WE ARE ALL SHEPHERDS

Matthew 25:14-30, The Parable of the Talents, is similar to that of The Parable of the Pounds (Lk. 19:11-27), except there, each servant was given the responsibility as stewards over the same amount. In that parable, faithful servants received their rewards in proportion to their level of productivity. There, the Lord was testing to evaluate their capability. In the Parable of the Talents, however, the Lord revealed He already knew their capabilities, and He gave them differing amounts accordingly (Matt. 25:15).

Both parables clearly represent Jesus as being the Man or Nobleman, setting His things in order before going to "a far country" (25:14; 19:12). What often gets lost in trying to understand these two parables, is that Jesus was wanting His disciples to understand His Kingdom was going to be delayed. Luke wrote, "...because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear" (19:11). The Lord wanted them to know that He would be gone "a long time" (25:19).

In addition, His disciples thought that He would rule as King over the nation of Israel, which He will, but His Kingdom is to be much greater than an earthly domain. Six times in the Word of God, we are told that Jesus sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven, waiting until His enemies are made to bow before Him (Ps. 110:1; Matt. 22:44; Mk. 12:36; Lk. 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb. 1:13). He had to go to a "far country" in order to receive His Kingdom (19:12; 25:14). That Kingdom is described in hundreds of verses, but none more beautiful than Revelation 11:15: "...The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." He is not Israel's King alone, but He is King over every king and Lord over every lord (1 Tim. 6:15; Rev. 17:14; 19:16)!

So, what are the pounds and the talents? Of course, they were both amounts of money, but what did they represent? There are many theories, but the one I believe is most likely, is that they represent His sheep. Remember, Jesus told Peter that if he loved Him, he should feed His sheep. A faithful shepherd, not only protects and preserves the sheep over which he has been given oversight, he provides the conditions necessary for their "reproduction." A clue to this being the case is found in how the Lord rewarded faithful service. In Luke, the reward was to rule over cities; cities have large populations "of sheep." In Matthew, the reward is to be given authority over a larger amount; in this case, more "sheep."

However, the bottom line is that our Lord has deliberately chosen to "delay His return" in order to allow time for testing our faithfulness. Since God is Omniscient, and therefore already knows how we will respond to His "assignment," it is obvious that the results are for our own understanding. We will know that God's judgment is just. We will have no right to complain. "For God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man seweth, that shall he also reap" (Gal. 6:7). "He will render to every man according to his deeds" (Rom. 2:6). "For we must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Rev. 22:20).