‘The Parable of the Talents’ by Alexei Mironov (1975-).
‘The Parable of the Talents’ by contemporary Russian artist Alexei Mironov (1975-): for more see ArtMiro. In Matthew’s story, even the lowliest servant was given 1 talent, equal to 6000 Roman denarii at a time when 1 denarius would buy a whole day’s work from a labourer. In Luke’s version, each of ten servants received a mina, worth 100 denarii, so perhaps what we see here is a handful of golden aurei, each aureus worth 25 denarii. The master’s servants mostly carried out his wishes and invested the money that he gave them, discovering much to their astonishment that they were to keep the profits for themselves. One servant allowed resentments to get the better of him, and missed out.
Part 1 of 2
FOR the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And 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. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And 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. His 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. He 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.*
* A talent was a large sum of money of the ancient Near East, equivalent to 6000 Roman denarii, with a denarius being roughly a labourer’s daily wage. Five talents was enough to pay eighty labourers for a whole year.
* See Cynewulf on Gifts of the Spirit.
* This is the story as told by St Matthew in Matthew 25:14-30. In Luke 19:12-27, ten servants are given a pound (literally a mina, worth 100 denarii) each, and some get a better return on the markets than others do. All are nevertheless commended, except (as in Matthew’s story) for the one servant who makes no attempt to invest at all.
Précis
The Parable of the Talents tells how a wealthy employer left three servants in charge of his affairs, and gave each a sum of money to invest for him. The servant who received five talents doubled his investment; the servant who received two also doubled his. But the servant who received one talent buried it without investing it at all. (60 / 60 words)
Part Two
‘The Parable of the Talents’ by Willem de Poorter (1608–1668).
‘The Parable of the Talents’ by Willem de Poorter (1608–1668), an artist from Haarlem in the Netherlands. It shows one of the three servants (ten in St Luke’s version of the story) presenting himself before his master at the reckoning up of accounts. From the expressions shown on the faces of those around him, he would appear to be the servant who buried his investment.
HIS 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.
Then 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:* And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.*
His 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: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.*
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For 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. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
* ‘Straw’ is an archaic form of ‘strew’. This servant saw his master as a hard-nosed businessman who made easy money by taking the profits others had worked for. The other two servants could have told him how mistaken he was.
* In other words, if you want your money go and dig it up.
* ‘With usury’ here means ‘with interest’. The master replied that if his servant had really believed all he was saying, he would not have dared disobey his master’s instructions in the way he did.
Précis
The two servants who did their master’s bidding were handsomely rewarded, but the man who buried his investment was severely rebuked. He protested that he had been afraid, believing his employer to be unfair in his dealings, but his employer knew he was only wicked and lazy. The money was taken from him, and he was shown the door. (59 / 60 words)
