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Song: The Parable of the Talents |
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Jesus often told a story to teach a lesson. Hear the story of the talents.
One day a man was going on a long trip. He needed his servants to take care of his property while he was gone, so he called them to him.
To the first servant he gave five talents of money. (A talent was not a coin, but a weight of a precious metal such as silver, and one talent was worth more than $1,000. So this servant received money worth more than $5,000.)
This man went to work at once using his money until he had doubled it. He now had ten talents instead of five.
The master gave the second man two talents. He probably thought the man was capable of managing that amount of money. The second man was successful also, and doubled his money. He began with more than $2,000 and now he had twice as much.
The third man was not as capable as the other two, but the master gave him one talent with the expectation that he would manage it well. He, too, could have increased his money, but he dug a hole and hid it in the ground.
After a long time the master returned. (Some think the master's trip is a picture of Jesus returning to heaven, and the return from the trip is the judgment of mankind.) He was ready for a report from the servants.
The man who had received five talents brought his money and showed the master that he had doubled it. He was happy to show his master the results.
The master was well pleased. He said, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"
The man that had been given two talents showed the master that he had also doubled his money. He received the same words of praise as the first man who had received five talents.
The man who had received one talent dug up the talent he had buried and brought it to the master. He accused the master of being a hard man to work for, said he had been afraid, so he just buried his talent. He gave it back to the master saying, "See, here is what belongs to you."
The master was very angry with him and called him a wicked, lazy servant. He said the man should at least have put the money with bankers and received some interest. (Now the Jews could not charge nor receive interest from a fellow Jew, but they could get interest from a person who was not a Jew.)
The master took his one talent away from him and gave it to the man who had ten talents, and the one talent man was punished because he had not properly used the talent he had been given.
What can we learn from this story? We need to use whatever "talent" God has given us. It might be money or ability. If we use it wisely, He will increase it so that our lives will glorify Him.
What does this story
mean to me?
This parable of Jesus teaches you to use the talent that God has given you. And you do have some things that you can do really well.
Make a list of the things you do well. Use those talents for God. You may discover that He has given you a new talent; one that you didn't even suspect that you had. Then find a way to use that talent for Him!
Memory Verse
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
Matthew 25:29 (NIV)
REVIEW
(Rest the mouse lightly over the ??? to see the answers in the alternate tags.)
1.Why did the master call his servants to him?
2. What did he give the first servant?
3. What did he give the second servant?
4.What did the third servant receive?
5. What did the first servant do with his money?
6. What did the second servant do ?
7. What did the third servant do ?
8. Which servants pleased the master ?
9. Why was the master displeased with the last servant?
You can read about the Parable of the Talents in the Bible in
Matthew 25:14-30
PRINTABLES
Lesson
Test
Parable of the Talents - Word Search
Parable of the Talents - Crossword Puzzle
Parable of the Talents - Word Scramble
Arch Books Bible Stories: The Parable of the Talents
By Nicole E Dreyer / Concordia Publishing House
For more than 35 years, the best-selling Arch Books Bible Story series has captivated children. This book tells the story of Jonah as told in the book of Jonah. Fun-to-read rhymes and bright illustrations make this an enjoyable book to read to your children, or have them read on their own. This well-loved series captures the attention of children, telling scripturally sound stories that are pleasurable and easy to remember. Recommended for ages 5 to 9.
Webmaster's note: Easy reader, economical enough to buy class sets.
Spanish New Testament Bible Stories
Story #218
from Calvary Chapel.
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The Parable of the Ten Virgins
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