Encouragement for the Ruach

Matthew 25:14-30

First, while Yahusha is away, the believer is to do something: Work—work faithfully and diligently. Second, while Yahusha is away, the believer is to know something: His work will be greatly rewarded or severely judged.

Watching and waiting for the Kingdom means being prepared. It does not imply sitting idle waiting for the masters return but to be found working at the task given.

As the parable begins, we find Yahuah as He prepares to go on a long journey, calls His own servants, and delivered unto them His goods.

Notice He called them and gave them His goods. Elohiym places us in His service by calling us and then equipping us for the service He calls us to do. We are not saved by works but we are saved to work.

The Distribution of the Goods

Unto one He gave five talents, to another two and to another one, every man according to his several abilities. These talents are not ours but Yahuah’s. The servants in this parable represent the followers of Mashiach: we are not our own. We have been “bought with a price”, 1 Corinthians 6:20. Not “with corruptible things, as silver and gold…but with the precious blood of Mashiach”, 1 Peter 1:18,19. That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again”, 2 Corinthians 5:15.

We receive the talents according to our abilities to handle them. Not many of us are able to handle five talents. Those with much ability are given the five talents. Those of average ability are given the two talents. Those with minimal ability receive the one talent which is most of us. Elohiym is saying it is not so much the amount you receive but what you do with what you receive. David said, “I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my Elohiym, than to dwell in the tents of the wicked”, Psalm 84:10b

It is not the amount of the endowment that you have that is important but how faithful you are in the use of it. These talents were not given primarily for our personal gain and glory but to profit our Divine Master.

It is estimated that the talents were worth about 1,000 US dollars. The first servant was given $5,000, the second was given $2,000 and the last was given $1,000, indicating they had more than enough to invest.

The talents represent opportunities to use our abilities. We have been assigned our ministries according to the abilities and gifts Elohiym has given us. I read where a man said that Elohiym does not put a lake in a bucket. What Elohiym gives each person is exactly what they can handle.

Ecclesiastes 9:10, “whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, no knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

The Use and Abuse of the Talents

“…straight way he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them another five talents. And like wise he that had received two he gained another two 2” (Matthew 25:16, 17). The scripture said straightway, which means immediately. They did not know how long their Master would be away, so as soon as he left they started to trade. When Yahusha went away, on the day of Pentecost his disciples also began to preach the gospel and saved over 3,000 people on that day (Acts 2:41) They immediately began to work because they too did not know when the Master would return.

In the book of Exodus Moses went upon Mount Sanai to receive the decalogue from Elohiym. When he came down, after 40 days and 40 nights, the people had made a golden calf, some were naked and partying like it was 1999. Yahusha has been gone for almost 2000 years, you can imagine what He will find when He returns. 

Each believer should faithfully carry out the duties entrusted to him or her by Elohiym and multiply his or her Elohiym given gifts for the sake of the Kingdom. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what Elohiym called us to do. Elohiym truly is our Master, so we must obey Him. Our time, abilities, and money aren’t really ours, we are stewards not owners. When we ignore, squander or abuse what we have been given, we are rebellious and deserve to be punished. Know this, on the day our Yahuah returns we will have to give an account of the talents we were given.

The sad part of the story in Matthew 25 is that the man with only one talent failed to trade with it and multiply it. He dug a hole, wrapped it in a handkerchief, buried it and hid his Yahuah’s money (Matthew 25:18). We must realize that it is Yahuah’s money and not only was this servant lazy, but he was disobedient to his Yahuah. He was, I suppose, afraid to use the talent because he thought he would lose it. You cannot lose what you use. You will always gain. How many people in our churches are sitting or burying the talents that Yahuah has trusted us with? We two should be afraid. We attend our churches every Sunday knowing we have a gift from Elohiym and we sit on it not realizing we must give an account of the talent when he returns.

Sometimes we see a person in the church exhibiting many gifts and we become jealous of them. But remember, Elohiym only give us what we are capable of using. We must first learn to use the gift that we have. If we use it with all of our might, e Hwill reward us with others.

The Reward and the Rebuke

“after a long time Yahuah of those servant cometh and recokoneth with them” (Matthew 25:19). Yahusha is not saying this because He himself will not be back for centuries. Peter said, “He is coming back like a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10), meaning He will come at anytime. Matthew 24:44 says, “be ready…”. We are to be about the business of trading with the talents that Elohiym has given us because that is what He is coming to collect. Remember they are His. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:2, “moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”  It is our responsibility to use the talents he gave to promote the Kingdom.

As the stewards came to Yahuah, they gave their report. He that had five talents said “Yahuah thy delivered unto me five talents I have gained besides them five talents more. His Yahuah said unto him well done, thy good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Yahuah” (Matthew 25:20-21).

He also that had received two talents came and said, “Yahuah…” (Read Matthew 25:22-23)

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, “Yahuah, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast what is thine. His Yahuah answered and said unto him, thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowest not, and gather where I have not strawed”. (Read Matthew 25:24-26)

Yahuah is not agreeing with the man in His analogy of him. He is simply stating that if he felt that way about Him it should have scared him to simply put the money under a rock and give it back. He stated that he should have put the money in the bank to draw interest and He would have gotten his money with interest (Matthew 25:27).

The verdict: He takes the talent that He has given him and gives it to the servant with ten talents. In essence, if you don’t use it, you could lose it. 

Yahuah has entrusted us with His talents. He has said to us, “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13). We must take the talent and diligently work with all our might that He will be pleased with us when He returns. Mashiach paid us our wages when He gave up His life on cavalry.

Love you all