14,15 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them, and to one he gave five talents, to another one two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability and immediately he went on a journey.
We understand, in this parable, that talents are a form of currency and the amount distributed to each was determined by the holder of the talents.
In verses 16-23, the servants then made decisions as to what they would do with those talents. Two of the servants made decisions and took actions that doubled their master's holdings. Each of those two received praise from the master (the master is not Jesus nor the Father as no capitalization is used) and a promise that they would be made ruler over many things (because they had been faithful in their enterprises over fewer things) and the joy of their lord would be with them.
In Matthew 25 verses 24-28, the remaining servant did nothing with the talent given him and began to attribute to his master things that the others did not see or chose not to allow them to keep them from doing what was right in the sight of that master. Because he was afraid, he went and hid the talent and simply returned it to that master- he had wasted the opportunity to do something with it.
Verse 29 is the summarization of this parable. The verse reads as an advertisement for the Occupy Wall Street movement- the "Have's" get more and the "Have not's" get what little they had taken away. Was Jesus speaking about money? The parable describes the servant who was given one talent as not just lazy but wicked (could that servant's actions be the result of his receiving one versus two/five?).
For to everyone who HAS more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not HAVE, even what he HAS will be taken away.
It is my understanding that "having" or "having not" in this context speaks directly to the willingness/desire to press into what God has made real to each of us, individually, about His Kingdom. "Having" begins with a revelation of Jesus Christ as Saviour. The individual realizes within the conviction by the Holy Spirit and acts on it- approaches in church or outside church to receive the God's salvation in Christ Jesus. He/she understood the revelation and knew exactly what to do. "Having not" would be the unwillingness to, after having heard/understood, take appropriate action in Christ Jesus. It is the difference between believing and unbelief. What the wicked/lazy servant HAS is the measure of faith that God has given to every living soul. When we hear, He EXPECTS us to receive/obey. Ultimately, even that measure of faith will be taken away from the wicked/lazy(unbelieving) individual if they persist in wickedness, rejecting righteousness.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, WHICH ALSO YOU RECEIVED AND IN WHICH YOU STAND, by which also you also you are saved, if you HOLD FAST that word which I preached to you- unless you believed in vain.
Each of us has a measure of faith. Let's make sure we are not wicked and lazy as God reveals Himself to us- be righteous and labor to do what His word says to do and the inspiration of His will!
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