Clothes were packed, medical cards were set aside in case of an emergency, and my two-page list of instructions lay neatly folded in an envelope. More than capable, my in-laws had kept our children on numerous occasions. But we wanted them to know our heart so that our children would be cared for in the way we care for them.

Knowing He would soon be leaving, Jesus spent His days teaching His followers what would be most important for them to remember. He had come to change the world. But in order for them to carry on the message, He had to change their focus (Matthew 6:19-21).

Interpreting the parable of the talents, we often see Jesus as discussing our spiritual gifts. We admonish each other to use them for Him and not hide them in the ground out of fear. While this interpretation may be true, when we look at the context of these parables we see another aspect.

Jesus was focused on His eventual return. Matthew 25:1-13 tells us always to be spiritually ready for His return, for those who are not will be excluded from the celebration. Luke 19:12-27 is Luke’s account of the parable of the talents. Just prior, he recounts the story of Zacchaeus and Jesus’ declaration, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10). If we want to know whether we’re being good stewards, we have to know His “currency.”

Jesus valued souls.

When He speaks of what we do with our talents, He isn’t evaluating whether or not we’ve sung for Him or written a drama for the Easter play. He wants us to love people as He does. He wants us to know that we’re dealing in His currency, not our own.