124 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
of a habit of submission—the submission of the disciple’s hard work,
and the tangible rewards of that labor, to God for the advancement of
his kingdom.
Fourth, the conclusion of verse 18 was a challenge for the disciple to
remember that God has a desire to provide as part of his ongoing cove-
nant with his people to never leave them, abandon them, or forsake them
(Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5). Highly effective disciples therefore
combine asset management with right remembrance and develop habits
of gratitude and hard work grounded and submitted in the worship of
God alone.
A Weighty Responsibility (Matthew 25:14–18)
25:14 –18. As the final parable offered by Jesus in both the Gospel of
Matthew and the Gospel of Luke (see the parallel passage in Luke
19:12–27), this important teaching highlights Jesus’ perspective on his
temporary absence but certain and eventual return. Though Jesus would
no longer remain physically present, he has graciously entrusted gifts of
great substance to his followers. At around eighty pounds, a talent was
the heaviest biblical measure of weight. Interestingly, the Greek word for
talent, talanton, appears only eleven times in the New Testament, all in
the Gospel of Matthew.
This was a significant stewardship responsibility. Though no com-
mand is recorded, the parable is clear that the servants were to work
to increase the master’s kingdom. This was not a gift or a loan, but a
charge to work for the advancement of the assets utilizing the name
of the master. After all, those living in primarily poor, agrarian, first-
century Israel would implicitly understand that such a large amount of
money could not be suddenly spent by a servant without suspicion. Thus
the servants would be required to make investments in the name of the
absent master and continue to work in a publically identifiable way for
the advancement of the master’s enterprise.
The first two servants “at once” (25:16) put the master’s money to
work, ergazomai, which means “to trade with the idea of gaining.”^1 The
third servant approached the money with an intention to hide or kryptō,
a word also meaning to “make invisible or keep secret.” The third servant
refused to publically identify with the absent master and his kingdom.