How do we interpret the parable of the talents through grace? (Matthew 25)
It’s a heaven and hell issue and that’s it. Just like the previous parable of the 10 virgins. Both refer to people being saved and those that will be cast in eternal punishment. Directly after both of these parables were told, Jesus declares that when he returns he will separate people on his left and right. Those on his right will go into everlasting joy and those on the left into everlasting punishment.
You cannot use the parable of the talents to say that we must be faithful with the talents that God has given us. If you do then you are also saying that if you don’t use your talents then you will burn in the lake of fire as that is the only conclusion that you can draw in order to be consistent with the parable. Besides the word talents is not the word for the talent package that God has given everyone but actual money or rather bags of silver. Silver usually represents redemption in the Bible. I believe the talents represent the gift of righteousness that God gives us. The whole point is “What did we do with that gift?” Well those that understood grace and faith received the gift and it produced fruit in their life. Their faith was represented in the deeds that they did. The self righteous one who didn’t understand grace and faith didn’t do anything with the gift of righteousness. His deeds represented his unbelief. The ultimate conclusion of the parable is that those who rely on self righteousness and law keeping will not be saved but cast into outer darkness. Those who receive the gift of righteousness will be saved and enter into the joy of the Lord! And their life will overflow with the inheritance of the Kingdom.
These parables came at the very climax of Jesus’ ministry. Just after he had silenced the Pharisees from asking anymore questions (Matt 22:46) and had publicly rebuked them seven times for their self righteousness hypocrisy (“Woe to you Pharisees…” Matt 23:13-36). He was trying to bring Israel out of reliance on the law and works and prepare them for faith in Him and the New Covenant. Throughout his ministry he had been heightening the law to show one major thing: reliance on self righteousness is futile! You must receive the gift of righteousness through faith in the Christ, in order to be made truly righteous.
His parables often represented those who rely on the law and those who rely on faith. The five wise virgins had made themselves ready. How? Through the New Covenant, represented by the light and the oil. The wise virgins are people that have come out of darkness and into the light and the new way of the Spirit in the New Covenant. The five foolish virgins had not made themselves ready as they had no oil – they didn’t have the Spirit or the New Covenant. They were Israel that were still relying on the law and were in darkness.
Often when the scriptures talk about being prepared and being ready for Christ’s return they are referring to coming into the New Covenant through faith in Christ, and not about getting rid of the sin in your life. Well in reality it is about getting rid of sin, but that is the sin of unbelief, and coming into faith.
So how does this parable apply to New Covenant believers? It doesn’t! It’s for the self righteous! You may like to use it to help people see the futility of self righteousness though, but to put it on believers as a form of motivation to get them serving God with their talents is actually completely missing the point.
The point is the gift of righteousness is being offered to all mankind through Christ. Will we receive it? Will we ready ourselves for the climax of the ages by letting go of self righteousness and coming into the light and life of God through faith in Christ? Will we bury this gift that is offered and ignore it thinking that the father is a hard task master with such high standards that it’s impossible to please Him. If we do truly believe that His standards are so high then we should take the gift that is offered and put it to use as it will produce the very thing that He is looking for in us – His righteousness!
