Matthew 25:25, How Much is a Talent?

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

//In this parable, a man travels to a foreign country, but before he leaves, he gives talents to his servants. Ten to one, five to another, one to a third.

Do you picture a talent as a small, silver coin? If you do, you miss the flavor of the parable. A talent is formed in the shape of a huge ingot; that is, a heavy weight with a handle on top for ease of transport. A talent weighs 75 pounds; over 34 kilograms. A strong man can lug one in each hand. It weighs 6,000 denarii and represents the salary of 6,000 days’ work. Sixteen and a half years.

Now we can read over the story with a new understanding. First, these talents are not on loan. They are freely given. Ten talents would provide enough for the servant to live adequately for another 165 years! Five talents would do for 82 more years! The abundance of the gift is important to the story. These servants gladly accept the gift, and put it to good use, doubling what they have been given.

Then we come to the third servant, who received only one. This man does not seem to appreciate it as a gift; rather it is an incredible responsibility! He sees it as nearly more than he can bear, keeping this talent for the day his master returns and he can give it back. How on earth can he hide an entire talent? He finds a way, burying it in the ground.

Now that you understand the dynamics of the story, I’m guessing the parable will speak to you in a different way.