“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ Matthew 25:14-30
The 'talents' represent everything you may use to advance the Kingdom of God over and above your natural abilities. You see, all of the abilities of Christ have been transferred to us! And Jesus Christ has distributed to us all that He values. Everyone of us has been endowed with the means to accomplish her or his own share of the work in the Kingdom of God.
We may read Jesus' Parable of the Talents and say to ourselves that it is easy to make ten talents out of five. And Jesus does not hurry us so that we would make mistakes. Our ambition may outweigh our ability and yet if we are only given one talent that is what we are given. Jesus' Parable shows us that the person given only one talent actually shrinks from using the one talent. Shrinking from what you have been entrusted with has consequences. So, when you refuse to help another as Spirit prompts, or decline to lead when all the while you are silencing Christ's teachings within your heart, or when you hesitate when the work of the Kingdom causes you to associate with those outside of the Kingdom-- then these arbitrary examples of the consequences of a shrinking from entrustment of a talent show us that shrinking has faith issues too.
We are servants in the Kingdom working for Christ.
Moneywise the talents in the Parable add up to one days work equalling one talent. We understand that God has given us our jobs/professions, opportunities, and God's abundant Grace. God's greatest gift of Grace to us is in Jesus Christ's salvation.
Jesus entrusts us. Praise to Christ Jesus for our trust in Him!