25:15 talents. A talent was about six thousand denarii. See note on Matthew 20:10.

25:15 ability. The “Parable of the Talents,” as it has come to be known, deals not only with true and false Christian believers but also with future rewards in the heavenly kingdom. The Lord evaluates service and gives rewards in relation to the believer’s motivation and opportunity, expecting more from those with greater ability and opportunity. He rightly expects something, however, from every true believer, “for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works” (Ephesians 2:10). A life with no evidence of good works is not a life of authentic faith in Christ, for “faith without works is dead” (James 2:20).