Everybody, what is going on? You know what time it is. You're listening to join the Journey podcast

with your host, Emma, daughter. Thanks for joining. I want you to start off by placing yourself in this

scenario. Your boss calls you into his office and announces he's giving you a raise, but not just any raise.

Today, he's multiplying your salary by 20. What would you do?

While the portion of scripture we're looking at today is contextually speaking to Jewish people,

there are plenty of application points for those listening who aren't Jewish. Today, as I look at the

passage, I am reminded of how easy it is for me to look at the blessings

others have as an injustice to me, that they have the things that I want, hoped for, or even

sometimes prayed for. But in doing this, I failed to make the most of the opportunities that are

right in front of me. And this idea is exactly what Matthew 25 versus 14 through 30 talk about.

It's important for us to recognize the context of this passage. Jesus is speaking of Jews

living in the end times, not Christians today living in the church age, though, as we'll see,

the truth of this passage is applicable to us.

You'll notice the parable of the talents begins with the word for, F-O-R, in verse 14.

For it will be like a man going on a journey who called his servants.

Immediately we must ask, what is the subject that it, for it will be like, what is it referring to? What will be like a man going on a journey? The first step to understanding the context of this passage is to look at the

verses that came before the one in question. The parable of the ten virgins, right before the

passage we're looking at today, ends with

those who didn't have oil for their lamps coming to the Lord and asking to be let in.

So when the parable we're looking at begins, in verse 14, with the word four, we're left to connect

it back to whatever was said prior. Jesus was explaining, and I'm going to paraphrase,

you won't know when I'm coming back. And there will be people who think they know me, but they don't. If we look at the

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