What is talent? When we use this word in relation to a person, we mean his extraordinary, vivid, noticeable abilities in some business. This article will focus on two parables about talent: one biblical, and the other (less well-known, but no less wise) authorship of Leonardo da Vinci, also known as the "Parable of the Razor."
So different talents
There is a talent for sports, music, drawing, languages, writing poetry or prose. Tasty to cook, beautifully sew, masterfully repair broken objects. It is easy to make money, make discoveries in science and technology, invent something new. To bring people to themselves, to cheer them up, to inspire and do better than themselves or living conditions for them.
We are used to understanding the word “talent” as something completely intangible, bestowed by nature or by some forces from above. Probably, there will even be many people who are convinced that they do not possess any talents. How true is this belief ? Is such a gift really given only to the elite? Perhaps a parable about talents will help to figure this out.
What does “talent” mean?
You will probably be surprised, but two millennia ago by this word was not understood at all what we know now.
Talent (τάλαντον, "talanton") - translated from Greek as "scales" or "cargo". This was the measure of weight that was used in ancient times in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, Persia and other countries. During the Roman Empire, talent was equal to the volume of one amphora, filled to the brim.
In addition to measuring weight, talent was also used as a monetary unit in trade. Gradually, it became the largest in the ancient world.
Human talent
Over time, they began to measure talents - and, accordingly, to call them - not the amount of goods for sale and the money not earned for it, but the special qualities of a person that allow him to do something with love, ease and an amazing, unlike anything else.
Whether you have a talent or not can be judged by the fruits of your work in any field: creativity, communication with people, sports, household, science, technology. If you like to do something, and this interest does not fade away, even when you encounter difficulties, then we can talk about unusual abilities. And if what you do turns out to be new, interesting, and not only you, but also other people like it, it may well mean your talent in this area. There are no people without talent at all. But there are those whom he still sleeps or remains unnoticed by the man himself, who at that time is "not doing his job."
Perhaps a parable about talents will help you figure yourself out. Its interpretation can be carried out both from religious positions and from the point of view of psychology. And you already choose the approach that you like more.
The parable of talent: wisdom from time immemorial
Some important things are difficult to comprehend through direct explanation or edification, but it is much easier through a wise, allegorical form that encourages one to think in search of an answer. So parables appeared. Many of them were built centuries and millennia ago, went through many minds and paraphrases, eventually surviving to this day. Some stories have authors, some have come down to us as part of the sacred texts. Biblical parables are widely known. We will get to know one of them better.
The parable of talents was told by Jesus Christ to his disciples. This short but instructive account is found in the Gospel of Matthew. It is curious that there is not a single parable about talents. The Gospel of Luke, for example, contains a slightly different version of this story. In addition, there, instead of the monetary unit “talent”, a “mine” is used, which was considered a smaller coin. As for the main character, this version of the parable does not hint at Jesus, but at the ancient ruler Herod Archelaus. From this, the whole story takes on a slightly different meaning. But we will focus on the classic version of the parable and consider its meaning from two aspects: theological and psychological.
Distribution of talents
In the story, a certain rich gentleman goes to a distant country and leaves his slaves to cope without him. Before leaving, the gentleman distributes to the slaves coins - talents, and he doesn’t divide them equally. So, one slave got as many as five talents, another - two, and the third - only one. Having distributed the gifts, the master ordered the slaves to certainly use them and increase them. Then he left, and the slaves were left with the money.
A lot of time passed, and the gentleman returned from a distant country. First of all, he called all three slaves and demanded a strict report from them: how and what they used his condition for.
Talent management
The first slave, who had five talents, doubled them - they became ten. The master praised him.
The second, who was given two talents, also disposed of them wisely - now he has them twice as many. This slave also received praise from the master.
It was the turn of the third to answer. And he brought with him only one talent - the one that the owner gave him before leaving. The slave explained it this way: “Sir, I was scared of your anger and decided to do nothing at all. Instead, he buried his talent in the land where he lay for many years, and only now I got it. "
Hearing such words, the master was very angry: he called the slave lazy and crafty, took his only talent from him and drove the worthless away. Then he gave this coin to the first slave - the one who turned five talents into ten. The owner explained his choice by saying that he who has a lot will always get more, and not having one will lose the last.
This is the story the talent parable tells. The Bible contains many short instructive narratives that can be adapted to the realities of today.
Theological interpretation
Preachers and theologians explain that by “master” in this story one must understand the Lord God, Jesus Christ. By “far country” is meant the kingdom of heaven where Jesus ascended, and the return of the master is an allegorical depiction of the Second Coming. As for the “slaves,” these are the disciples of Jesus, as well as all Christians, God's slaves. It was to them that the parable of talents was addressed, the interpretation of which from the point of view of theology reflects the most important biblical truths.
So the Lord returns from heaven, and the time of the Last Judgment comes. People have to answer how they took advantage of God's gifts. In the parable, “talents” meant money, but in an allegorical sense, they represent various skills, abilities, character traits, opportunities — in short, spiritual and material wealth. That is precisely what the parable of talents allegorically narrates. Its meaning is much better clarified through interpretation.
It is noteworthy that everyone receives different talents and in different quantities. This is because the Lord knows the strengths and weaknesses of any person. And also this is done so that people come together and help each other. In any case, no one is left without talent - everyone is given at least one. The one who manages to use what God has given for the benefit of himself and others will be rewarded from Him, and whoever fails or does not want to, will lose everything.
Psychological interpretation
The biblical parable of talents has become the source of the popular expression “to bury your talent in the ground”, which appeared centuries ago and is still widely used. What is meant by this now? What is the meaning of this expression and the parable from the point of view of psychology?
The important thing is not what a person has (talents, knowledge, skills, resources), but how he uses it. You can have great opportunities, but do not use them, and then they will disappear. And if a person buries his talent, refuses attempts at self-realization, then he most often begins to shift responsibility from himself to external circumstances or other people, which made the “crafty and lazy” slave from the parable. And only he who does not seek excuse for his inaction deserves happiness.
Another parable of talent
It turns out that there is not only a parable about buried talent. Another philosophical and didactic story, written by Leonardo da Vinci, tells of a barber who had a razor in his arsenal - so beautiful and sharp that it was not equal to the whole world. Once she became proud and decided that she was worthless to serve as a working tool. Hiding in a secluded corner, she lay for so many months, and when she wanted to spread her shiny blade, she found that it was all covered with rust.
So a person who has many talents and advantages can lose them if he surrenders to idleness and stops developing.
After reading the original text and its interpretations, you can see how powerful the parable about talents is. For children, you can also use this story (in literary retelling) for home reading and discussion or in school lessons. Like any parable, this story deserves thoughtful reading and reflection.