“He
also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’
Matthew 25:22
Matthew 25 [21.] “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Matthew 25 [22.] “He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.’
Matthew 25 [23.] “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Meaning:
In the parable of the talents a master entrusted his money to three servants, “to each according to his own ability”, and went on a journey (Matthew 25:14-18). After a long time he returned to settle accounts. The servant who had received five talents reported a gain of five more and was warmly praised (Matthew 25:19-21). Now the second servant comes forward. His words are short, but they teach an important lesson about how God sees faithfulness.
- “He also who got the two talents came”
This servant had been given less than the first. He might have felt overshadowed or thought that his smaller share was not worth much effort. Yet he worked just as faithfully. He “gained another two” (Matthew 25:17), a full one hundred percent increase, exactly the same rate as the servant with five talents.
- “Lord, you delivered to me two talents”
He begins by acknowledging that the money came from his master. He does not claim it as his own or boast about his skill. Everything he had to work with was a gift. Paul asked the Corinthians, “And what do you have that you didn’t receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). Faithful servants remember that their abilities and opportunities are given by God.
- “Behold, I have gained another two talents besides them”
He comes gladly, not afraid to give account. His words almost exactly match those of the first servant, only with a smaller number. He does not apologise for having less or compare himself with the other servant. He simply reports that he has been faithful with what he received.
- The same reward
The master’s answer to him is word for word the same as his answer to the first servant: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:23). God measures faithfulness, not size. When the Corinthians gave to the poor, Paul told them, “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have” (2 Corinthians 8:12). Jesus said that the poor widow who gave two small coins “gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury” (Mark 12:43). In Israel, David made it a rule that those who guarded the baggage would share equally with those who fought: “They shall share alike” (1 Samuel 30:24).
The Significance of Matthew 25:22
- Do not compare yourself with others
Many believers feel that their gifts are ordinary compared with others. This verse shows that God is not disappointed with the two-talent servant. What matters is faithfulness with what we have, not how it compares with someone else’s.
- Faithful in little, faithful in much
Jesus said, “He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). Quiet, ordinary faithfulness in daily life, family, work and service is precious to God.
Cross-References:
Matthew 25:23: "Well done, good and faithful servant." The master’s reply to the second servant.
2 Corinthians 8:12: "For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you don’t have." God values willing faithfulness.
Mark 12:43: "this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury," The widow’s small but great gift.
Luke 16:10: "He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much." Faithfulness in small things.
Conclusion: In Matthew 25:22 the servant who received two talents gladly reports that he has gained two more. He had less than the first servant, yet he was just as faithful, and he receives exactly the same praise and reward. The verse teaches that God measures faithfulness, not the size of our gifts, and that every believer can hear “Well done” by using well what God has given.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible