The Parable of the Talents

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Here's the NRSVUE on BibleGateway.

www.biblegateway.com

Bible Gateway passage: Luke 19:11-27 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Parable of the Ten Pounds - As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant region to receive royal power for himself and then...
www.biblegateway.com www.biblegateway.com

Interestingly, this goes into more detail. He is now no longer just "master" but a nobleman whose trip is to receive some kind of royal commission. And the people protest this, too, giving weight to the slave's contention that he is a harsh man who reaps where he does not sow. I think this version makes is much clearer that the "master" cannot be simply a stand-in for God. God would not need a royal commission for one thing, but would be the King and would not be portrayed in such negative terms.

So it brings us back to what point Jesus is making with the slave who does not earn a return on the money. It clearly has something to do with our relationship to wealth and power, rather than divine gifts.
 
For the first two servants, wealth was opportunity to take risks. For the third servant wealth was a burden. The first two servants wanted to please their master. The third wanted to be safe from the master.

In a way, this parable repudiates all the efforts by religious leaders to make people afraid of God.
 
Just to put the money involved into perspective, one Talent of gold weighed approx. 58.9kg(129lb.14oz).
I Talent was worth 6000 Denarii which was equal to 20 years labour in biblical times.
 
GordW said:
My sermon title for that Sunday is "Take a Risk". It seems that the story encourages us to risk, in the hope of growth, rather than play it safe to avoid loss. Mind you we don't know how the master would have responded had one of the servants taken a risk and lost money....
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How many people are typically at your sermons?

And yea, like I have said, Canada is a safe and "boring" country (which I like. I like safe)

If ya wantz to make money, go to USA

Or excitement 24/7, places like India
 
Waterfall said:
Just to put the money involved into perspective, one Talent of gold weighed approx. 58.9kg(129lb.14oz).
I Talent was worth 6000 Denarii which was equal to 20 years labour in biblical times.
Click to expand...
I gather that info is there to show us just how valuable these bags were?
 
Delightful Life said:
What does coded Pink mean?
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Sorry for not elucidating. In the Jesus Seminar world, the words of Jesus were voted on by colour category as to how likely it was that a quote attributable to Jesus was likely said by him. Red: almost certainly; pink: quite likely, or something very like the sentiment; grey: maybe, lots of doubt; black: probably not.
 
BetteTheRed said:
Sorry for not elucidating. In the Jesus Seminar world, the words of Jesus were voted on by colour category as to how likely it was that a quote attributable to Jesus was likely said by him. Red: almost certainly; pink: quite likely, or something very like the sentiment; grey: maybe, lots of doubt; black: probably not.
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Thankee :3
 
Mendalla said:
Here's the NRSVUE on BibleGateway.

www.biblegateway.com

Bible Gateway passage: Luke 19:11-27 - New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

The Parable of the Ten Pounds - As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant region to receive royal power for himself and then...
www.biblegateway.com www.biblegateway.com

Interestingly, this goes into more detail. He is now no longer just "master" but a nobleman whose trip is to receive some kind of royal commission. And the people protest this, too, giving weight to the slave's contention that he is a harsh man who reaps where he does not sow. I think this version makes is much clearer that the "master" cannot be simply a stand-in for God. God would not need a royal commission for one thing, but would be the King and would not be portrayed in such negative terms.

So it brings us back to what point Jesus is making with the slave who does not earn a return on the money. It clearly has something to do with our relationship to wealth and power, rather than divine gifts.
Click to expand...

Imagine the noble beast getting a bad rap from ordinary folk of society ... and in the end the "devil takes all" that can be learned from the DOC ... and few can differentiate the varieties of metaphor as they are extensive and clear as air under a chilled Skye ...

Real folk were meant to be confused by such elaborations so the unseen gods could collect in peace ... usually in the heat of the night! Then they scatter at dawn ...
They do say what you don't know won't hurt ... T. Grandon uses such theories in designing slaughterhouses ... the Nazi's may have too ... the great unknown and unknowing is baffling ... where do wasted (prodigal) thoughts go? There's a myth about that too ... child's play!
 
paradox3 said:
The Parallel passage in Luke is quite different.

I have signed up to host the BPoTW on November 19. I could offer it up for discussion and comparison then @jimkenney12
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You know Luke is an aberration of Lucifer and the devils input from the depths! Those of great position hate this ... just low down ... sublime even!

That's the word as laid out ... hard to cypher for those that are repulsed by reading talents ... touché? Bit touched ... fleeced ...
 
The Parable of the Talents ends with the command to throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness.

After concluding the parable, Jesus starts talking about the Son of Man coming in his glory and sitting on his glorious throne. Now the people will be separated one from the other like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Is it possible that the parable is really about the final judgment? And Jesus himself is the man going on the journey (25: 24)?
 
It is possible. We need to remember each of the evangelists put the parables and other stories in an order that served their purposes.
 
paradox3 said:
The Parable of the Talents ends with the command to throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness.
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MAtthew does tend to have a "throw into outer darkness/eternal fire/punishment fetish I find, particularly as we approach Good Friday.
 
paradox3 said:
Is it possible that the parable is really about the final judgment?
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This is exactly what it is referring to -------the 2nd coming after the 7 year Tribulation and the final Judgment -----chapter 24 and 25 go together ----the 3 Parables in 25 constitutes warnings and encouragement and prophecies to Israel before His departure ----and the responsibilities of being a good Stewards of what resources that they have been given to care for His Kingdom ----2 gained resources to invest in His Kingdom ---the one contributed nothing into the Kingdom and lost what he had -----so 2 were blessed and stayed in the light and the other was separated from the light and was cast into the darkness -----

So where do we want to be ---when the final Judgment comes ----in the light or cast out of the light and thrown into the darkness -----we decide -----the one fellow made a bad choice ----

We have a choice to choose life in the light or death in the dark -----
 
And following up on this train of thought, @unsafe perhaps the riches were neither money nor personal attributes/ gifts.

What if the riches were what Jesus taught us?
 
the term Outer Darkness is probably where the Old Ones Dwell

The Forgotten Beings

Who were Here Before universe

Their Very Presence Eats Away at Our Reality

Good Thing this Outer Presence Tossing Stopped Happening (yay Humanity!)

So mostly these beings grumble and kvetch and drool ineffectually

Every so often some fool tries making a deal with them, expecting power, fame...they usually become Lunch!

LA!
 
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