Tag Archives: the parable of the talents

Committed to Becoming a Good Steward

Posted on December 14, 2021 by expressyourself4him

The Bible refers to a steward as a servant who is mindful that Jesus will return at anytime. This individual behaves like a servant who will be held accountable by their boss, colleagues and or superiors. My introduction to this term came through reading the Parable of the Talents. This story shared by Jesus illustrates the sense of urgency that a good steward develops and strives for each day they are alive.

As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God’s many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the [f]extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor], 1 Peter 4:10.

Former talk show legend Rush Limbaugh coined the phrase “talent on loan from God.” When Rush was diagnosed with stage for cancer back in 2020, he began to open up about his relationship with God. For most of his life, Rush made it a point to avoid using his conservative radio program to proselytize. Yet, as death drew near, Rush revealed a charitable spirit by donating more than 2 million dollars to the Tunnel to Towers foundation.

And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more. 21 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, [b]admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the [c]blessedness) which your master enjoys, Matthew 25:20-21.

For most of my adult life, I made just enough to scrape by. When I was a Christian High School teacher I often relied on private donations to pay my bills. Yet, in the past few years I have been blessed by God with a good paying job. In lieu of this recent success, my heart is convicting me to become a better steward. Instead of accepting hand outs, it’s my turn to begin secretly giving to the causes I believe in. May the Holy Spirit stir all of us to become a good steward in 2022.

by Jay Mankus

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When You Can’t Be Trusted

Posted on March 2, 2021 by expressyourself4him

When I was in first grade, I spent a week at my Uncle Eddy’s beach house. Each night my whole family walked to a local ice cream parlor for dessert. On one of our last nights there, I begged my parents to allow me to carry the money. At this time in history, $10 was enough to buy a family of five a waffle cone. I don’t remember if I had a hole in my pocket or simply dropped this bill along the way. Whatever happened, I lost the money and lost the trust of my family on the same night.

He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest and unjust in a very little [thing] is dishonest and unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the [case of] unrighteous mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions), who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not proved faithful in that which belongs to another [whether God or man], who will give you that which is your own [that is, the true riches]? – Luke 16:10-12

One of Jesus’ most famous stories is the Parable of the Talents, Matthew 25:14-30. This is just one of a series of parables that Jesus shares to illustrate what the kingdom of heaven will be like. Meanwhile, Luke records the Parable of the Shrewd Manager. The latter story refers to an individual who had let things slide over time. Like a business on the verge of bankruptcy, this man is forced to act swiftly before losing everything. The moral of this parable is if you can’t be trusted in the little things, God won’t trust you with greater responsibilities in this life.

And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more. 23 His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, [admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the [e]blessedness) which your master enjoys. 24 He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. 25 So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own, Matthew 25:22-25.

The Parable of the Talents is based upon integrity, doing what’s right when no one is looking. Three servants are left in charge of their master’s finances while he is away, not given a specific time table of his return. While a silver talent is equivalent to  $3,924 and a gold talent $228,900, the point of this story is to seize each day on earth by using your God given gifts. If you are wasting these talents or afraid to fail, this is when God will lose faith in you. Since it’s never too late to change, fan into flame your God given gifts today, 2 Timothy 1:6, before the Lord calls you home.

by Jay Mankus

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Familiar Fears

Posted on October 4, 2020 by expressyourself4him

According to a recent study, there are ten common fears that children share. This list includes fear of flying, of public speaking, of heights, of the dark, intimacy, dying, failure, rejection, spiders, and commitment. When face to face education returns to each state, familiar fears of failure, rejection and public speaking will once again take center stage. Depending upon one’s ability to fit in or find new friends, these fears will either intensify or subside.

For it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property. 15 To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more. 17 And likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money, Matthew 25:14-18.

During a conversation about the signs of end times, Jesus tells a story to illustrate what it will be like when the Son of Man will return to earth. Known as the Parable of the Talents, Jesus uses 3 servants to illustrate his point. If you really like your job, you don’t want to disappoint or let your boss down. Thus, you will do everything in your power to fulfill your daily duties so that you may receive praise and or recognition. Any effort less than 100% will be seen as not caring, not afraid of letting others down.

His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. 24 He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. 25 So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own. 26 But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents, Matthew 25:23-28.

In the passage above, the least trusted servant allows familiar fears to affect his decision. The fear of failure and rejection caused this man to bury his talent. A lack of confidence persuaded this servant to avoid taking a chance or risk. Rather than use basic economics or creativity, fear drove this servant to an illogical decision. When familiar fears aren’t addressed, souls become paralyzed, influencing your thought process. Therefore, if you want to please your heavenly father, begin thinking like God, 2 Timothy 1:7.

by Jay Mankus

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What am I Suppose to do Now?

Posted on June 10, 2018 by expressyourself4him

In my thirty five years as a Christian, rarely have I received answers to prayers instantaneously.  Yet, this past Sunday was one of the exceptions as God immediately sent words of healing to my deflated soul.  Prior to attending church, I often watch a few of my favorite pastors.  Some times one of them may have an off day, but all three spoke directly through the television to my heart.  Dr. Tony Evans, James Merritt and Jentezen Franklin each gave me insight on what I am suppose to do next.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance, 2 Peter 3:9.

The first piece of advice was to start where you are.  Depending upon your current spiritual state, this could be humbling, ashamed of how far you have fallen.  Yet, for now, suck it up, set your ego aside and ask Jesus to mend your bruised, broken and battered heart.  Once you come to grips with this reality, start to give and use what you have.  Whether this is gifts, talents or time, follow in the footsteps of the faithful servants in the parable of the Talents.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing, James 1:22-25.

James is preaching to himself in the passage above, referring to his numerous years of inactive faith, listening to Jesus’ words without the conviction to act.  This leads me to my final point, do what you can while you have the opportunity to serve.  In a letter to the church of Corinth, the apostle Paul uses a sports analogy to drive home this point, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  Striving to attain earthly trophies is noble, but you can’t take them with you in the next life.  Therefore, invest your time on earth striving to earn crowns that will last by doing what you can now.  May this blog give you the vision that you need to press on in this life.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Waiting for Superman to Arrive

Posted on October 25, 2017 by expressyourself4him

William Shakespeare wrote about lovers whose deaths reconciled two feuding families.  When tragedy strikes Romeo and Juliet, readers feel the pain of this story.  Shakespeare borrowed from an Italian tale adding his own spin to his famous novel taught in American English classes.  Yet, like anything in life, people change, evolve and learn to adapt.  If a similar classic was crafted today, the title would read something like Waiting for Superman to Arrive.

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him, Lamentations 3:25.

As millennials become co-dependent on technology, the next generation is in danger of being lulled into complacency.  Sure, it’s nice to be able to keep up with electronic advances, but do you really need a device named after a girl to help you remember things?  Have people become so lazy that you can’t even find a location without asking Alexa or Sery?  This trend breeds individuals to go through life waiting for others to help you out.  Unfortunately, Superman is a comic character who isn’t going to rescue you from the trials of life.

For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay, Habakkuk 2:3.

Don’t get me wrong, waiting isn’t a bad thing.  In fact, the Bible encourages souls to be patient, seeking God as you wait for answers.  Nonetheless, the only Superman in history lived most of his life undercover, serving his community as a carpenter.  Before his departure in the first century, this man spoke of a counselor yet to come, an invisible presence able to direct and guide human hearts.  Instead of sitting back and relying on an electronic voice, it’s time to be proactive.  Therefore, as followers of Christ waiting for the second coming of Superman, Jesus, trust in the Lord so that you will be ready like the good servants in the Parable of the Talents.

by Jay Mankus

 

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The Audition

Posted on July 10, 2017 by expressyourself4him

When you are young, people often try new things to see if it’s something worth pursuing in the future.  Well, my acting career was a short blimp on the radar screen.  I tried out for my high school musical during my junior year.  Hoping to earn a part in West Side Story, I knew my chances were slim after I heard one of the judges whisper, “there’s always the stage crew.”  While this audition ended in disappointment, life is full of auditions.

And thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, Romans 15:20.

Following his conversion to Christ, Saul from Tarsus radically changed his priorities.  After a time of soul searching, this former religious zealot auditioned to become an apostle.  Initially rejected by the 11 remaining disciples, Saul changed his name to Paul before teaming up with Barnabas for a few successful missionary journeys.  Paul’s ambition to share the good news about Jesus Christ won his skeptics over through an unswerving faith.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them, ” Matthew 25:19.

According to the Parable of the Talents, each day serves as an audition for heaven.  On Judgement Day, Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead.  This audition is based upon how often and well you maximize the gifts God has given you.  In modern terms, the Lord is searching for individuals who seize each day, making the most of each opportunity.  Although there will be days lost and squandered due to selfish desires, it’s essential to try and try again.  May this blog inspire you to be prepared for the audition called life.

by Jay Mankus

 

 

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Fulfilling My Duty

Posted on February 10, 2016 by expressyourself4him

In the film 1992 drama A Few Good Men, Tom Cruise uses a unique defense to acquit his clients, two marines charged with murder.  Cruise convinces the jury members that these men were given an order, to perform a code red on a sub-standard private.  The defense claimed that Harold Dawson and Louden Downey are on trial for doing their job.  Beyond the realm of Hollywood, what does it mean to fulfill your duty today?

Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day,” Acts 23:1.

Depending upon your calling, fulfilling your duty first begins as an individual.  What gifts or resources do you possess?  In the parable of the talents, the master goes away for an undisclosed amount of time, trusting his servants to be good stewards of what each was given.  Thus, God expects people to maximum their time and talent, seizing each day as a new opportunity to serve the Lord.

“His master replied, ‘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!’ – Matthew 25:23

In addition, you have to consider your role.  Are you a parent, spouse or teacher?  How are you influencing those around you?  Are you drawing people closer to God or do your actions serve as a stumbling block, causing children to question a life of faith.  If you’re like me, it becomes painfully obvious on a weekly daily that I have a long way to go.  Though I have days of being good and faithful, these are overshadowed by periods of disobedience, laziness and neglect.  Therefore, before Jesus returns make sure you get your house in order by fulfilling your duty to the Creator and Giver of Life.

by Jay Mankus

 

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