When their boss left for a prolonged trip, he entrusted three workers with varying sums of money. One received five talents, one received two, and one received one. He didn’t hand-pick ‘who received what’ by arbitrary choice but each according to his own ability (Matt 25:14-30). Conservative scholars estimate by today’s standards a talent of gold equals one and a half million dollars. That’s means the owner trusted his servants with twelve million dollars—five talents equal to $7,500,00; two talents equal to $3,000,000 and one talent equal to $1,500,000. But note in Jesus’ parable of the talents the master did not instruct them what to do with the money, he distributed it and he went on his journey. However, we can ascertain they knew their master as a man harvesting where he did not sow and gathered where he did not scatter seed (v25) and he would expect increase from his investment. Two double their portion, but the man with one talent, $1,500,000, was so afraid, he buried his money. The master condemned him as wicked and lazy servant.
You might be saying, “Well, God has never given me even half a million dollars.” Jesus provided us something far more valuable than all the gold in the world—salvation. In addition, the Holy Spirit gives every believer at least one spiritual gift. As each one has received a special gift (1 Pe 4:10). A spiritual gift is simply a special ability beyond one’s natural talents and skills given by the Holy Spirit for service in Christ’s Kingdom. As with the parable of the talents, He gives believers different gifts and a varying number of gifts. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us (Rom 12:6). God has gifted some Christians with several abilities while for others, He gives only one. Here the world’s value system has caused many to stumble especially those with only one gift. The Lord’s system doesn’t place more or less value on those with several and those with one. God has given us the gift/s we have and placed us where He can use us best. The Spirit distributed to each one individually just as He wills (1 Cor 12:11). God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired (v18).
Just as the one talent servant buried his talent, Christians bury their spiritual gift. Believers fill churches who do nothing because they have only one God-given ability and feel inferior—“If only I had gifts like Joe, I could do so much. Mine doesn’t matter and won’t make a difference.” The result leads to the Joes with three gifts doing four ministries or those with five gifts struggling to keep up with six tasks or even more. Often these additional ministries are outside their gifting. When we minister with what God has given us and where He has placed us, everyone will be far more effective in their ministry areas.
Numerous reasons cause believers to bury their gift, but I’ve recently realized another way—other people. Their flesh can lead them to tear down anyone who appears more successful. My mom was a gifted youth teacher. Others resented that, verbally attacked her until she gave up and buried her gift. Sadly, a few pastors will suppress people’s gifts. They may not see your value because you can’t do all they desire, even if it’s outside your gifting and bury what you can do. One reason that I have observed, if a multi-gifted person joins their church, the pastor may be intimidated by the person. I’ve experienced this more than once. Immature leaders fear that a gifted Christian wants to take their position.
The Jews feared because Jesus was performing signs and wonders, they would lose their place. “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (Joh 11:48). The main cause is envy and jealousy rooted in pride. They handed Jesus over to Pilate who was aware that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy (Mar 15:10). The Apostles using their gifts faced the same scenario. But the high priest rose up, along with all his associates (that is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy (Acts 5:17). Paul and Barnabas exercising their gifts encountered the Jews in Antioch in Pisidia who became jealous and took wicked men from the marketplace in order to destroy them (Act 17:5).
The lesson: don’t bury the gift God entrusted to you, it’s important. Don’t allow other people, even leaders, to bury what God has invested in you. The value of the talents in Jesus’ parable stresses the value of even one gift. Jesus has gone on a long journey and divided the work of the Church among us and entrusted us to make an increase on His investment. He will hold you accountable. Will you hear Him say, Well done, good and faithful servant! or You wicked, lazy servant! Use your gift or gifts where He places you.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Be faithful with a few things and He will put you in charge of many things. You will enter the joy of Jesus for all eternity.