It says this: for it is as if a man was going abroad, and his servants he gave them his goods. To one he gave 5 talents, and to another 2, and to another 1, to each according to his own ability. And he went out abroad at once; and the one who received the 5 talents traded with them, and they made another 5 talents; and likewise he that received 2, also gained another 2. But he who'd received the 1 talent, went and dug in the earth and buried it, and hid his Lord's silver. And after a long time, the Lord of those servants came and took account with them; and he who'd received the 5 talents had come and brought another 5 talents, saying: Lord, you delivered us 5 talents to me. Behold, I've gained another 5 above them.
And he said to him: well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler now over many things. Enter the joy of the Lord.
So in this passage he's talking about how your faithfulness, with what you've been given on the earth, determines your role there.
It's not that everybody doesn't get the same wage, because earlier he said that in heaven, whether you started work at 6am or 5pm, you get the same wage.
There's a big difference between wage and reward; but in the beginning of the Bible it was in a garden, and even in perfection Adam had work to do, a job to do. At the end of the Bible it centres around a tree, and its imperfection, and we will have work to do.
I can't stand these images of heaven, that were actually invented in the late 1700s, of all of us wearing white robes, sitting on clouds, playing harps, and singing in perfect pitch to 1780s hymns. That sounds like hell to me, right?
When I was a kid, I asked my pastor: what's heaven going to be like? He said: heaven is like an eternal church service; and I thought: flip, that is horrible! Who would want that! How terrible is that?
Of course, people have the same image of heaven today. They picture a singing 'Jesus culture' in heaven, and of course if we got in a time machine, and went back to 1780 and said: look, this is actually the rock music we're going to be singing in heaven, those people would be like: OH NO! Like nooo.
This is about God establishing something, and our role in it, so essentially Jesus is saying: how you're living here is just going to continue. If you're faithful here, you're going to be faithful there; if you're not faithful here, chances are you're not automatically going to be faithful there; and so there's this correlation that's going on.
Let's keep going. And he who had got the two talents did the same, and he said to him: well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, now I'll make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of the Lord.
And he, who'd received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the earth. Now you have it back.
His lord answered him, and said to him: you evil and slothful servant - you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gathered where I didn't scatter. Then you should have at least put my money to the exchangers, and coming I would have received my own, with interest. Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has 10 talents; for to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will abound. But from him who has not, even that which he has, will be taken away from him.
Now that is Jesus' teaching on heaven - that's one of them. Are you okay with that? What if that happened tomorrow? Does that even sound like Jesus - to take from people who do not have; and give it to people who have more? Sounds like the exact opposite of what He spent His whole life giving Himself to. Why?
Because it's a metaphor! This isn't talking about money. This is talking about: in heaven, account will be taken for what you did with what you were given. If you were faithful with what you'd been given, then you'll be trusted with more things. But if you were not faithful, then whatever you were not faithful with, will be given to someone else.