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The talents (minas)

Matt 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27 · Passion week in Jerusalem

Scripture

Matthew 25:14–30

or the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

King James Version · public domain

Mateu 25:14–30

epse dotë vinjë posi një njeri, i cili, kur dotë ikënte ndë dhe të-huaj, thirri shërbëtorët’ e ti e u dha atyre gjën’ e ti; 15Edhe njërit i dha pesë tallanda, e tjatërit dy, e tjatërit një; gjithë-si-cilit si pas fuqis’ së ti; edhe për-një-here iku ndë dhe të-huaj. 16Atëhere ay që mori të pesë tallandatë, vate e punoj me ato, edhe bëri pesë tallanda të-tjera. 17Kështu edhe ay që mori dy, fitoj edhe ay dy të-tjera. 18Po ay që mori njërënë, vate e rëmoj ndë dhet, edhe fshehu ergjëndin’ e të zott. 19Edhe pas shumë kohë vjen i zoti i atyre shërbëtorëve, edhe sheh llogari me ata. 20Edhe si i erdhi përanë ay që pat marrë të pesë tallandatë, pruri pesë tallanda të-tjera, dyke thënë, Zot, pesë tallanda më dhe ndë dorë; ja tek fitova prej atyre pesë tallanda të-tjera. 21Edhe i zoti i tha, Të lumtë, shërbëtuar i-mirë edhe besëtar; mbë të-paka qe besëtar, mbi të-shuma dotë të vë; hyrë ndë gëzimt të t’yt zott. 22Erdhi përanë edhe ay që pat marrë të dy tallandatë, edhe tha, 23Zot dy tallnda më dhe ndë dorë; ja tek fitova prej atyre dy tallanda të-tjera. I zoti i tha, Të lumtë, shërbëtuar i-mirë edhe besëtar; mbë të-paka qe besëtar, mbi të-shuma dotë të vë; hyrë ndë gëzimt të t’yt zott. 24Erdhi përanë edhe ay që pat marrë një tallandë, e tha, Zot, të dinja, se je njeri i-ashpërë, që korr tek nukë mbolle, edhe mbleth tek nukë përndave; 25Edhe pasi paç frikë, vajta e fsheha tallandënë t’ënde ndë dhet; ja tek e ke tëndenë. 26Edhe i zoti upërgjeq e i tha, Shërbëtuar i-lik e i-përtuarshim, ti e dinje, se unë korr tek nukë mbolla, edhe mbleth tek nukë përndava; 27Duhej pra të vinje ërgjëndinë t’im te truvezarëtë; edhe kur të vinjam unë, dotë mernja t’imenë bashkë me kamatënë. 28Merrni pra prej ati tallandënë, edhe ep-j’a-ni ati që ka të dhjetë tallandatë. 29Sepse kujtdo që ka dot’i epetë, edhe dot’i tepëronjë; edhe prej kujdo që s’ka, edhe atë që të ketë, dotë merretë prej ati. 30Edhe shërbëtorin’ e pavëjejturë hidh-e-ni ndë errësirët të-përjashtësme; atje dotë jetë të-qarët’ e të-kërcëlliturit’ e dhëmbëvet.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

Greatly blessed are they, and win the portion that becomes the saints. For when the nobleman, even Christ, shall have returned after he has received the kingdom, they will be accounted worthy of praises, and rejoice in surpassing honours.

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of St. Luke, Sermon 129 (on Luke 19:11–27) (trans. R. Payne Smith)

The Talents and the Minas (Matthew 25:14–30; Luke 19:11–27)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

From his Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily 78, on Matthew 25:1–30), NPNF translation. Public domain.

On what the talents are:

For the talents here are each person's ability, whether in the way of protection, or in money, or in teaching, or in whatever thing of the kind.

On the reward of the faithful:

What then says the Master? "Well done, thou good" (for this is goodness to look to one's neighbor) "and faithful servant; you were faithful over few things, I will set you over many things: enter thou into the joy of your Lord," meaning by this expression all blessedness.

On the gift that grows by use and is lost by sloth:

He that has a gift of word and teaching to profit thereby, and uses it not, will lose the gift also; but he that gives diligence, will gain to himself the gift in more abundance; even as the other loses what he had received.

On who is punished:

Do you see how not only the spoiler, and the covetous, nor only the doer of evil things, but also he that does not good things, is punished with extreme punishment.

On why no man may plead a single talent:

Let no man say, I have but one talent, and can do nothing; for you can even by one approve yourself. For you are not poorer than that widow; you are not more uninstructed than Peter and John, who were both "unlearned and ignorant men;" but nevertheless, since they showed forth a zeal, and did all things for the common good, they attained to Heaven.

On the end for which all our powers were given:

For nothing is so pleasing to God, as to live for the common advantage. For this end God gave us speech, and hands, and feet, and strength of body, and mind, and understanding, that we might use all these things, both for our own salvation, and for our neighbor's advantage.

On how Matthew's parable differs from Luke's:

And if in Luke the parable of the talents is otherwise put, this is to be said, that the one is really different from the other. For in that, from the one capital different degrees of increase were made ... but here, it is the contrary, and the crown is accordingly equal. For he that received two gave two, and he that had received the five again in like manner.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

From his Commentary on the Gospel of Luke (Sermon 129, on Luke 19:11–27), Payne Smith translation. Public domain.

On the diversity of gifts given to the stewards of the Church:

Upon these the Saviour bestows a diversity of divine gifts, that they may be "lights in the world, holding the word of life:" and they, by admonishing the people under their charge, and giving them such counsel as is useful for life, and rendering them steadfast, and of an upright and blameless faith, gain by traffic to their talent, and seek spiritual increase.

On the reward that awaits them at the King's return:

Greatly blessed are they, and win the portion that becomes the saints. For when the nobleman, even Christ, shall have returned after he has received the kingdom, they will be accounted worthy of praises, and rejoice in surpassing honours.

Origen (c. 185–254)

From his Commentary on Matthew, as compiled in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the sense in which the Lord travels into a far country:

He travels, not according to His divine nature, but according to the dispensation of the flesh which He took upon Him ... We may also explain thus, that the Lord travels in a far country with all those who walk by faith and not by sight.

On the worth even of the single talent:

They to whom five talents were given, and they to whom two, and they to whom one, have divers degrees of capacity, and one could not hold the measure of another; he who received but one having received no mean endowment, for one talent of such a master is a great thing.

St. Gregory the Great (c. 540–604)

From his Homilies on the Gospels, as compiled in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the far country into which the Redeemer travels:

The man in travelling into a far country is our Redeemer, who ascended into heaven in that flesh which He had taken upon Him. For the proper home of the flesh is the earth, and it, as it were, travels into a foreign country, when it is placed by the Redeemer in heaven.

On the talent doubled by preaching:

There are some who by their understanding and their actions preach to others, and thence gain as it were a twofold profit in such merchandize.

St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

From his Commentary on Matthew, as compiled in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain.

On the gifts given according to capacity:

Calling together the Apostles, He gave them the Gospel doctrine, to one more, to another less, not as of His own bounty or scanting, but as meeting the capacity of the receivers ... In the five, two, and one talent, we recognise the diversity of gifts wherewith we have been entrusted.

On how the servant's excuse becomes his condemnation:

But what he thought would be his excuse is turned into his condemnation. He calls him "wicked servant," because he cavilled against his Lord; and "slothful," because he would not double his talent; condemning his pride in the one, and his idleness in the other.

Patristic sources