Verse 22 says “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unfruitful.” This worry of the world has always been one of Satan’s greatest tools against believers. He will use it to keep seekers from coming to salvation and he will use it to take believers’ focus off Jesus.

Jesus elaborates on the subject of worry in Matthew 6:25-34. He points out that we are not to worry about food, drink or clothes because God knows we have need of all these things. We were never meant to worry about the necessities but only to seek first His kingdom. If we would only do that, God promises He will make sure our needs are met.

Jesus goes on to say that we are not to worry about tomorrow for it will take care of itself; that each day has enough trouble of its own. He acknowledges that we will have trouble in this life, but that this still doesn’t justify our worrying. In His vast wisdom and grace, God has given us only one responsibility, and that is to seek His kingdom. He wants us to trust Him to take care of the worries of the world.

So the next time you are overwhelmed with the worries of this life, no matter how noble they may seem, remember that He is the one who takes care of those details— that’s His responsibility. Ours is to seek His kingdom. And if we can manage to do that one thing, we will be free from worry and free to grow in our trust in God.

In this study, we want to now examine The Parable of the Talents and see how it fits with the other two.

_Read Matthew 25:14-30. Keep in mind that a “talent” was a monetary unit of those times. It is believed to have a worth of more than one thousand U.S. dollars today.

Now that you’ve read the entire passage, what would you say is the main teaching that Jesus wants us to learn?

_Re-read vv.14-18. List below who received what from the man when he left on his journey.

1.
2.
3.

Now, beside each of the three listed above, record what that person did with what he received.

_Re-read vv.19-21. What did the man who received five talents receive when he returned it and his earnings to the master?

_Re-read vv.22-23. What did the man who received two talents receive from the master when he returned the two plus what he had earned?

_Re-read vv.24-27. What did the man say who had received only one talent and had earned nothing with it?

What did the master call him? Why?

_Re-read vv.28-30. What punishment did the man who earned nothing with his sum of money receive at the hands of his master?

What happened to his money?

What happened to him?

NOTE: The “darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” is a reference to hell — only unsaved persons go there.

Conclusions: In this story, the master gives money to his bond-servants and rewards those who put the money to work to earn more, but punishes the one who doesn’t put the money to work. In our lives, God gives Spiritual gifts to His people. In what ways can we use these gifts to create “returns” that we can give to Him?

How does God reward believers who use their gifts to serve Him?

Do you know what your Spiritual gifts are? Are you using them to glorify God? When he calls, will you answer with “Here I am, Lord. Send me”?

_ Read Colossians 2:16-17 and answer the following:

In what specific areas does Paul say you should not allow anyone to judge you?

Why do you suppose God would give us such an instruction as the one in Colossians 2:16-17?

_ Read Matthew 5:17. What does it mean that Jesus came to “fulfill” the Law and the Prophets?

If Jesus fulfilled the Law, then where are you in relation to the Law if Jesus is in you and you are in Him?

_ Read Romans 14:14 and 14:20. According to what Paul instructs here, what Old Testament regulations regarding food might still be in effect for believers today?

_ Read Acts 10:9-16. What do you learn from Peter’s experience that helps you to understand Paul’s teaching in Romans 14 (above) even better?

_ Read Acts 20:7 and 1 Corinthians 16:2. What was the early church accustomed to doing on the first day of the week (Sunday)?

_ Read John 20:1-9. What was the significance of the first day of the week?

What’s the reason, then, that our churches today choose to worship communally on Sunday?

Jesus came to set us free from the legalism imposed by the Pharisaic Jews. Let us be careful, then, not to negate that freedom by clinging to the laws that He fulfilled.