Yes, a “talent” (above) was bullion worth about 20 years’ wages for a labourer in Judah (now a part of Israel) in AD 30. In Jersey 2008 money, a talent was therefore worth perhaps £300,000 at our minimum wage of £5.80 with a 50 hour working week.
So what? Well, when Jesus began this story—this “parallel” as he called it—he was speaking to his key followers about a king who was owed 10,000 talents by his servant, his employee. In Jersey 2008 terms, this servant would have owed his king (the States?) 10,000 such coins—that is, £3,000,000,000. Three billion pounds.
An unlikely start to a story. Jesus’ hearers must have realised that this king was pretty special.
Howearth did this servant manage to run up such a magnificent debt? He must have been provided with something pretty marvellous without paying for it. Life itself is the only thing that comes to mind—life, including the ability to see, hear, think, walk and work.
@arial="" marvellous="" then="" happened="" in="" this="" parallel="" story.="" king,="" when="" pleaded="" with,="" forgave="" debt—yes,="" the="" whole="" £3="" billion.="">
@arial="" was="" money="" well="" as="" owing="" it.="" one="" of="" his="" work="" colleagues="" owed="" him="" 100="" “denarii”.="" these="" were="" roman="" coins.="" (="">A hoard of 12,000 coins dating from that time and from the first century BC was found at La Marquanderie in St Brelade in 1935.) InAD 30, a labourer expected to earn one denarius in one day. In Jersey, AD 2008, that’s about £60 a day. So his work colleague owed him £6,000.
@arial="" had="" been="" forgiven="" a="" debt="" of="" £3="" billion="" “="">seizingbegan to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe’.”he put him in a debtor’s prison until the debt was paid.
@arial="" style="" >=""> @arial="" parallel="" story="" there="" in="" judea,="" disclosed="" that="" king="" heard="" about="" from="" other="" colleagues="" both="" servants="" and,="" because="" this="" lack="" mercy,="" reversed="" discharge="" of="" £3="" billion="" debt="" and="" placed="" man="" under="" the="" same="" punishment="" as="" he="" had="" meted="" out="" to="" his="" colleague.="">
@arial="" widow-orphan=""> @arial="" is="" very="" ready="" enormous="" debts="" owed="" to="" him.="" but="" will="" not="" forgive="" the="" unforgiving="" at="" any="" price.="">
@arial="" finds="" it="" very="" difficult="" write="" off,="" forgive,="" debts="" owed="" us,="" whether="" monetary="" or,="" more="" often,="" relating="" hurt="" done="" to="" us.="">
What,is going to happen to each of us? Each needs to see our principal creditor about this—and, most importantly, about the £3 billion. Each of us feels that this per capita value is not overstated in our own case—but dislike acknowledging the debt. |
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