While the parable of the ten virgins teaches Jesus' disciples (and us) about watchfulness to avoid being deceived, He tells another parable, this time the parable of the talents, to teach them (and us again) about faithfulness while waiting. The parable begins with a rich man entrusting his wealth to his servants before going on a journey. To understand this story, we need to know what a "talent" signifies. During the time of Jesus, a "talent" (translated here as "bags of gold") was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage, which was obviously a huge sum of money. Entrusting such wealth to servants reflects amazing generosity on the part of the master! Consider this: one servant received five "talents," another two, and another just one. Each received the right amount according to his ability, as perceived by the master. The main idea here is for the disciples (i.e., the servants) to remain grateful because they have been entrusted with much. Gratitude is truly the starting point of being faithful to Jesus.