Exposition:
Jesus often packaged spiritual truths and lessons of faith into short, relatable narratives known as parables. These stories were His way of explaining the attributes of God and instructions for godly living, which were inaccessible in human terms. Even though Jesus also used sermons to communicate, His use of stories in parables holds a special place in His ministry and teaching style.
In the above parable, Jesus describes a man who goes on a journey, entrusting his servants with his wealth and possessions in his absence. Talent in those days was synonymous with money or a measure of his wealth bequeathed, which is quite different from the modern-day concept of a “talent” as a gift or natural ability. Referencing 2 Timothy 1:14, however, affirms that God has deposited treasures in us that must be guarded. On that premise, we would accept both the old and modern descriptions of talents to be treasures given to us by our Master.
The master entrusted his servants with a measure of his wealth, proportionate to their abilities. To the first, the Master handed over five talents, to the other two, and the last, one according to their abilities. Two were good stewards of their master’s money, investing it in such a way that when the master returned, they handed back double of what he had originally given to them.