be lifted up from the earth” cannot mean “If I be exalted before the people.”
  • John 10:27 – “My sheep hear my voice” cannot mean “Mature Christians have the ability to sense My personal direction for their lives and obey it.”

Koukl’s great article will challenge you never to read a Bible verse apart from the paragraph surrounding it. And I highly recommend this practice.

Check it out!

HT: Justin Taylor