Parable of the Talents. Jesus told this story three times to explain spiritual principles: that faith can move mountains (mountains do not move; people who believe in God can accomplish anything), that no one is good enough by himself or herself to be successful, and that we should serve others even if it means giving our jobs to others. Talent is natural ability combined with hard work. It means "skill" or "craftiness." It also means "spiritual gift." So, talent means skill or craftiness coupled with spirit. The king called for servants who had great talent. He gave them money to help them start their own businesses. But those people who got money away from the king and did nothing with it were called lazy thieves. They showed that they were not talented enough to use the money properly. Instead, they spent it on themselves instead of investing in business ideas that could have made them rich.