Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

God has created both men and women to be of many sizes, shapes, colors, looks and each one has differing abilities. So as in the body of Christ on this earth, the church, which is the people who come from many different walks of like and each with differing abilities which round out the work of each group. The whole body cannot be just one part of the body and still function (1 Corinthians 12:12-20). God has composed the body to give the members which lack more abundant honor and that the members both care for one another in times of suffering as well as rejoicing (1 Corinthians 12:21-27).

And so to find the answer to our question, "What does the man with one talent do?" we turn to Matthew 25:14-30 where the parable of the master giving his slaves talents each according to their abilities and entrusts them to do something with them. James 1:22 says "But prove yourselves doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves." The first two men who have received five and two talents report that they both have doubled their talents and are judged by the master by being told they are "good and faithful" and puts them in charge of many things and to enter into the joy of the master, or spiritually speaking, to enter into heaven for that eternal rest. These men have indeed proven to be doers with the abilities they have by doubling their talents. Notice that even though the second man only earned two more talents, he still was able to enter in as he did what he was able and was judged by the Lord's righteous judgment.

Bearing that in mind we now turn to the man who was given one talent. When the master turns to him the slave comes up and says,

Matthew 25:24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew

you would be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.

And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours."

Fear can keep us from doing the work of our Lord, just as it prevented this man from being a "doer". But as the parable unfolds we know that not doing because of fear is no excuse. We may feel the fear, but we must take courage to press on to the good works just as the first two men. Paul says in Ephesians 6:10 "Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might." and again in 1 Corinthians 16:13 "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." So what did the man with one talent do? He returned the talent to his master and there we have our answer. But the real story is what he did not do, as the master tells him,

Matthew 25:26-30 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I

reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put my money in

the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the

talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' For to everyone who has, more shall be

given, and he will have in abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have

shall be taken away. Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place their will be

weeping and gnashing of teeth."

He may have figured that by doing nothing he was at least doing nothing wrong, but we learn by doing and although we make mistakes along the pathway of life, by continuing to move forward and by our learning process we succeed to some degree, even if it is only gaining interest at the bank. Our Lord is telling us to try and keep on trying as we scatter the seed of His word even if its in troubled water with courage for our reward will be great in the joy of the Master (2 Thessalonians 1:4-5).

May we not only know the right thing we should be doing by the study of His word (2 Timothy 2:15), but may we have the courage to do the right thing in the face of our fear and the tribulation that may befall us. And when the Master comes he will say to us, "Enter into the joy of your Master." (2 Timothy 4:5-8)