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He leaves it to them to be resourceful and find the way to bring the increase that each servant is very well aware he wants to see when he returns.
There is no time frame put on the journey; they had best get to work right away!
To the most cunning and clever of his servants, one who has nothing but the wits and will to do something about it, he gives 5 talents of whatever the measure of money was in his day.
To the one who has a little gumption, while less cunning and clever than the first, he gives two talents.
To the servant he knows from past experience only does the minimum his job description calls for and never puts himself out or goes beyond he hands over just one talent.
Sure enough! He heads out on his journey and enjoys the privileges and joys his position allows him. After a time he returns to his Land and calls the servants to give an account of themselves. He is eager to hear of their triumphs and trials and how they overcame to expand his lands as they all were well aware he wanted done.
The first gives him the 5 talents back and adds 5 more to the pile! He accomplished the work and found a way to not only make back the original funds but doubled those funds. The Master is well pleased with him and says so. A reward will surely be his this day!
The second hands over the two talents and shyly, adds the additional two, secretly wishing he'd done a little more, but sure he'd given his best to the job entrusted to him. Another hardy "well done!" booms forth from the Master, who is pleased that he, too, doubled what he'd been given.
Then the third makes a weak and sniveling speech about how he knew what the Master wanted but excuses and reasons why he did nothing except return the one talent he'd begun with and performed minimally only the bare necessities his job called for.
"WICKED!" the Master proclaimed this servant. Wicked, because he knew what was desired yet did nothing to attain the goal, remaining lukewarm, neither risking the money and losing it nor putting any effort into increasing it. "WICKED!" he was proclaimed, and the one talent hastily taken from him.
I want to focus for a minute on the second servant. He wasn't given as much to work with as the first servant, yet he accomplished the exact same results.
HE DOUBLED THE MASTERS INCOME.
HE RECEIVED THE EXACT SAME ACCOLADES.
"Well done good and faithful servant!"
We have a tendency to compare ourselves to other people; this usually leaves us feeling like we
a.) come up short, which discourages us
b.) come out ahead, which tends to build selfish pride which ultimately SLOWS US DOWN
The Master didn't compare the servants to each other. He held each individually responsible to perform according to the blessings and abilities He gave each of them.
We are not in a race against each other.
We are not in a contest against each other.
We are not the standard and our abilities displayed is not the goal!
Meeting the Masters requirements is the only goal. Meeting the Masters requirements is the only result that counts for anything. Running the race He designates for us individually is the only race we are entered to run.
He was pleased with the second servant, for the second servant accomplished the FULL MEASURE of the goal set before him; he doubled what he'd been given to work with. He didn't try to imitate the first servant, he didn't slack off because he knew he had already outdone the third servant. He completed his race, he finished his course and the Master was well pleased with HIM!
The practical application is simple.
You do your best with what the Father has given you to work with and don't concern yourself with or compare yourself to anyone else. You do what God requires of YOU.
Eyes on JESUS. Thoughts on Gods Word. Heart steadily following the Holy Spirit. Then you too will hear the sweetest words by the most High, Holy, Just, Perfect, Loving, Almighty GOD:
"Well done, My Good and Faithful Servant; enter into the JOY of the LORD!"
