Serving Cartoons -

Now the Parable of the Talents is a story told by Jesus in the Bible, found in Matthew 25:14-30. It’s about a master who entrusts his servants with different amounts of "talents" (maybe $$) before going on a journey. The point isn’t just about money, though—it’s a metaphor for using what you’re given in life.

The master gives one servant five talents, another two, and a third just one, based on their abilities. The first two servants invest what they’re given and double their amounts—five becomes ten, two becomes four. The third servant, afraid of losing what he has, buries his single talent and does nothing with it. When the master returns, he praises the first two for their initiative and rewards them with more responsibility. The third gets chewed out for being lazy and wasteful, and his talent is taken away and given to the one who made ten.

The core idea is about stewardship and action. "Talents" represent whatever you’ve got—skills, resources, opportunities—and the story suggests you’re supposed to use them, take risks, and make something of them, not just sit on them out of fear. The master isn’t mad about failure; he’s mad about inaction. It’s less about the return on investment and more about the effort.

Some read it as a spiritual lesson—grow what God gives you, like faith or gifts, and don’t waste it. Others see a practical angle: don’t let fear stop you from taking responsibility for what you can do. Either way, it’s a call to be proactive, not passive, with what’s in your hands.

Of course, in The Back Pew, I have the servant with the one talent buying a GUMBALL, or PLAYING A VIDEO GAME, or taking his chances with a SLOT MACHINE… I should maybe add someone buying a LOTTERY TICKET. Anyways, the point we are called to be good stewards with the TALENTS and RESOURCES God has blessed each of us with.