Jesus used parables for teaching truth that are recorded in the Bible. They are simple stories given to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. In reviewing the parable of the talents we find the same principles that we find expressed as capitalism today. In Matthew 25, Jesus described how those that traded their talents wisely and diligently were given more, and the one who didn’t was called “lazy” and was taken away.

For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. Matthew 25:29

Harold Eberle explains what it means, “to have” something in this context. He indicates that Jesus is talking about taking responsibility for something, and hence to trade or invest it as the two faithful servants did. So the one lazy servant did not “have” his talent in the sense of ownership and possess a willingness take responsibility for stewarding it.

Jesus said that the one who has shall be given more…what Jesus describes here is the exact opposite of socialism. Someone with socialistic tendencies would desire the government to take away from the one who has more and give to the one who has less…to redistribute wealth. Jesus is teaching that life wasn’t meant to be like that in the Kingdom. As Harold Eberle says, “He will only bless abundantly those who take responsibility for the possessions they have already obtained. “

For the Christian to embrace this principle today, they must look to see what God has given them. If all their resources have been spent in the pursuit of depreciating consumer goods and nothing is left for saving, investing, trading or even to earn interest; then they are not living according to this teaching of Jesus.