Bob Westfall - The Courage Factor: Taking Bold Steps That Lead to Joy

Hide not your talents, they for use were made. Whats a sundial in the shade?

Benjamin Franklin

S everal decades ago, a dear friend drew my attention to some ancient words. He asked me to read them, to think about them, and to apply them to my life. It is hard to describe, all these years later, how much of a difference that simple request made. Nearly every day of my life, I live out the lasting legacy of that moment.

Before I tell you more about this legacy, I want to tell you what these ancient words are. I trust that as I recount them to you and provide a little explanation, youll see why they have meant so much to so many through the centuries.

These words were first spoken by Jesus Christ as he taught his twelve disciples during the days of the Roman Empire. He had been living with his disciples and teaching them for nearly three years by the time he said these words, but his time with them was coming to an end. Jesus had already begun talking about his death, and questions naturally began to form in the minds of his disciples: How are we going to live without him? What does he expect of us once hes gone?

Sensing these concerns, Jesus decided to tell them a story. This was often how he communicated truth. It is interesting that brain scientists today tell us that stories are the best way for human beings to absorb truth and to remember it. Jesus obviously knew this, and it is why most of what he taught the world was embedded in stories that weve come to call parables.

One of these is found in the New Testament book of Matthew, in chapter 25 starting with verse 14. This is the one I want to break out for you here, the one that so impacted my life.

Jesus had been discussing the kingdom of God with his disciples just before he launched into his story. Here are the opening words:

For it [the kingdom of God] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

Now, it adds to the drama and symbolism of this story if we know what the word talent meant in the time of Jesus. Of course, we use this word in English today to describe something wonderful a person is able to do, like dance or play guitar or cook or speak well in public or perhaps build houses. Yet this meaning of the word talent was not the one used in Jesuss day.

Instead, a talent was a certain weight of silver. It was used the way we use words like pound or ounce or ton. So when we are told in the story that a man was given a talent, it doesnt mean he was suddenly given the ability to sing or paint beautifully. Instead, it means he was given a certain amount of silver.

Knowing this really adds understanding to the story, especially since a talent at the time of Jesus would have been about 80 pounds of silver. This was a huge amount, equal in money to what the average man earned in sixteen years of labor. Pretty amazing!

So in the bit of the story weve read so far, the first man was given five talents, or 400 pounds of silver. This equaled what a man at that time would have been paid for 80 years of labor. The second man was given two talents, or 160 pounds of silver, equal to 32 years of labor at the time. And the last man, the one who was given one talent of silver, was entrusted with what we already know: 80 pounds of silver, which was equal to the pay for 16 years of an average mans work.

My reason for exploring all this detail is to help you see that the master in our story entrusted his servants with things of great worth. To bring this into our own time, think about how much money you are likely to make in the next sixteen years. Now double it. Now multiply it by five instead. See what I mean? Each man was told to take care of a huge amount of wealth.

It is also important for us to remember that each man was trusted according to his own ability. In other words, their master wasnt being cruel. He didnt load them up with more than they could handle. He entrusted them with great wealth to deal with but also wealth that they should have been able to handle given their individual abilities.

Now, armed with this information, lets return to our story:

He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his masters money.

Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more. His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.

But his master answered him, You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 25:1430)

What an amazing story! Lets dive into its meaning a bit. Each servant was entrusted with a massive amount of silver. Each was given his amount according to his ability. Two of these servants went out and, through wise trading, doubled their masters wealth. The third man, though, gave in to his fear. He says so himself. Terrified as he was, he hid his one talent of silver in the ground, probably so no one would steal it.

Yet when his master returned and found out that he had not increased the value of what was entrusted to himthat he had not created growth and increasethe man was condemned. His master called him wicked, lazy, and worthless. Then the master cast this man into outer darkness.

Lets keep our eyes on the first two men. They increased their masters wealth. They used their talents to create increase. Their master celebrated them. He said he would give these men positions of even greater responsibility. Then he said the words that changed my life but that we often miss in this story. He told these men they could enter into the joy of your master.

There they are! Those words that burned in my heart so many years ago. The joy of the master. What a mind-blowing reward!

Now lets zoom out from the details of this story. Weve already said that it isnt about talent as we use the word in English today. Yet I should also say that this story isnt really just about money or silver either. Remember what Jesus was talking about when he launched into this story with his disciples? He was talking about the kingdom of God, the rule of God on earth. He was telling them what it would be like once he was gone and how they would be called upon to use whatever God entrusted to them to bring increase, growth, and good for Gods purposes.