Demystifying The Parable of The Talents

The Parable of the Talents is a story told by Jesus in the Bible, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. (Matt 25: 14-30) In the parable, a master gives three of his servants’ talents (a form of currency) to invest while he goes away on a journey. The first servant invests and doubles the five talents given to him, the second servant does the same with the two talents given to him, while the third servant buries his one talent in the ground.

When the master returns, he rewards the first two servants for their diligence and success, but he is angry with the third servant for not investing the talent and instead hiding it away. The master takes the talent from the third servant and gives it to the first servant who had invested wisely, and he also punishes the third servant for his laziness and lack of initiative.

Have you ever bumped into an old friend of your father’s back in Upcountry, an uncle or one of those neighbours you break your Ksh 1000 note into fifties for, because you know he’ll ask for Kiraiku (tobacco) money? Then had a conversation with them and think, his intellect doesn’t match his tattered outfit? He is so unkempt, you hope someone doesn’t see you with them, but his eloquence is outstanding. He’s got endless tales of having travelled to countries you’ve never been to, brushed shoulders with presidents you suppose you might never meet, but his little shanti, that may not survive the next downpour, is a pity donation from his mother. You will wonder, what really happened to them?

Ever heard or watched a ‘Grass to Grace’ story of a man who started hawking little items along Uhuru highway traffic and years later, He is CEO of a multimillion production company, has built a mansion back home, recently dove into Real Estate ventures and is the one breaking the Ksh 1000/- notes for the brilliant but broke Uncles’ Kiraikus?

While abandoning the quantum nature of these Parabolic Talents, these two men have had their share through, either, the huge opportunities to travel and rub shoulders with the ‘who is who’ or, that small chink our former hawker slid through to work his way to CEO.

At one point or another, God opens doors. In small cracks or blowing the gate wide open. These opportunities are talents. They come in form of a potential employer, a business idea, or even that destiny helper we pray for. But are we ready when they come? Many times we are not.

We get new jobs and underperform or stay at the same position for 2- years without upskill. When your expiry date at that office comes, what do you have to show for it? That’s the talent that was buried in the ground.

You might meet someone in your career line, willing to mentor you into career success. That’s talent ready for use. Some people get jobs abroad, for years, some months, getting good money at it. Some Come home already invested and ready to retire, slowly reaping their fruit. Some party till their time is up to return home, with nothing. And another chance won’t be easy to come.

The parabolic Talent is the dream you actualized, or failed to. It’s the networking event you attended, a number you took and made use of, or refused to. It’s the job opportunity you were meant to apply, and didn’t, then turned out you’d have qualified.

Open your eyes for when your Master presents that Talent (opportunity). Toil relentlessly and Cleverly. The Masters’ rewards come through promotions, or that ROI, Home ownership, a bountiful marriage, properly behaved children. The list of these accomplishments is endless.