How 'theologicao' is the parable of the talents?

Many of the parables simply indicate the obvious: A person who calls themselves a Christian but has no change of heart and actions for their faith, in fact has nothing worthy of the name "faith." That is all.

This principle is all throughout scripture and is found most obviously in James and 1 John. By our actions we show if we have the fruit of the indwelling Spirit or not. Those without the Spirit have no place with Christ's reward of eternal life (Romans 8:9). Now of course, Christians still err and of course justification and the gift of the Holy Spirit are by faith alone (Romans 3:21-24, Ephesians 1:13). However, Christians do not "make a practice" of sin throughout their lives as new creations (1 John 3:8). It must also be noted the denotation of "practice" is: "repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it."

Other parables that talk of this principle are:
Wedding Feast
Wise and Foolish Virgins
Minas
Vine and Branches
Tares (Matthew 13:41-43)

As for what "faith" is:

A pastor told me recently of the story of a man on a tight rope over Niagara falls. No one believed he would survive, he does and asks the crowd if they believe. They say yes, but the man counters by asking who was willing to ride in a wheel barrow across the falls. Belief turned to faithlessness again and no one volunteered.

 

Jesus gives four illustrations in Matthew 24 to teach the disciples that we do not know the hour of his return and to warn us that we must always be ready.

1. Matthew 24:37-39: The suddenness of Christ’s return is compared to the days of Noah; therefore, we must always be ready.
2. Matthew 24:40-42: Christ will come unexpectedly to render judgment; therefore, we must always be ready.
3. Matthew 24:43-44: If a householder knew when a thief would come to break in, he would be ready. We must be ready.
4. Matthew 24:45-51: Just as a slave may not know when his master will return, so we must always be ready for our master’s return.

Matthew 25 continues the theme.

Matthew 25:1-13: The wise and foolish virgins
Matthew 25:14-30: The parable of the talents
Matthew 25:31-46: The final judgment​

Being ready for Christ’s return means

1. To be wise rather than foolish
2. To be good and faithful rather than evil and lazy
3. To do good rather than not to do good

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Treating the parable in Matthew 25:14-29 as an allegory... (is that what you meant by “theological”?) ...we can try to figure out what the various characters/events within the story represent:

• The master
• The master leaves on a journey
• The slaves/servants
• The talents
• The long period of time (vs 19)
• The master comes and settles accounts (vs 19)
• The joy of the master (vss 21 and 23)
• The outer darkness

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The obvious lesson is still - be ready!

Questions: What do these phrases mean, "into outer darkness...weeping and gnashing of teeth"?
How does this relate to the churches views of justification, sanctification, and a works based salvation?

APPLICATION

The present physical church is a mixed church consisting of both true, genuine believers and false, counterfeit believers.
Because Christ is my judge, I can look forward to the final judgment with joy rather than fear.
The present is more important than the future.
I should not be concerned about when Christ will return but if I am ready.
​

Rob

 

This parable does not touch on salvation by works nor eternal security, it is about the kingdom of the heavens (aka kingdom of God).

As we know from the context of the rest of Jesus' teaching, the two servants who were doing the things the master required were ALREADY part of the kingdom -- they were invited in to share in the joy of the master when the kingdom came into its fullness. The servant who was not serving the master was not in the kingdom (demonstrated by his lack of interest/understanding in the master's work), and was condemned with the rest of the rival kingdoms of this world when the master's kingdom came into its fullness.

Those who have not heard and acted upon the words of Jesus will face eternal ruin:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:21-29)​

 

in the parable of the wheat and the tares the tares are revealed to us as "the children of the wicked one" - pretenders.

They may indeed perform "good" or even "wonderful" works - Matthew 7:22.

Jesus said to the workers in the kingdom - "let both grow together until the harvest".

Then at the end - Matthew 13
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.