BY REV. DORAL PULLEY, Today’s Church Tampa Bay
READ | Matthew 25:14-31
When the Lord returned from his journey, he settled his accounts with all his servants. Because he expected each of them to have an increase, he settled accounts to see how much they had obtained. The servant with the five talents brought back five more talents. He doubled his talents. The servant with two talents brought back two more talents. He also doubled his talents.
In the Kingdom, it is not about equal amounts but about equal production. Both the one with the two talents and the one with the five talents doubled their investments. Although they were handling a different number of talents, they reproduced the same percentage of increase. Just as it is with tithing. Our tithe amount may be different, but when we tithe, we have all given the same amount, 10 percent.
The servant with the one talent did not have an increase. He hid his talent in the ground out of fear of loss. He did not want to take a chance in investing and lose the one talent that he was given. Therefore, he only gave back to the Lord what he was given. There was no change or increase with the servant who had one talent. The talent was in the same condition that it was before the Lord left for the journey.
Although the Lord gave the servant the gift of one talent, the servant did have a gift to give to the Lord. Eleanor Powell stated, “What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”
Rev. Doral Pulley is the senior pastor of Today’s Church Tampa Bay, 940 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg (Staybridge Suites) and 5107 North Central Ave., Tampa.
